A new week with the same itinerary and one would expect much of the same experience…and be proven wrong. Monday was our day on Floreana Island, where last week, we had an epic experience with flamingos. Several came very close to us and the water was perfectly still. Each flamingo was mirrored on the surface below it. This week, a slight breeze was blowing across the lagoon, producing gentle ripples at the feet of the flamingos. We waited for some of them to walk out from behind the mangroves for a better view. Several more joined the group. We had two different vantage points that were very close to these beautiful animals. Then, as we were about to walk to the beach across the island, something stirred all of the flamingos at once and they started moving, all in the same direction. It was like watching a well-choreographed marching band.
Yesterday we went to the youngest islands in the archipelago, Isabela and Fernandina. Yes you’ve heard me say it before, but this truly is my favorite region of the Galapagos. They are more mountainous and lush, with black lava flows extending down into the ocean. The water is colder here, so algae growth is higher, leading to more sea turtles and the largest marine iguanas in the Galapagos. This is where we saw the Mola mola last week. I didn’t get to see one yesterday, but one lucky comrade saw two while snorkeling. No complaints about my time either though…my snorkel included three penguins and a flightless cormorant diving through schools of fish. You'll just have to imagine this part, as the internet decided mid-way to stop posting photos.
Two more full days here and we're on our way back. It's amazing how quickly time goes.
