Soon we stopped again between two smaller islands – Plaza Sur and Plaza Norte. After the dry landing, when we almost had to push our way through the sea lions idly lying on the narrow concrete dock, we went for a walk around the tiny island. There we came across land iguanas and cacti they fed on. The size of land iguanas, as well as the shade of their skin, depend on the quantity and the type of food they have available. These, on Plaza Sur, were rather skinny, for there was no abundance of cacti around. Notwithstanding the large cactus thorns, iguanas could not care less and gorge on their succulent leaves – they have such resistant and thick tongues that they can eat the leaves together with thorns. The special treat for them are the flowers and egg-like young shoots growing on leaves. The rest of the vegetation on the island consisted of multi-cultured low leafless bushes and reddish grass shrubs that seemed completely dried out. Cesar told us that this was the rainy season, which didn’t necessarily mean that it poured every day, but that year there was almost not a single drop of rain so that the entire vegetation was hibernating. Otherwise, he reassured us, the islands are completely covered with greenery. This way, everything seemed greyish, with a few red blotches. On some of the islands not even that. Only grey landscape, a few symbolic small leaves mostly on greyish and dried branches, and scattered cacti with broad green thorny leaves and brownish trunk as if it were a regular tree. It was only a few days later that we saw more considerable quantity of green vegetation on island Santa Cruz.
It was on South Plaza that we started to bond with birds. This was the first place where we saw swallow-tailed gulls, frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. On this particular island, most of the birds we saw were gulls and they nested on the cliffs that were on the other side of the island in relation to the one where we docked. We watched them for a little while and then went back to the jetty following a marked path. Then we had the ‘fight’ with sea lions again who moved between our legs without any panic. By the way, there are over 60 designated points in total that are intended for tourists. These places may be visited, but it is important to follow the marked paths precisely and discretely. There is no barbed wire preventing you from walking outside the paths, but common decency commands that animals should not be disturbed any more than necessary. Some of them, on the other hand, are so used to tourists that they can’t be bothered even if you are just a few feet away. All other places within the National Park, other than these 60 or so, are off limits for tourists.
Blue-footed booby
Blue-footed boobies
We continued with our journey after Carlos, deputy captain, the quietest crew member and the man in charge of the dinghy and our sailing from and to the ship, had brought us back. We all stretched on the deck covered by a good canopy and enjoyed the company. Janet, one of the American ladies, organized the music thanks to modern technology and we were all treated to some cookies which the Americans (two couples with one child each), to the joy of all, had smuggled primarily for the benefit of their offspring. We had full board on the ship, but it was also possible to buy cold beer or juice, so with this gentle wind, ideal temperature and endless ocean around us, we had everything we needed. At lunchtime we anchored in a lagoon with white sand on the bottom, so the water around us was of turquoise-green colour inviting us to dive into it, which we all did soon enough. This was the first opportunity for me to try new snorkelling gear. The water was fantastic – refreshing, yet pleasantly warm. Cesar led us towards a rocky shelf which at the same time served as the lagoon’s natural breakwater defending it against the waves of the Pacific.
This is where I had one of the most magical experiences of my life. I had read about this possibility in my guidebook, but I thought it was a rarity and a question of pure luck. What I’m talking about is “playing” with sea lions. This actually concerns babies or rather sea lion pups, that are around a meter in length and that lie along that rock shelf as if they were in a kindergarten. And then you enter the kindergarten full of joyful and cheerful children who are just waiting to play with you. There were always a few of them around me and they dived, splashed, teased, rolled and generally darted all over the place, blowing air which seemed like soap-water bubbles. As I wanted to take photos of them, I would dive in order to have a better position and then I became aware that this must have seemed more interesting to them and they must have liked it better that way, as if I had just joined their game. I simply gave up taking photos and continued to dive in and wiggle around them and with them. It was absolutely magnificent! Every now and then they seemed to push one another in front of me, as if they wanted to show off and prove who was the best in being silly. Or they would peer at me as I peered at them. Then I sat on one of the protruding rocks, while several of them seemed to follow suit. I started splashing water just to see the effect and they looked curiously while bending their heads to a side. After a short while, I dived back into the water and so did they. Since that rock shelf was relatively long, the group from my ship spread along it, so that from time to time the only creatures around me that I could see were sea lions. Had I not had my head under the water and had there not been a serious danger of at least swallowing gallons of water, I would have shrieked with happiness and joy right there and then.
Sea lions’ kindergarten
At some point, Cesar gathered us up and we headed for the coast. Some by boat and I by swimming. The rock shelf with the sea lion kindergarten thins out towards the coast allowing the water from the open seas to pass. Occasionally it was so cold that I started to worry my heart would stop. And yet it didn’t. At least not from cold water, but at one point I stopped breathing when I encountered my first turtles. There were several of them, but in different places, as they seem to be loners. As they were swimming, with the smooth motions of their flippers, they appeared very elegant. I tried to catch up with one and seize it by the end of its shell, but it slipped out. By the time I got out to the surface for air and back, the turtle concluded that I was tiresome, it put its motion into a higher gear and fled away. Rightfully so. My deep apologies to all the turtles.
Sea turtle and Nale
After all that swimming, we went back to the ship to dry, since we were to go ashore for a walk. There were two adjoining beaches there with a lot of sea lions stretching in the sun. We all started with a massive photo session as that was in fact the biggest colony we had encountered until then. They were mostly very calm and would react only if we approached them so closely that we might have touched them. They apparently complained in their own way – using sounds that were similar to quite loud burping, which was both very funny and amusing. Most of the sea lions enjoyed the warmth of the almost setting sun, but some of them were returning from the water, as few others went in. We went for a short walk in the vicinity of the beaches in order to see land iguanas. These were well fed individuals since there were clearly more cacti, as well as some enormous bushes, over two meters tall, with tiny, almost invisible green leaves.
With sea lions (photo: courtesy of VT)
Land iguana
Pelican
Pelican
Before the ship moved on, Eusebio, who was mostly in charge of the dining room, set the tables and then by ringing a small bell invited us all to dinner. While we were enjoying it, captain Milton appeared seemingly out of nowhere holding a live lobster in his hands. He came to show it to us and tell us that while we were ashore he went catching lobsters for his guests, but notwithstanding the lobster I was much more impressed by the captain himself. He only had towel wrapped around his waist like a sarong, he was still covered by drops of sea water, his dark shiny hair was wet and I don’t know exactly what the towel actually hid, but at that moment I could have sworn that it was Triton standing there in front of me. And my reaction was appropriate – in front of a deity we remain speechless, filled with awe.
After dinner we started on a night ride to island Española. The ship rocked a lot, but I no longer had any nausea. The problem, however, was some wooden door that could not be hatched into a position and kept clapping the whole night. As my berth was right under the level of the deck and the windows were open, I was not little surprised when a wave splashed through a window and completely wetted my feet. Later during the night everything quieted down, including the ship’s engine, so I could catch up on my sleep, but when I did wake up and went out to the deck I was greeted by the stunning beach of the Gardner bay. It is quite long and of dazzling white sand with only small sharp completely black lava rocks protruding from the sand here and there. First we walked a little along the beach, more to enjoy the fine-grained sand than some animals, but every now and then there was a sea lion lying there peacefully, as well as a couple of marine iguanas basking in the sun. After the walk, I went into the sea and would not have gotten out even after three hours, had we not had to move on.
Marine iguana