Floreana and Isabela Islands

Sea lions are the stars of Galápagos, and since we woke up today, we have had amazing encounters with them. Early in the morning we spotted several sea lions sleeping in “La Loberia,” a group of rocks in front of Post Office bay. We saw not only sea lions, but also a few penguins, which are quite rare for this part of the Galápagos. Our guests participated in the tradition of collecting postcards from Post Office barrel to deliver someday, and of course they left their own. The snorkeling was spectacular, especially because of the sea lions, who did not want us to see anything else. When we tried to enjoy the fish, sea lions swam in front of our cameras…they wanted to be the stars. In the afternoon we visited the breeding center of Galápagos tortoises in Puerto Villamil, Isabela, and this time, sea lions were not the highlight. It was the several kinds of giant tortoises that live in the center, and are part of the breeding and raising programs. But when we went back to the beach, to walk along the white soft sand of this lovely town, we heard sea lions, and saw one waving to us from the waves.