Well, the first night on board wasn't too bad. We could feel the motion in our cabin but it didn't seem to bother us. Being on a ship this size is different as in you feel the motion and hear the engine all the time, but we do seem to be adjusting. As for my stomach, it seems that things are better this morning but I take it easy on what I eat just in case.
We traveled north last night to arrive at Genevosa which is a sunken crater that has filled with water now. After breakfast we take our first excursion to a beach area and immediately we see some sea lions on the beach. There was Mom with a couple of pups and one is them kept trying to nurse off her. She would let it for a couple of seconds but then she would roll over or swat him away but he would come right back for more.
The island is know for its birds and we saw all kinds on our walk this morning. There were male frigate birds that had their red plumage all puffed out but this was the end of the mating season so not as many of the males were all decked out but it was quite a sight to see.
We also saw blue footed bobbies, red footed boobies, and nazcar boobies along with red-billed tropic birds, brown pelicans, lava herons, and a common egret. We walked through a path in which we saw many of the birds nesting and we caught glimpses of some of the eggs along with some of their young. There were hundreds of each type of bird and except for the frigate birds who tried to steal everyone else's food and supplies, they all seemed to get along fairly well.
Next was back to the ship for some lunch and a well needed nap.
For our second excursion we went to another part of Genevosa and climbed Prince Phillip's Steps which were not as tough as I thought they were going to be. Up top was a great view and many more of the same birds as earlier including the Galapagos mockingbirds. We ventured over to a flat patch of lava and started to look for owls which are hard to find because they are the same shade as the lava rocks. Well, as usual, Dave was the first to spot something. It was quite far away but we could see it through our binoculars. Fausto had us move down a bit and then we saw it much better and in the meantime we also spotted 2 more. They are the short eared owl and as the sun started to settle a bit, the light hit them just right and you could see the nice yellow color of their chest feathers.
By this time it was getting late and we had to head back to the pangas to get back to the boat before dark.
We only had a short time before dinner so we had some tea and then sat for dinner which tonight was salad, beets, potatoes and chicken. I can say that all was good except the beets because Dave and I did not even try them. Dessert was chocolate cake with a cream sauce on it and it was very good although a bit rich so I only ate half.
Fausto came after dinner to explain to us about the currents in the Galapagos and how it changes the water temp and brings in more food and nutrients with the cold current better known as the Humbold current. Hopefully this change brings things like whales to the outer western area which we will be sailing through tomorrow afternoon/night time. He then also tells us that tomorrow we will anchor outside of Marchena and while we can't go on to the island, we will snorkel twice in areas around the island.
We are also told to get some sleep because the anchor comes up at 5:30 and we will be heading to Marchena then.
We traveled north last night to arrive at Genevosa which is a sunken crater that has filled with water now. After breakfast we take our first excursion to a beach area and immediately we see some sea lions on the beach. There was Mom with a couple of pups and one is them kept trying to nurse off her. She would let it for a couple of seconds but then she would roll over or swat him away but he would come right back for more.
The island is know for its birds and we saw all kinds on our walk this morning. There were male frigate birds that had their red plumage all puffed out but this was the end of the mating season so not as many of the males were all decked out but it was quite a sight to see.
We also saw blue footed bobbies, red footed boobies, and nazcar boobies along with red-billed tropic birds, brown pelicans, lava herons, and a common egret. We walked through a path in which we saw many of the birds nesting and we caught glimpses of some of the eggs along with some of their young. There were hundreds of each type of bird and except for the frigate birds who tried to steal everyone else's food and supplies, they all seemed to get along fairly well.
Next was back to the ship for some lunch and a well needed nap.
For our second excursion we went to another part of Genevosa and climbed Prince Phillip's Steps which were not as tough as I thought they were going to be. Up top was a great view and many more of the same birds as earlier including the Galapagos mockingbirds. We ventured over to a flat patch of lava and started to look for owls which are hard to find because they are the same shade as the lava rocks. Well, as usual, Dave was the first to spot something. It was quite far away but we could see it through our binoculars. Fausto had us move down a bit and then we saw it much better and in the meantime we also spotted 2 more. They are the short eared owl and as the sun started to settle a bit, the light hit them just right and you could see the nice yellow color of their chest feathers.
By this time it was getting late and we had to head back to the pangas to get back to the boat before dark.
We only had a short time before dinner so we had some tea and then sat for dinner which tonight was salad, beets, potatoes and chicken. I can say that all was good except the beets because Dave and I did not even try them. Dessert was chocolate cake with a cream sauce on it and it was very good although a bit rich so I only ate half.
Fausto came after dinner to explain to us about the currents in the Galapagos and how it changes the water temp and brings in more food and nutrients with the cold current better known as the Humbold current. Hopefully this change brings things like whales to the outer western area which we will be sailing through tomorrow afternoon/night time. He then also tells us that tomorrow we will anchor outside of Marchena and while we can't go on to the island, we will snorkel twice in areas around the island.
We are also told to get some sleep because the anchor comes up at 5:30 and we will be heading to Marchena then.
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