FionaMG

At the airport we were reunited with our luggage that was waiting for us.  LATAM once again requires that each passenger check in with their own luggage.

There are a couple of small gift shops before security.

Once they opened security there is a small deli shop and the Magna Lounge for those with Priority Pass access or $35 per person.



Soon enough our aircraft arrived and deplaned the incoming passengers.  Then it was our turn to board.



The picture I took seven days ago versus the picture of our flight today.  


Besides the row I was seated in what else has changed? 
In the first picture we were mostly strangers.  Now?  We are mostly on a first name basis with so many new friends.  
We all shared a special trip aboard a magnificent vessel with an awesome crew.
Seventy nine of us all united with an experience that will live in our memories for a lifetime. 
What a trip.   
 

At 7:30am the Blue team was the first to debark the ship for the last time.

 A final wave to our amazing zodiac drivers.

With that it was our last zodiac ride to the harbor of San Cristobal.  

Day 8 - We Start Our Return Home
Breakfast buffet from 6am to 7am then we were asked to meet in the Explorers Lounge and be out of our cabins so they could start the cleaning and sanitization process.  It looks like we have a new zodiac captain.

This never gets old.

Pre-dinner cocktails and in place of a lecture on our last night it was Galapagos Trivia.
We were asked to come up with creative names for trivia teams.  The winner was team “I love Boobies and I can not lie”. 

With my luggage out in the hallway before the 11pm deadline I had some time to enjoy the ship one last night. 
Several people were up on the star gazing deck enjoying a sky full of stars.  Once they left to put their luggage out I walked the ship and discovered some crew heading to shore.  Many of them are local and have family here.  Hopefully some managed to get home briefly between cruises. 

After they left some Sea Lions were fishing using the underwater lights of the ship to attract fish.  Flora joined us again.

A week ago I would have said... "Look a bird!"
Now it's "There is an American Oystercatcher".



What a glorious afternoon. 

Blue Footed Boobies were fishing.  It’s hard to catch a small object hundreds of meters away going 100 km/h diving unpredictably into the water to catch a fish but here a few lame attempts.

More species from the Origin arrive.

Crabs everywhere who stayed near their holes burrowed in the sand.  Any time one of use got near they all disappeared back into their holes.

Time for our beach break.  After such a hectic go, go, go week it was nice to have a slower day to recuperate.  This brings us to our second last zodiac ride.


 

 

 

 

And then we arrived to a gorgeous beach with fine white sand.

Wet landing of course.

Nikolai calls the wildlife on the radio and tells then to start doing their thing.

The beach time was open for us to do whatever we wanted.  We could swim or lay in the sun.  They only asked that we lay on beach towels and not directly on the sand.



Sea Lions doing Sea Lions things.



This Sea Lion was rolling in the waves as they broke near the edge of the beach.  Most were resting.

It was pretty cool sharing a beach with these Sea Lions.  We didn't bother them and they didn't bother us.

At 2:30pm there was a talk in the Explorers Lounge to explain the debarking process the next morning.  Luggage had to put out by 11pm so I returned to my cabin to change for the beach and start packing.
Not a bad view from my bathroom.  

I’ve also been meaning to go through the interactive video wall in the Basecamp.


It's a pretty impressive way to research each stop.

Our zodiac driver once again was finding various wildlife for our enjoyment.  This Frigatebird chick was hard to spot at first.


Sea Lions doing Sea Lion things but mostly resting.  There was one jumping in and out of the water while swimming at high speed.  Our guide told us this would be a male being chased by another male who was defending his territory.  Too fast for pictures.

 

 

This nursing Sea Lion mother had enough of her pup demanding more so she hid in the rocks for a rest.

 




 

No day is complete without some Blue Footed Boobies.


Sally Lightfoot Crabs were everywhere.


Several Christmas iguanas were warming up in the sun.  Come December they will turn color earning their name Christmas Iguana.








The paddle board folks were nearby.

Day 7 - Isla Lobos and Cerro Brujo, San Cristóbal
Choices of a snorkel, paddle boarding or a zodiac tour.  I chose the zodiac tour mostly because they have been pretty awesome so far and I can bring my good camera on the zodiac.
We start with some Brown Pelicans, Frigatebirds, Sea Lions and Iguanas.  






We came to a Sea Lion community with several young pups, their mothers and of course a male Sea Lion responsible for his territory.




The male Sea Lion wasn’t thrilled with our presence and he was very vocal to let us know.

A Blue Footed Booby always warrants some attention.


The zodiacs have made this trip into the experience it has become.  

Without zodiacs I don't know how we could have managed to see and experience so much.

Our guides have been amazing but the zodiac drivers have also been fantastic.   They have made this trip.

Our zodiac driver spotted something on the beach.

It is a Sea Turtle (and a Mockingbird).

More Mockingbird research?  An inspection?


Time to fly!

We sped up the coast to see what else we could find.  It didn't take long to find something.

Our zodiac driver spotted something in a tree near the beach.

The Galapagos Hawk is an apex predator and pretty much the top of the food chain here in the Galapagos.





Despite being at the top of the food chain the Mockingbirds showed no fear around the Hawk.  Some Finches were also nearby.


Can you find all eight birds in this next photo?

More Mockingbirds were on the beach in plain sight of the Hawk.

Of course the Blue Footed Booby is never too far.


Today is more about the Española Mockingbird.

We must have stumbled into their communal home because one quickly turned into many.



They seemed to be fascinated with us.


They were buzzing around us like they were going to land on one of us but instead one landed on the bow of the zodiac.


Seeing how we didn't attack the first brave scout, another one landed on the zodiac.

From my seat up front I was just pointing my camera in their direction and hoping I was getting something.



Thern one landed on the AIS antenna.


It was like they had been given an assignment to study us.






Two on the bow turned into three.

It's simply amazing how they had no fear of us.


What an amazing experience.

After a quick change it was back on the zodiacs for a coastal tour.  I've come to really enjoy these tours.


There is a species of Mockingbird unique to Española and they would become a big part of this tour today.

We come to the cave I spotted from the zodiac on the ride in.

It's not a very deep cave but it was packed with marine life.


Guess what else joined us in the cave?








What an amazing snorkel.  But it was time to head back, there is yet another excursion that needs the zodiacs.

JC points out a Moray Eel in the rocks.

It was moving through the rocks 


Next he finds another Diamond Stingray for us.


And then he finds us a Stone Fish.  This fish is a master of camouflage.  He lays in wait for something tempting to come along and strikes like lightning.

The afternoon snorkel was quite popular and they used almost every guide and zodiac to get us all out today.
JC will be our guide.





Can you spot the fish?

We spotted a turtle on the bottom.

Then the turtle moved.

Then the turtle swam right for us.


we weren't chasing the turtle or trying to follow it, it decided to swim with us.








That was pretty amazing.

A Spotted Eagle Ray swims past us at a distance. 


With that it's time to leave.  It was a very enjoyable snorkel. 

There are hundreds of small fish.






And hundreds more of slightly larger fish.


Jeffo has spotted something.

It's the shell of a Galapagos Spiny Lobster.

Back on board I change and head back down for a morning snorkel.  As it turns out our guide is Jeffo again.


Jeffo points out a Diamond Stingray.



Naturally a Sea Lion joins us.

A school of young Pelican Barracuda swims past.


Water was pretty clear and there was a lot of marine life.



Jeffo excitedly points out a Hawksbill Turtle.  He tells us they are pretty rare.  He hasn't seen one anywhere for a couple of years.