Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
The mating season is beginning for turtles! The shorelines of Bartolomé are teeming with them and of course with lots of fish also. We witnessed several dozen of these ancient reptiles swimming along the beach and some of us even caught a late one by surprise when she was leaving the beach, likely after resting for a while. There were some tracks on the upper beach also, showing there was some action over the previous night.
The overcast weather subsided midmorning to let us have a charming snorkeling session, where penguins taught us to be humble: swimming in circles around rapidly and with such precision, the moment's memory will surely stay in our minds forever.
The afternoon came with intensity when we contemplated a baby Oystercatcher not older than one week, running next to its parents who were feeding it at the inter-tidal zone on Puerto Egas. The marine iguanas are apparently making some moves around. The large males seem to be taking positions in the higher beach, the best place to hold territories, just near the nesting grounds.
Several species of migratory birds accompanied us the duration of our hike. The constant feeding frenzies of boobies, pelicans and brown noddys moving along the coast made us forget about the rather refreshing breeze that came, blown in from the ocean.
Another cycle is beginning to take place, and every day we witness a little step forward of this intricate web that gives birth to life.
The mating season is beginning for turtles! The shorelines of Bartolomé are teeming with them and of course with lots of fish also. We witnessed several dozen of these ancient reptiles swimming along the beach and some of us even caught a late one by surprise when she was leaving the beach, likely after resting for a while. There were some tracks on the upper beach also, showing there was some action over the previous night.
The overcast weather subsided midmorning to let us have a charming snorkeling session, where penguins taught us to be humble: swimming in circles around rapidly and with such precision, the moment's memory will surely stay in our minds forever.
The afternoon came with intensity when we contemplated a baby Oystercatcher not older than one week, running next to its parents who were feeding it at the inter-tidal zone on Puerto Egas. The marine iguanas are apparently making some moves around. The large males seem to be taking positions in the higher beach, the best place to hold territories, just near the nesting grounds.
Several species of migratory birds accompanied us the duration of our hike. The constant feeding frenzies of boobies, pelicans and brown noddys moving along the coast made us forget about the rather refreshing breeze that came, blown in from the ocean.
Another cycle is beginning to take place, and every day we witness a little step forward of this intricate web that gives birth to life.
