We flew from Guayaquil to the airport on Baltra Island. When we were
all aboard we had a safety drill, then ate lunch while the ship sailed for Santa
Cruz. We had time for a nap before we took zodiac rides around the island.
We didn't have a chance to get out of the zodiacs, which are called pangas
locally. Overnight we sailed for Española, where
we did land, and where all but the first two of these pictures were taken.
Click on the pictures to see them full-size.
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Our ship, the Polaris. |
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It is 238 feet long, 43 feet wide, with a draft of 14 feet. In a former life it was a ferry, carrying cars, trucks, people and goods. It now carries up to 80 guests in 41 cabins. |
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A Blue-footed Booby |
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The bird everyone associates with Galapagos, and with good reason; we saw a lot of them. |
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Sea Lions |
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There are no seals in Galapagos, only sea lions. And fur seals. Which are actually sea lions. Take my word for it. |
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Sea lions have no trouble getting around on these rocks. |
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People have no trouble getting around on steps. If you look closely, you will see three sea lions (including a pup) sleeping on the nice concrete steps while the people stumble up the rocks. |
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Same scene without the stumbling people. |
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Nice thing about Galapagos: the wildlife is in control. And they know it. |
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Sally Lightfoot Crab |
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These crabs have amazing colors. Here you can see the white, yellows, oranges, reds. What you can't see is the bright blue on the bottom. |
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You wan't marine iguanas? |
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Galapagos is the place. The red color indicated that this guy is ready for some serious breeding. |
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He was so handsome we had to get him in profile, too. |
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I was thinking of posting him to AmIHot.com. |
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Lava Lizards are also all over the place. |
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Notice the fierce competition between the breeding males. Who would you pick? |
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