Pacific 2019: The Galapagos!
The Islands of San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Isabela in the Galapagos, Ecuador
San Cristobal, Galapagos, Ecuador 25 April – 10 May
And we’re here!!!! In the Galapagos!!! How exciting is that? There are sea lions everywhere, which is just what I expected. They are on the water taxi platform and along the shore, on the beach and swimming all over. There are big ones and small ones, pups probably born in December or January. All delightful, if a bit smelly! It took us several days to catch up on sleep, to clean the boat and get all the salt off. We walked around town and went to dinner. We started gathering info on the basics: supermarket, fresh market, tours, getting water and diesel, etc. Slept some more.
Day tour to view tortoises and boobies!!! – Instead of paying $60/pp for an official tour, we paid $60 for a taxi for 5 hours and saw some of the sights one can reach by land (not all of the island). First, The tortoise breeding center. Lots of lovely turtles of various sizes and all well maintained. No entrance fee, and nice little path around the place. Next, we went to a beach where allegedly there are lots of blue-footed booby birds. There was only one! But at least there WAS one! I think this would have to be the-most-photographed booby of all times, lol! First, he was sitting, so we couldn’t see his feet. Several of us were gathered around waiting for him to stand up so we could verify foot color. Eventually he did and we were all delighted to see the bright blue webbed feet. He flew off but then returned again to ham it up a bit for us with some foot lifting and preening. Eventually, he flew off again and the show was over. So, the very first blue-footed booby bird presented himself, but hopefully many others will show themselves while we’re in the Galapagos!
Unexpected guest on board!!! – I told Willem already in Panama that we would need to deploy a sea-lion defense system for the boat so we didn’t wind up with a cockpit full of uninvited guests, though NOT deploying said system represents an invitation as far as they’re concerned, LOL! He didn’t believe me. He thought we could put a little barrier down and we’d be fine. I said we needed to deploy all fenders on top of a big barrier to keep them from hopping up on the aft platform, then a high mesh grate to keep them from getting into the cockpit in the event they happened to get lucky and nose their way through the fenders. Well, we deployed our defense system which worked well, but then we didn’t put back the fenders while Willem was working on a project and poof… a sea lion hopped up and made himself comfy. We then put a higher grate in, took hundreds of photos of him, and went about our business. He stayed for quite a while, getting smellier and noisier as time went on. He invited some of his friends to join him and the barking got very loud. Only room for one sea lion at a time on the platform so there was some bickering amongst the crowds, but eventually we decided he needed to be evicted before we went to sleep or the sound and smell would keep us awake. Still, how cool is it to have a sea lion perched on the stern of the boat? Just another amazing Galapagos experience!
Michele arrives! – on May 7th… so good to have my dearest friend visiting for two weeks and enjoying this amazing experience. Also great for her to see what a real liveaboard cruising boat is like and meet Willem. We took it slow the first afternoon and went ashore in the evening. We went for a happy-hour drink and sushi dinner, which was pretty good for being as remote as the Galapagos is. The next two days we walked around and enjoyed the harbor and prepared to head to our next destination, Santa Cruz. Happily, we eventually had another guest on board. “Madame, her sea lionness”, as we affectionately named her, arrived and stayed with us for just about two days. She would hop off into the water to eat and do her business and then come back on board for the rest of the day and night. We were wondering whether she’d stay on the stern and sail off with us, but it didn’t come to that. The morning we were to leave she hopped off and Willem quickly put a fender barrier up so she couldn’t get back on board. She came back around fully intending to do so and was quite incensed that her place had been taken. Both Michele and I were very sad and missed her.
Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador 10 – 12 May
We motor-sailed to Santa Cruz and arrived with plenty of daylight to anchor, but we needed to reset the anchor three times before we got a good-enough hold. The anchorage was rocking and rolling like crazy! It was almost violent it was so strong. Michele felt sick and both Willem and I weren’t comfortable either. We decided that we needed to leave and head for Isabela… a better anchorage and a nicer place to stay for the two weeks Willem would be traveling back to the Netherlands.
We provisioned up at the local supermarket then Willem took everything to the boat. Mich and I scoped out a place for something to drink and a snack. The something to drink turned out to be mojitos and caipirinhas because it was happy hour. We each had two and Willem had a beer. We enjoyed the patacons (fried green plantains – as we needed something to soak up the alcohol) and then visited the Darwin Center. Tortoises and iguanas. The visitor center was closed as it was late afternoon on Saturday. Still, it was a nice walk around. We headed back to town and had a nice dinner out before returning to the boat. The swell had calmed a little bit so it was better than the previous night, but still not the place I wanted to hang out the next two weeks while Willem was away. We thought we’d get an early start the following morning to Isabela, but Willem needed to rebook his flight back to Amsterdam since they had cancelled the flight and between that, booking his ferry and hotel, and confirming everything, we didn’t get underway until after 10am.
Isabela Island, Galapagos, Ecuador 13 May – 10 June
It was a motor-boat ride from Santa Cruz all the way to Isabela island – about 50 miles. But it was a lovely ride and beautiful weather all the way. We took a little detour around the south side of Tortuga Island and saw lots of lovely boobies in addition to the beautiful and rugged rock formations. We had a few wasps on board which had joined us on San Cristobal and/or Santa Cruz and I got stung (I sat on it, so it was understandably annoyed) and then Mich got stung twice. My sting became totally swollen and red and stayed that way for the better part of a week. It hurt and when it stopped hurting it started itching like crazy. Allergic reaction, me thinks. Mich, armed with fly swatter, took care of the 4 or 5 others lurking about. They were pretty aggressive. We saw only one since then and she made sure he wasn’t ever going to sting anyone again, lol!
The anchorage in Puerto Villamil on Isabela island is much more protected than Santa Cruz and there were only 4 yachts anchored there when we arrived. We set the anchor in a very shallow area, and in the middle of the night we hit bottom on a low low tide, so needed to re-anchor at 2:30am. We found a spot in the back of the pack with a little more water and seemed to get a good hold. It was a very dark night and Willem woke me (I didn’t hear the first “thud” on the bottom) to help. Willem was so even-keeled about it. He was even talking to the sea lions while we got ourselves situated. I was nervous about finding a place in the limited space, but his calmness helped me stay centered. Thank goodness that happened the first night because Willem was flying out the next afternoon. I would not have wanted to re-anchor with only Mich and myself on board. In an emergency, if we had to do it, we would… but better that we don’t have to. After the anchor was set, we took the flashlight up to the bow and the light in the water brought little fish, which brought a pelican and a sea lion. There was also a little white-tip shark swimming about. Nice to have seen those wonders and helped calm me further so I could get back to sleep.
The water taxi picked us up mid-day the following day and we headed into the little town center to get a bite and something to drink before Willem got on the ferry. Small and not very developed, this is much more my taste than the very touristy Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, anchorage aside. I’m not sure we’ll be able to do all our provisioning for a 4-week passage on Isabela though… may need to make the trip back to Santa Cruz for/before checking out and heading to the Marquesas.
When we took our first water taxi in to the port, they picked up a guy from one of the tour boats. Luis, we found out, worked on one of the boats that went to los Tunneles. He told us about the trip and we made tentative plans to go with his boat two days later. He came by the next day so we could pay and invited us to come to his house for barbequed fresh fish that he had caught. Off we went for an adventure and a fish dinner. He is an excellent cook and we enjoyed a perfectly prepared meal, including salad and grilled plantains
Los Tunneles Tour: Mich and I arranged to do this half-day tour to “los tunneles” with Luis on Galapagos Adventures, about a 45-minute speedboat ride west where we would do some snorkeling and then a hike to see boobies and penguins. We enjoyed the boat ride out. There were 10 guests, boat captain, Luis, and guide. We went snorkeling first… amazing!!! It was very shallow so we needed to stay floating on the surface, not put our feet down and potentially damage the environment. We saw absolutely everything! The tortoises were huge and glorious. There were also sea horses (two), an eagle ray, a group of sting rays swimming in formation, white and black tip sharks both big and small, an octopus, and then more turtles! We were both in a constant state of “WOW”!!! We could have just stayed in place and watched the turtles eat… they were close enough to touch (but we didn’t) and calm as could be. Afterwards, we hiked through the mangroves and across the lava formations, but alas, no boobies and no penguins. Once back aboard, we headed out to an island rock offshore and saw boobies up top. We circled the rock and then continued back to the harbor. When we arrived, they took us to a rock with lots of boobies hanging out (just a stone’s throw to where we are anchored), and as we continued to the pier, we saw a few penguins on the rocks. So, all in all it was a very wonderful and successful day. When Willem returns, he’ll for sure want to do this tour and I will go again.
Fabulous Flamingos: Can you imagine an island where there are giant tortoises (land and sea versions), sea lions and boobies, pelicans and penguins, and then on top of that… flamingos??!! Well that would be Isla Isabela. Mich and I took a taxi to the turtle-breeding center and after viewing the tortoises there we walked along a beautiful walkway for about 15 minutes. We eventually reached a lake and saw shocking orange-pink flamingos. They were simply gorgeous. The ones I saw in Namibia were pinker than these dudes which were more to the orange side of pink, close up and personal. There were only about five or six in total, but each one more beautiful than the next. Two were white with just a slight hint of pink. This is simply the most amazing place and truly a trip of a lifetime. Not only to visit here but to have sailed and be anchored here. (feeling blessed).
Los Tintereras Boat Tour: They are so close yet so far… the lava rock islets just in front of where we are anchored. There are penguins sometimes and blue footies most of the time, but you can’t go there on your own. So even though Willem has a kayak on board, I can’t just head over there, I had to book a tour. You can either go by boat or with kayaks, but since I wanted to get some good photos, I decided on the boat trip and if it proves worthwhile, I will follow up with a kayak trip sometime before we leave.
It turned out to be spectacular! Not quite on par with Los Tunneles, but just as good in a different way. They said the penguins weren’t plentiful now as it is nesting time (up north), but we hit the jackpot twice. First, there was a gathering on the shore of about 12. They are delightful little fellows about a foot tall. Unfortunately, they were all facing away from us so they blended a little too well with the rocks to get good photos. We then spotted a huge stingray in the water followed by a Galapagos shark. We motored over to another area and there were blue footies and penguins sitting there together! OMG, jackpot! They are gorgeous and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. We continued on to an area where we could walk on the lava formations. Lots of white tipped sharks were lazing about in a shallow natural channel (low tide) as the water is warmer there.
Along the way we encountered some baby iguanas… about 2-3 months old. They stay on the rocks here so that the cormorants can’t swoop in and make them dinner. It’s too risky for the birds as they have huge wings and short legs, so they could break a wing if they get too close to the rocks (good news for the baby iguanas!)
Next up was the snorkeling, which the guide said was the best part… it was. First, a sea lion pup came out to play with us. Next, we saw black tip sharks, beautiful fish, and a lobster. We then went in search of tortoises. We found tons of them. They were smaller than those at Los Tunneles, but it was like a turtle parking lot, there were so many!
The very best part was the end when we took off our snorkeling gear and walked back to the little tour boat. Right there beside the walkway were two adorable penguins larger than life!!! They let us get right up to them and we all had a feast of photographing them!!! Need I say more?…
Diving Islote Tortuga – overcoming fears: Hammerheads! Having had asthma all my life and struggling to get enough air when having an attack or even mild wheezing, I’m afraid of not being able to breathe. So one can understand that being under water (up to 100 ft underwater) would make me more than a little anxious. I was scared from the very start – learning to dive and getting my PADI certification in Cairns with Roger back in 2013 – and I still have that fear today. I’ve done about 25+ dives (still very much a beginner) and each time I ask myself whether it’s actually worth the anxiety of going under.
I was very nervous about diving today. It was my first time diving on my own… well, we were in a group, but I didn’t have a dive partner or friend with me looking out to make sure I was okay. I was told that the Galapagos was more for experienced divers as there can be some strong currents, but I also didn’t really want to miss out on hammerhead sharks.
At first, I thought, “Sharks? Nah!” but I kept looking at the shirts and posters and cards in the souvenir shops and then Willem did a dive at Kicker Rock to see them. I am glad that I did a refresher course on the beach after snorkeling at Kicker Rock. And while I still had a few days on my own, I decided to suck it up and conquer my fears. So off I went this morning with five other divers to Islote Tortuga (the crescent shaped island we cruised by on our way to Isla Isabela. On my refresher dive they had me enter the water falling backwards off a dinghy. Willem said he was surprised they did that, as he wouldn’t have started me off that way. Well I’m glad they did, because today they had us fall backwards into the water from a cruising boat… much longer drop into the water. I did great though! I wasn’t relaxed initially on the first dive, but then found my comfort along the way. We saw a white tip shark and a few turtles. I thought for sure I’d be the first to run out of air, but a guy with only 9 dives came up before me. During the rest period while we munched on tuna sandwiches and tiny bananas, we watched the nasca boobies (masked boobies) and blue footies on the rocks. One nasca booby had a chick that looked to be a few months old… soon ready to fly!
We got ready for the second dive and down we went. I felt more relaxed on the second dive and shortly after we set out, we saw the first hammerhead. The visibility wasn’t very good and it just looked like a big shadowy blur, but it did look shark-like. Then we saw another one and it was close and beautiful!!! The dive master later told us that there were likely a lot more but because of the poor visibility we couldn’t see them. I’m good with at least having seen one clearly! I was first out of air on this dive, the current was strong and I probably wasn’t that relaxed. But everyone else came up pretty shortly after I was on board. I felt proud of myself for doing the dive and not succumbing to my fears. I’m going to keep diving, especially as French Polynesia has some extraordinary waters. The more experience I have, the less anxious I will feel and probably will be able to manage my air more efficiently.
A few days of solitude after Michele went home and before Willem returned was a nice change… no schedules, quiet, no dishes except one or two each day, and just a chance to clear my head. It’s been a while since I had time on my own without a hectic schedule and/or travel. Not to say that I wasn’t sad to see Mich go or happy to have Willem return, but having solitude now and again is a lovely experience. I’ve never been one to need people around me… can happily be alone without being lonely.
Skipper is back! Willem returned on Saturday the 25th and was jet lagged. He was glad to be back home and glad to see me. He brought lots of good things back from the Netherlands with him including some great Old Amsterdam cheese. A few days of rest and recovering from the trip and then it’s time to start the list and organize the preparations for our departure to the Marquesas. 3000 miles and not the easiest place (Isabela Island Galapagos) to provision for the passage. Oh well.
Flamingos and Kayaking tour of Tintereras: Things to do await, but making time for some lovely activities here in the Galapagos is important, especially for Willem who has missed almost two weeks of our time here due to his trip. First thing up is a walk about town and to the flamingos, then a kayaking tour of the Tintereras. Doing the trip by boat was grand, but being in a kayak gives you a different perspective. And in fact, the tour was really different. Even the snorkeling location was quite different, so glad I did both! Willem wanted his own kayak, so we each had one instead of sharing a double, which in the end turned out to be the best choice. The kayaks were sturdy and easy to maneuver.
We lucked out (as I did with the boat trip) and had lots of lovely little penguins to delight us. They were all swimming at the beach where we started. They were swimming alongside us and one was right by my kayak looking in as if he was going to hop up on board with me!!! There were also tons of blue footies about and pelicans diving for dinner. We started off at 3pm when the tide was going down. Best to see everything at low tide where more is visible and the water shallower. We paddled around the coast and along some rocks with our penguins, then cut across the bay to the Tintereras. Penguins and blue footed boobies dotted the shore, much to my continued delight. We meandered along the rock formations and then tied the kayaks to a mooring and hopped into the water for some snorkeling. We saw turtles and white tip sharks as well as some colorful parrot fish.
The water was murky and chilly, especially since the sky was overcast without the sun to warm our backs. We climbed back onto our kayaks and headed to the point where all the boobies hang out, but the others wanted to head back. Luckily, Omar our guide, said it was okay for me to paddle over there on my own and he waited and watched. Willem was off to the boat to drop off our snorkeling gear and then joined me. I didn’t want to leave – at least 20 – 30 boobies in all their blue-footed glory!!!! What a paradise this is for me. I’ll be sad when we need to leave.
Tomorrow, off to market for provisioning and then Sunday we’re renting bikes to go visit the “Wall of Tears” and see the flamingos again… can’t get too many flamingos, penguins, or blue footies! 😊
Farm Fresh Provisioning: This really gives new meaning to the term “farm fresh”… we went to Finca Felipe Troya, one of the local farmers. It was about a 20-minute taxi ride out into the island, away from the coastline and the lava rocks and into the interior where it is cooler, greener, and very lovely. We arrived at the gate and drove in to a beautiful little (or not so little as it turns out) farm. The “Mama” called Felipe to come in from the fields and off we went to start our “provisioning”. First up were mandarins… picked fresh from the tree. Next, we walked up to a field of papaya trees and Felipe cut several down for us ranging in ripeness to last up to 10 days. On to the pineapple fields where he cut several for us and gave us a little shoot to plant on board (yes, he even provided us with some dirt to plant that and a little cilantro plant in!!!)
With still much to do to be ready to set out, we checked out “officially” on Friday Jul 7th. It cost $100 extra to check out from Isla Isabela but saved us 100 miles each way and several days, so we decided it was worth it. Normally you hav2 24 hours after checkout to depart, but we were pushing the limits by planning to leave on Sunday or even Monday. In the end, we decided on Monday and by then our agent was sending messages asking why we hadn’t left and saying that officials were going to come on board mid-afternoon. We finalized our preparations and weighed anchor at 1:15pm. Once underway we sent a message saying we were off!
The Galapagos fulfilled my childhood dreams of blue-footed boobies, penguins (which I didn’t even know existed at the equator as a kid) and all the other wonderful exotic flora and fauna. Yes, it was expensive and restrictive just as most cruisers say, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Willem was excited to be underway, but I was sad to be leaving this beautiful paradise. So, onward and onward… from one amazing paradise to the next and only 3000nm of open ocean in between!
Stay tuned for the Pacific 2019 – Part III – French Polynesia!