Feb. 25 Bay Tour, Santa Cruz
I had signed up for a bay tour, seemed like a hokey tourist thing that I would usually avoid since they ride you around in a glass bottom boat, but it included some snorkeling stops so I figured it would be a good way to kill half a day. I know I’ve been somewhere long enough when I start looking for things to do to kill time, and I was starting to feel that way.
I had breakfast with Richard at Galapagos Planet, one spot where we found we could get properly cooked bacon and internet, and then headed over to the tour office at the prescribed time. There would only be five people on the tour, including myself and we had a park service guide with us as well as a captain for the boat. They only uncover the glass bottom if someone doesn’t want to snorkel so they can observe the sea life while the rest of the group is in the water. We were talking to a guy from Trinidad at dinner on eat street last night and he had just done the tour that day and wasn’t impressed by it, so my expectations were not very high.
Our first stop was a small island just off the anchorage that I had planned to visit by water taxi anyways; we got instructions from the guide to avoid the rocks as the surf was breaking on them, then got geared up and went into the water. Almost immediately a group of 6 or 7 sea lions came into the water and began swarming around us, one was so close he tried to take the camera from my hand as I was snapping pictures. It was absolutely amazing, they played around us for the entire half hour we were in the water, one even kept grabbing the guides fin when he dove under.






By the time we got back into the boat if thay would have gone back to shore if would have still been worth the $35 dollars. I’m not sure what time the guy from Trinidad went on his trip, but mornings may be the better time, I have noticed that sea lions mainly just lie around and only seem to be active at certain times of the day or it could have to do with the tides, I’m not sure.
From there we drove past a cliff where more sea lions and both blue footed and masked boobies were resting along with some marine iguanas; I didn’t bring my zoom lens camera, but wish I had to get better photos. We stopped at an area just before the entrance to a grotto and snorkeled again hoping to spot some reef sharks, but instead only saw some fish and a turtle.

A blue footed boobie and a couple sea lions rest on the rocks


A colorful fish

It was still a good spot, no real current and calm waters; the grotto is just down from where Wiggo and I spent the day on the beach, but you would not be able to reach the snorkel area due to the terrain.
The boat took us to a small dock and from there we walked to the viewing area of the grotto, there were no sharks there so we continued on to another grotto where you can swim and snorkel in clear brackish water. The water here was cooler and it felt good to just sit in it neck deep and refresh myself.

The grotto

After the tour I had lunch at a local place; fish soup, chicken and rice with plantains and juice for $4.50. I caught up on some internet and uploaded a video o the sea lions to my facebook page, the just bummed around a bit before heading back to the boat to get ready for the WARC crew dinner that night.
We all met up at The Rock for happy hour, the rest of the fleet had finally arrived from Isabela Island; the listening channel for the fleet was abuzz with chatter about problems with the refueling operations going underway, I feel bad for the yellow shirts as they take the brunt of all the problems that crop up. Around 7:00 we made our way to the restaurant where the dinner was to be held. Now these places aren’t usually very busy and are not used to having 150 people show up expecting to be served at the same time. The starter, shrimp in a coconut curry sauce was very good, not over cooked at all; the steak medallions entre was another story, the plates, veg and meat was cold and the steak chewy, the dessert, tiramisu, was fine. The dinner was a set price paid in advance, however sorting out the drink bills from the mixed tables with crews from different boats was another matter, it all worked out and we headed off for a nightcap in town before returning to Skyelark.
This would be our last night onboard for leg 2, so we sat in the cockpit having a few drinks and letting Richard entertain us one last time. Wiggo and I had to catch early taxis to the airport so we finished our packing to make sure everything would be ready in the morning. Dan and Em weren’t due from the UK until Friday so I won’t be able to say goodbye to them in person; it has been another great season on the boat, with the passages I logged 2814 miles between the Christmas charter and the two WRC legs, it also put my time aboard to 200+ days over the last 5 years. I hope to be able to join them in Thailand next January for a charter but will have to wait and see if I can find someone to come along for the trip.

Safe travels. Thank you for taking us along with you.

Sorry your trip is coming to an end. As always, your reports are a welcome diversion to our snowy winter. Much appreciate your taking the time to post.
Scott

Thanks, I still have 6 days in Qutio, Ecuador before stopping in Florida to visit family, won't be as interesting but I will try to give some insight and post a few pics

We really enjoyed our time in Ecuador Sammy so don't write it off just yet

Just be careful of the taxis in Quito! Their reputations precede them!!! Everything bad you have heard about them is true...

Mike, I'm enjoying my time here, especially now after a couple days I'm getting to know my way around and feeling more comfortable. I will be stuck doing the touristy thing since i don't have enough experience to do the "off the beaten path" type things that people enjoy about my reports. I wanted to take the Avenue of the Volcanos train trip and had been advised to book far in advance, bit procrastinated and missed out.
I've been lucky with the taxis so far, but i always confirm the cost before going "conta questa?" and if I don't understand the amount, I'm still confusde once it gets over 9 I have them write it in my little note pad, lame I know but beats getting jacked