Isabella-Galapagos

Isabella was our final port of call in the Galapagos and our favourite island of the 3 we had permission to visit. The main town of Villamia is centred around a dusty park and the roads are unpaved  and largely free of traffic other than marine iguanas.

Traffic jam

Land Iguanas cross where and when they like.

Tiny Galapagos Penguin embarrassed by his grey feet..wife complaining.

One of the survivors..probably ran away!

Baby turtles ..population explosion underway.

Tough nut to crack

Dare I say it?..all shagged out

pilot whale shot taken with the go pro on the surface

Pilot whale up close and personal

Sea Lions in more natural environment than the streets of San Cristobal- fascinating lava tunnels

Looking out to sea from the comfort of an Isabella beach bar...contemplating the big passage ahead...Galapagos to Marquesas.

Once again we signed up for tours taking us to the wildlife hotspots.....more iguanas, sea lions, sea turtles and flamingos.

 Also the tiny Galápagos penguin for the first time and of course, another giant tortoise sanctuary.

On each of the islands we have visited thus far, there is a breeding program for the giant tortoises which were cruelly exterminated by passing ships throughout 18th and 19th centuries and by unscrupulous colonists who traded in their oil and shells in the 20th century.

One finds it difficult to imagine the agony that these enormous, placid creatures faced when they were kept on their backs in the holds of ships for months at a time to provide fresh meat for the sailors throughout the voyage.

The Galapagos conservation authorities are taking the return of these giants seriously and judging from the thousands of tiny tortoises being reared in captivity, it won't be long before there are large numbers of tortoises roaming the volcanic isles once again.

I must admit though, every time we saw a pair or more of the enormous adults, they were mating embarrassingly and uncomfortably. in another hundred years or so, the Galapagos  will probably be overrun..in a manner of speaking , by grinding and bumping behemoths on the boardwalks and the locals may be regretting their determined 21st century conservation efforts .

Our final day in the Galapagos was a special treat .. A small group of us headed out to sea in ski boat where we swam and snorkeled with enormous manta rays .We came across at least 20 of these amazing creatures, 3 metres or more  wide, swimming solo  close to the surface, their wing tips showing above the water initially looking like the dorsal fins of 2 sharks swimming alongside one another.

They were totally unperturbed by us as we descended on them from above -armed with go pros and video cameras and breathless with the wonder of the experience.

If anyone can enlighten me as to how to put a video up on my blog (I make no excuses for my technical incompetence)..or even better how to take a screen shot from a video on a Mac, I can  upload the pics and share them-if there's anyone out there reading this...anyone except my Mom of course!

In the absence of manta ray pics, here is a photo of what Alan says my feet look like after 4 months without a pedicure!!!!!!!

On a more picturesque note...after the wonder of the manta ray dives, we came across a pod of pilot whales. The excitement of the tour guide made it obvious that this was a very special encounter .We jumped overboard and did our best to keep up with the whales in the water.

They humoured us for a while..let us get the camera angles sorted and then swam powerfully and unconcernedly beyond the horizon!

The sharks and turtles we swam with in a bay filled with lava tunnels from exploding magma after lunch were yet another special highlight in a day filled with David Attenborgh encounters. The turtles were particularly tame and seemed to relish being joined by curious humans almost inviting us to touch and hold onto them as they swam by.

The Galapagos have proved to be an amazing adventure ....another highlight and a spot I would recommend as a very worthwhile destination....before the tortoises and sea lions take over!