Day 61 Kicker Rock
Today is the day of the big snorkeling tour to Kicker Rock, it is arranged by the World Cruising Club and included in our crew fee. This is one of the premier snorkeling and diving sites in the chain. We headed into town early for breakfast at Patagonia, then went to the meeting site to await our bus.
The first stop on the tour was to La Loberia, a small cove where sea lions congregate; it was early in the morning and the tide was out so the few that were around were basking on the lave rocks that surround the cove. We did some snorkeling here, a nice warm up for the more intensive bit to come. There were plenty of colourful fish and a couple sea turtles, the waters were pretty clear allowing for some good photos.

A baby sea lion sleeps in the sun


A well camoflaged fish hides amongst the rocks


After about an hour or so we boarded the bus for the ride back to the docks where we would be split into two groups for the trip to Kicker Rock. Team Skyelark managed to all get on one bus along with some others from different yachts, there were 11 of us on each boat. The trip to the site took about 45 minutes and the ride was comfortable due to the size of the boat; when we arrived a whale was swimming just below the surface nearby so we stopped and tried to get some photos but he wasn’t cooperating.
There is a narrow chasm between two large rocks and the best snorkeling takes place as you drift with the current through it. There were not many of the colourful fish you would expect to see on a reef, but the area is famous for the sharks that gather there. We saw Galapagos, Black tip, White tip and Hammerhead sharks which were swimming just below us as we drifted through; I am glad that they are well fed on the abundant fish in the sea so had no interest in us other than curiosity. There were about 10 Hammerheads, the largest number our guide has seen at one time and also a school of Spotted Eagle rays that passed beneath us a few times. It was a little overcast so the visibility didn’t go that deep, and my camera was on the wrong setting but Dan managed to get the great shots below. This was definitely one of the high points of the trip.







Some of the sharks and rays we saw while snorkling


After leaving Kicker rock we had lunch onboard and then stopped at a small beach for some swimming and wildlife spotting. There is a camping area here and some tents were set up by a sand dune; it is a National Park site so the restrictions on what can be brought in are very strict, and no fires are allowed.

Team Skyelark takes a break on the beach

After returning to town the rest of the afternoon and evening were spent just bumming around, stopping for coffee and dessert then dinner at one of the local places. Everyone was tired from our long active day so it was an early night for all onboard.

Very cool pictures, especially of the hammerhead! Thanks!

Wow. Just what I want to see. Did you wear wet suits? How was the water temperature compared to Caribbean? Bet your heart rate was up with those sharks. Any 'protection' offered.