Flughafen Seymour

We had a very early wake up call for a special optional itinerary event— snorkeling in deep water near North Seymour island to find hammerhead sharks. We all opted to go except the elderly couple and the girl and mom from the family so we loaded up the dinghy and headed out with Yazmany. The water was very choppy for snorkeling and at first we didn’t see much. We did come across some rays and white-tipped reef sharks sleeping on the bottom. But towards the end of our time hammerheads were spotted. There was a group of eight and they were smaller than I expected. It was very cool to see. Unfortunately the choppy waves made me seasick (more than the boat has so far).

Back on board we had breakfast and I took some Dramamine. We had a hike next so headed to an island to see Frigatebirds. We got a sneak peek when one flew over us while snorkeling— they’re super quirky because of their big red pouches that inflate when they’re trying to attract a mate. It was pretty hot and humid and I definitely felt tired from the morning’s excitement.

Lunch included encebolada, an Ecuadorian soup. Fortunately the meals on board are filling since they always include a starter, main, and a treat. Then we sailed and I attempted a nap.

Our afternoon snorkel was to an island covered in sea lions. They come into the water and swim with you. It was fascinating but also a little scary since I’m used to staying away from sea lions. The ones on the island were pretty vocal and loud. There was a strong current so it was hard to control your distance from them (they try to come towards you) and one even smacked Henry as it swam by him. After we finished and got back on the boat, our guides told us that they didn’t come into the water with us because they were keeping a watch out for sharks! Obviously they chose not to tell us this until afterwards.

We had our first “wet landing” (disembarking the dinghy onto the beach) to Santa Fe. Sea lions covered the beach including some very cute baby ones. Unlike at home they are completely unbothered by people. Most animals in the Galapagos are, because they don’t have many predators and don’t see humans as a threat. The island also had special cacti that look like trees and take hundreds of years to grow. And there’s a special Santa Fe iguana which looked similar to other islands’ iguanas but we tried to be suitable impressed.

Dinner was delicious and then we all went to bed early.Read more