Isabela Island
Yesterday, Monday, was a “pink” day. Tuesday has been a “whale” of a day. Yesterday we walked beside a brackish lagoon, with pink algae and pink shrimps. In the lagoon we watched pink flamingoes, and one of our guests, Ted McGraw, captured this great picture.
Today, since early this morning, clear skies augured a day full of surprises. This wasn’t completely unexpected however. We knew we would be sailing in the western realm of the Galapagos, which is the richest in marine life and the most mysterious area in this archipelago.
The sightings began right after crossing the equatorial line. The first unique experience was a visit from King Neptune himself, in the company of a couple of wild-looking and noisy pirates. Then a few dolphins were sighted in a feeding frenzy of boobies and brown noddy terns. And this was just the introduction to the excitement to come!
During breakfast we encountered a gigantic pod of common dolphins (see bottom photo). We estimate that there were well over a thousand! We were so close that we could hear the splash of the water after each of their acrobatic jumps. We also watched dozens of kamikaze boobies plunging all around the ship. Later from the Zodiacs we saw ocean sunfish, bottle-nosed dolphins, countless sea turtles and flightless cormorants.
It is hard to outdo the many outstanding experiences of this morning, but there was one last sighting that, for me at least, topped everything else. The sperm whales we saw today were only the second (and third) I have seen in Galapagos in more than nine years! For me, with its massive head and bulky tail, the sperm is the stereotype of a whale. We watched two, logging on the surface for several minutes. My heart was in suspense during those moments. We had just enough time to admire the many features that make this enormous mammal so unique: the single sideways pointed blow-hole, the non-prominent dorsal fin followed by knuckles and the dark grayish body. Every Tuesday when our itinerary takes us into the western realm of these islands, I hope for, and dream of sperm whales. Today, my dream finally came true!
Yesterday, Monday, was a “pink” day. Tuesday has been a “whale” of a day. Yesterday we walked beside a brackish lagoon, with pink algae and pink shrimps. In the lagoon we watched pink flamingoes, and one of our guests, Ted McGraw, captured this great picture.
Today, since early this morning, clear skies augured a day full of surprises. This wasn’t completely unexpected however. We knew we would be sailing in the western realm of the Galapagos, which is the richest in marine life and the most mysterious area in this archipelago.
The sightings began right after crossing the equatorial line. The first unique experience was a visit from King Neptune himself, in the company of a couple of wild-looking and noisy pirates. Then a few dolphins were sighted in a feeding frenzy of boobies and brown noddy terns. And this was just the introduction to the excitement to come!
During breakfast we encountered a gigantic pod of common dolphins (see bottom photo). We estimate that there were well over a thousand! We were so close that we could hear the splash of the water after each of their acrobatic jumps. We also watched dozens of kamikaze boobies plunging all around the ship. Later from the Zodiacs we saw ocean sunfish, bottle-nosed dolphins, countless sea turtles and flightless cormorants.
It is hard to outdo the many outstanding experiences of this morning, but there was one last sighting that, for me at least, topped everything else. The sperm whales we saw today were only the second (and third) I have seen in Galapagos in more than nine years! For me, with its massive head and bulky tail, the sperm is the stereotype of a whale. We watched two, logging on the surface for several minutes. My heart was in suspense during those moments. We had just enough time to admire the many features that make this enormous mammal so unique: the single sideways pointed blow-hole, the non-prominent dorsal fin followed by knuckles and the dark grayish body. Every Tuesday when our itinerary takes us into the western realm of these islands, I hope for, and dream of sperm whales. Today, my dream finally came true!
