The Galapagos (part 2 - northern islands) |
Day 5 - North Seymour, Baltra and Santa Cruz Islands |
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![]() The iconic blue-footed booby |
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![]() Bare lava cliffs of North Seymour Island |
![]() The dry interior of deciduous shrubs, home to boobies and frigates |
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![]() Doing the booby rock |
![]() Young booby in a samphire patch |
![]() Male frigate with an inflated opinion of himself |
![]() Frigate bird chick |
![]() How the marine iguana evolved into a tree iguana |
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![]() Samphire groundcover on North Seymour |
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![]() The back side of a booby |
![]() Frigate bird and chick |
![]() The frigate soared overhead like a stealth bomber with a bright red payload |
![]() This sea-lion joined the Golondrina for a snooze as we waited |
From Seymour the Golondrina made a short hop south to Baltra Island, where we farewelled those of our travelling companions who were leaving to catch the plane back to the mainland and waited for the next group to arrive.
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![]() Blue-footed booby checking out the fish below |
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![]() The beautiful white sand of Bachas Beach |
![]() Time for another snorkel |
![]() The beauty of rust - all that remains of a W W II barge |
![]() Frigate bird following the Golondrina |
![]() At last - a Galapagos sunset |
Day 6 - Genovesa Island |
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![]() Landing on Genovesa |
![]() The sheer black lava cliffs of Genovesa |
![]() Nesting frigate-birds and Nazca boobies |
![]() Genovesa is home to the red-footed booby |
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![]() Nazca (or masked) booby and chick |
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![]() Long-tailed tropic bird in flight |
![]() Red-footed booby and chick |
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![]() Barren lava surface of the outer rim of Genovesa |
![]() ... home to dwarf cacti .... |
![]() .... and the Galapagos short-eared owl |
![]() Sea-lion waiting for snorkelers to come and play |
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![]() Swallow-tailed gull and chick |
![]() Crested heron |
![]() Red-footed booby chick |
![]() Mangroves and cacti growing side by side |
![]() Frigate-bird and chick |
![]() Frigate colony in front of the dry deciduous woodland |
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![]() Lava heron |
![]() Swallow-tailed gull in flight |
![]() Fossicking finch |
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Day 7 - Bartolomé Island |
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Yeehaaah! What a night. These seem the appropriate words to describe a crossing that was half bronco-ride, half gravitron experience as the Golindrina crashed southward for 6 hours into the big Pacific swell to cross the equator yet again; little roll, but lots of pitch. But what a sight to greet us from our sheltered anchorage next morning; Bartolomé, a tiny gem of an island nestled against the eastern flank of Santiago Island, two volcanic cones joined by a spit of tan sand. We were moored not far from the spit beneath the imposing magma spire of The Pinnacle, its weather-carved walls illuminated by the morning sun. Our appetites were whet for exploration. |
![]() The Pinnacle on Bartolome and the old volcanic cones of neighbouring Isla Santiago |
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![]() Looking for Galapagos penguins |
![]() ... but only spotting a lava heron |
![]() The silhouettes of The Pinnacle and the Golondrina |
![]() View from the landing back over Bartolome and Santiago Islands - this is a popular spot for cruise boats |
![]() Contrast between the clear blue water and barren volcanic landscape of Bartolome |
From the landing we started to climb to the 165m high point of the island, crossing the warped volcanic landscape, the patterns of ancient flows clearly visible amongst the crumbling black, grey, tan, ochre and rust coloured blocks, slabs and shards of oxidised lava.
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![]() Only a few grasses and low shrubs have colonised the volcanic cinders |
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![]() Panorama of the old cinder cones and craters of Isla Santiago |
![]() Frigate birds circling a pair of orcas way out to sea |
![]() The volcanic origins of Bartolome are very vlear to see |
![]() A curious circular reef in Bartolome Harbour |
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![]() Even in this hostile environment - life goes on |
![]() Panorama from the mirador over Bartolome Harbour |
![]() If you were on the Golondrina in September 2007 - are you here? |
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It was a great spot, the deep edges around The Pinnacle filled with many jagged rock formations, colonized by colourful anemones and tunicates, the odd corals with pale lemon or pinkish tints, and with many crack, hollows and ledges where colourful tropical fish lurked. Below, the sandy seabed was covered in starfish of several shapes and hues. At times, it felt as though we were swimming through an ancient submerged city, as we explored the twisting passages between the underwater columns of rock. It was a great last snorkel of our cruise. ![]() Rock columns encrusted with marine life |
![]() The pinkish sands of Bartolome Beach |
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![]() Some brightly coloured anemones |
![]() Life on board the Golondrina can be very hard |
It was sad to leave Bartolomé, but, after our usual gourmet lunch, we were underway again for a shorter crossing back to the main island of Santa Cruz. This time we were undertaking a rare daylight sea voyage and it enabled us to see the archipelagocity of the Galapagos - 12 islands visible at the one time from the yacht. |
![]() Passing Daphne Major - one of the smallest of the Galapagos Islands |
![]() Heading toward the entry of Caleta Tortuga Negra on the north of Santa Cruz |
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![]() The intrepid explorers heading deep into the mangrove swamp |
![]() ...to spot white-tipped sharks |
![]() .... and green sea-turtles |
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![]() Itabaca Channel at sunset |
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![]() Sea-lion and week-old pup |
![]() Land iguana |
![]() Tree opuntia on South Plaza |
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![]() View to North Plaza and Santa Cruz Islands
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![]() The red samphire landscape of South Plaza |
![]() Portrait of a prickly pear
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![]() Marine iguanas |
![]() Dotterel |
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![]() On the grey brick road in the palo santo woodland |
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![]() Yellow warbler |
![]() Mangroves near Tortuga Bay |
![]() Portrait of a marine iguana |
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![]() A cluster of marine iguanas |
![]() In a woodland of tree pear cacti |
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![]() The inlet at Tortuga Bay |
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