Floreana Island
An early radio call put all of us into high gear. One of our naturalists, Lobo, informed the ship by radio of an unusual sighting. Immediately, Cindy Manning, our expedition leader, notified me. I literally jumped for joy, and got ready in seconds. With our digital camera in hand I left with the mission to document the event and to take photographs of it. Travelling with me in the Zodiac was Steve Ewing, our Video Chronicler on board. His mission was to record the event for posterity in video. From our Zodiacs many of our guests saw the unusual sighting as well. At this time you, dear reader, may be wondering: What was so exciting? What can cause such commotion? The answer is, one of the most beautiful and unusual mammals you can imagine: the Galapagos albino sea lion was spotted once again. If you are following our web site you already know of whom we are talking about. If you are checking this site for the first time, I hope that after reading these short paragraphs you will be as interested and curious about this fuzzy fellow as many people are. To date “she” is exactly 19 months and 1 day old. The albino sea lion was born on August 9th, 2001. Please check our archives for more pictures, extra information and past updates.
Something remarkable happened today. I was able for the very first time to observe the albino very close together with a “normal” sea lion. It was great to compare the coloration of their skins, ear flaps, noses and flippers. With my heart filled with emotion, I came back with new pictures and observations. Everybody on board was chatting about the albino. It was great! For me it is very difficult to describe with few words the emotion I feel being able to track and witness this unusual event over a long period of time. If you are an animal lover or you are fond of the natural world I am pretty sure you can understand my excitement. Keep in touch for upcoming news about this adorable creature.
