Waking up people isn't always that easy, at least doing it gently yet firmly but not too suddenly. Almost everybody on board responded to my "optional" call, however, to join us in a walk to the top of Bartholomew Island. It is made up principally of tuff cones, which once the erosion process has started deposits the tuff as beautiful golden sand on two crescent beaches, one of which is towered over by Pinnacle Rock.
By surprise one of the Ecuadorian Navy ships was anchored in the bay nearby, and the Captain of the Polaris was invited to take a spin in their helicopter over the stark landscapes of Bartholomew and the eastern part of James Island. This photo of ourselves, the Polaris and some other yachts certainly gave us new perspective of the area, we who are used to seeing everything from sea level. This is a frigate's-eye-view, a booby's-eye-view, and pelican's-eye-view to say the least.
Those of us who spent a few minutes on the walking beach, the southern beach of Bartholomew Island, saw interesting combinations of wildlife in action: penguins herding small fry, a blue-footed booby diving into the fish ball, white-tipped reef sharks cruising the shallow water waiting for marine turtle hatchlings to attempt escape under the over of night; brown pelicans mating in the mangrove trees. Birth, life and death, all a part of the Galapagos cycle, and we are lucky enough to be able to watch from the sidelines as all this goes on in front of our eyes.
