Floreana Island
As the sun broke over the horizon at a little past six this morning, the sky deepened into blue. There were a few clouds around the edges and hugging the top of the volcano, but nothing to make us hesitate on the way out the door. Temperature perfect (75 Farenheit), sea perfect (flat calm), and postcards written.
Post Office Bay had its tradition of letter exchanges up held, and an excursion around the islets by Zodiac exposed sea lions and giant prickly pear cacti hidden around corners.
Champion, however, was the icing on the cake. The young sea lions between a few months to a couple of years old spun their wizardry around us and kept us in thrall to their pirouettes and kamikaze turns on a dime. As much as we attempted to imitate, there was no way we could keep up. I do believe these animals are the reason I have stayed in the islands for over twenty years. There’s no one else in the waters of the oceans that gives us the sense of wanting to play…with us, the infamous human species.
The afternoon had some of us back in the water for a snorkel around “Devil’s Crown,” a rugged run with current and chop, but with rewards of a shark, penguin and lobster and outrageously audacious young sea lions. Kayakers paddled the islets nearby, and all of us ended up on shore at Pta. Cormorant for an easy walk to a white beach with frigates cruising the airways overhead waiting for marine turtle hatchlings to make a mistake and appear during daylight hours.
Sunset was dramatic, and dinner up on deck finished with all kinds of marine life around the ship keeping late hours. Sharks, sea lions and turtles circled later in our dreams.
As the sun broke over the horizon at a little past six this morning, the sky deepened into blue. There were a few clouds around the edges and hugging the top of the volcano, but nothing to make us hesitate on the way out the door. Temperature perfect (75 Farenheit), sea perfect (flat calm), and postcards written.
Post Office Bay had its tradition of letter exchanges up held, and an excursion around the islets by Zodiac exposed sea lions and giant prickly pear cacti hidden around corners.
Champion, however, was the icing on the cake. The young sea lions between a few months to a couple of years old spun their wizardry around us and kept us in thrall to their pirouettes and kamikaze turns on a dime. As much as we attempted to imitate, there was no way we could keep up. I do believe these animals are the reason I have stayed in the islands for over twenty years. There’s no one else in the waters of the oceans that gives us the sense of wanting to play…with us, the infamous human species.
The afternoon had some of us back in the water for a snorkel around “Devil’s Crown,” a rugged run with current and chop, but with rewards of a shark, penguin and lobster and outrageously audacious young sea lions. Kayakers paddled the islets nearby, and all of us ended up on shore at Pta. Cormorant for an easy walk to a white beach with frigates cruising the airways overhead waiting for marine turtle hatchlings to make a mistake and appear during daylight hours.
Sunset was dramatic, and dinner up on deck finished with all kinds of marine life around the ship keeping late hours. Sharks, sea lions and turtles circled later in our dreams.
