Santiago Island
I chose to accompany the kayakers this morning. The National Geographic Islander was anchored off the long, brown beach of Espumilla, a favored nesting site for the East Pacific green marine turtle. Twenty-three fresh tracks led both up from the waterline and down from the mangrove edge, so last night appears to have been a busy one.
Others opted for the pre-breakfast hike into the interior of Santiago Island, but the few who chose to paddle on this quiet morning started with a sighting of a rather large dorsal-fin belonging to a hammerhead shark. Unfortunately it disappeared into the depths as we approached by Zodiac, but later someone mentioned seeing another (or the same?), follow a kayak for a few brief moments. Those that really caught our imagination, however, were the screechy fur seals…noisy this morning, playing in the powerful surge along the rocky coast. Their long ear-lobes stick straight out from their broad heads, their pointed noses up in the air, as if looking at us through bifocals.
Back on board, Captain Zurita relocated the ship to Buccaneer Bay where both deep-water snorkelers and Zodiac riders took to the water to see what we could see. White-tipped reef shark, diamond stingrays, surgeonfish galore, damselfish guarding egg masses, blennies…the list goes on. Some of us ventured into a cave, and the best part was looking back and seeing silhouettes…and a sea lion that stopped by briefly for a spin, twist and flirt before moving on.
In the afternoon the ship was yet again in another, new location: Puerto Egas, James Bay. Darwin walked here, and so have a multitude of others…some renowned pirates, some anonymous sailors. But history was all around us.
An enlightening presentation on Darwin was offered, however some chose to go to the beach for another swim and snorkel instead: both options were productive! The afternoon lighting along the coast of James Bay was spectacular, I have to admit. Walkers set off in various groups of fast and slow, photographers and natural history; low tide created pools of mirror-silver. The James Island marine iguanas have a russet coloration along their flanks, and many were sleeping in shallow tidal pools, surrounded by green algae; irresistible portrait opportunities! The Galápagos fur seals were also dozing in shady corners and cracks, while rampant tidal surges moved light and water in waves among the fissures and grottos.
A remarkable location on a remarkable island.
