Bartolome and Santiago Islands
We cannot believe that this week is ending after all the great moments we have shared. It is incredible to think about the distance that we have covered to reach the many different places in the archipelago where we had such wonderful experiences. The total physical distance we have traveled is 645 nautical miles, and we loved and enjoyed every single mile of this trip!
The weather this week has been fantastic. Today was windy but clear and sunny, and especially during the morning excursion, most of us had to hold on to our hats to avoid loosing them. Another surprise this week has been the sea temperatures. Normally they should be between 67 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but we have had temperatures of 71 to 75 degrees! The warm water made the snorkeling outings most enjoyable since, of course, we all love warm water!
We snorkeled twice today. In the morning off Bartolome we were surprised and delighted when penguins swam past us so fast that they left us wondering what else there could possibly be left to see. Some of us watched the penguins chasing and catching tiny fish from a school of fast swimming black-stripped salemas.
Sea turtles were the highlight of the afternoon snorkel off the black sand beach of Puerto Egas, Santiago Island. The turtles were utterly unafraid—they seemed to be almost friendly! It was a privilege to snorkel among them, and to mingle with feeding turtles that did not mind us being so close. There is no doubt that this week we can say we saw everything we were expecting to see, and even more.
We have noticed that if you take the time and look closely you may find a young sea lion playing with a mangrove leaf. A whale might be cavorting with its baby, leaping and lobing its tail on the surface of the water. A small, drab Darwin finch that is probing and searching under the foliage or rocks is hunting for tiny seeds. We enjoyed contemplating a lava heron catching little fish in a tidal pool (see today’s photo). In a few short minutes it swallowed several of them.
Part of the reason we so thoroughly enjoyed these moments, and many, many others just like these, is because there is true beauty in the simplicity we found here. In our busy lives there is a tendency to forget or ignore the simple, and apparently insignificant little things. Perhaps from now on when we feel rushed or overly busy, we will take a moment and try to recall the magnificent feeling of the warm and refreshing ocean breeze on our faces. To remember the sound of the whispered sweet song of a little yellow bird, or the joy we felt swirling with the sea lions. These are memories that fill our senses and remind us of the lovely and unique place that is Galapagos.
We cannot believe that this week is ending after all the great moments we have shared. It is incredible to think about the distance that we have covered to reach the many different places in the archipelago where we had such wonderful experiences. The total physical distance we have traveled is 645 nautical miles, and we loved and enjoyed every single mile of this trip!
The weather this week has been fantastic. Today was windy but clear and sunny, and especially during the morning excursion, most of us had to hold on to our hats to avoid loosing them. Another surprise this week has been the sea temperatures. Normally they should be between 67 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but we have had temperatures of 71 to 75 degrees! The warm water made the snorkeling outings most enjoyable since, of course, we all love warm water!
We snorkeled twice today. In the morning off Bartolome we were surprised and delighted when penguins swam past us so fast that they left us wondering what else there could possibly be left to see. Some of us watched the penguins chasing and catching tiny fish from a school of fast swimming black-stripped salemas.
Sea turtles were the highlight of the afternoon snorkel off the black sand beach of Puerto Egas, Santiago Island. The turtles were utterly unafraid—they seemed to be almost friendly! It was a privilege to snorkel among them, and to mingle with feeding turtles that did not mind us being so close. There is no doubt that this week we can say we saw everything we were expecting to see, and even more.
We have noticed that if you take the time and look closely you may find a young sea lion playing with a mangrove leaf. A whale might be cavorting with its baby, leaping and lobing its tail on the surface of the water. A small, drab Darwin finch that is probing and searching under the foliage or rocks is hunting for tiny seeds. We enjoyed contemplating a lava heron catching little fish in a tidal pool (see today’s photo). In a few short minutes it swallowed several of them.
Part of the reason we so thoroughly enjoyed these moments, and many, many others just like these, is because there is true beauty in the simplicity we found here. In our busy lives there is a tendency to forget or ignore the simple, and apparently insignificant little things. Perhaps from now on when we feel rushed or overly busy, we will take a moment and try to recall the magnificent feeling of the warm and refreshing ocean breeze on our faces. To remember the sound of the whispered sweet song of a little yellow bird, or the joy we felt swirling with the sea lions. These are memories that fill our senses and remind us of the lovely and unique place that is Galapagos.
