This morning began very early. Many of us awoke to depart the ship at sunrise for a lovely sandy beach at Santiago. Nature hikers headed up a small hill through the forest, watching for birds and dodging mosquitoes. Photographers enjoyed shooting the moon setting over the ship and experimenting with slow shutter speeds on the crashing surf. A few oystercatchers and a whimbrel ambled along beside us, but then we found the jackpot: a half dozen pelicans and a handful of blue-footed boobies repeatedly plunge-diving into the surf! The boobies shot like arrows into the water, wings folded, often in synchrony. The pelicans were a bit more cumbersome, like B-52 bombers stalling out and crashing into the water. When the pelicans surfaced with a giant mouthful of water and fish, brown noddies swarmed them, landing on their heads to catch fish that might escape from the pelicans' pouches. A sea turtle ambled down from its beach nest to the water, causing quite a lot of excitement among photographers. All in all, it was a fabulous pre-breakfast outing.
Later in the morning, we sent kayakers ashore to jump into their boats and paddle around a beautiful rocky point to another beach. Red cactus-covered cliffs loomed above and frothy spray licked their base with the rolling waves. The glass-bottom boat was sent out, allowing guests to enjoy terrific views of many different fish, several sharks, sea stars, and rays. Snorkelers jumped into the water to explore the underwater paradise, and the morning ended with suntans and smiles.
Photographers met for a photo session in the lounge after lunch, followed by a presentation on light by our National Geographic photographer Jeff. Afterwards we hopped aboard zodiacs and zipped to shore, where we trekked out to a rocky coastal area with wildlife. Iguanas fed on algae as water frothed around them, night herons blinked at us, and a lava heron disemboweled a Sally Lightfoot crab right in front of us. Sea lions basked in the swell and rolled in the sand, and we rode back to the ship as the sun dipped towards the horizon. A barbeque on the outer decks and an evening presentation on the human history of the Galapagos finished off a terrific day.
