Santa Cruz Island & Sombrero Chino
A sunny morning with nice breeze on the northwest end of Santa Cruz. The first groups for the long walk were out to encounter some land iguanas, chirpy mockingbirds and large ground finches cracking seeds for breakfast.
The brackish lagoon had little water this time and only one flamingo was getting whatever there was left to survive. At Guy Fawkes islet, there was some wave action on the windward side of the rock, but it did not keep the snorkelers from appreciating the underwater wildlife: sea stars, sea lions, a large stingray and all the colorful invertebrates and reef fishes.
We had a little birthday party at lunch for Chayton McCaslin who turned four, Happy Birthday! After a brief navigation to the southern coast of James Island, we arrived to one of the Bainbridge Islets, where the National Geographic Polaris could approach the lowest part of the crater islet and look at the hidden lagoon inside; it’s a flamingoe's hideout and we spotted a few of them from the top deck of the ship.
Snorkelers and kayakers had a good time at Sombrero Island and a solitary penguin was sighted on the lava shore while a Tai Chi session was taking place on the coral beach.
Clear skies and some stars with a waxing moon made the scenery for our barbeque in the evening. The crew meanwhile was trying to recover from the brutal 3-0 that the Brazilian football team inflicted on the Ecuadorians the night before…
A sunny morning with nice breeze on the northwest end of Santa Cruz. The first groups for the long walk were out to encounter some land iguanas, chirpy mockingbirds and large ground finches cracking seeds for breakfast.
The brackish lagoon had little water this time and only one flamingo was getting whatever there was left to survive. At Guy Fawkes islet, there was some wave action on the windward side of the rock, but it did not keep the snorkelers from appreciating the underwater wildlife: sea stars, sea lions, a large stingray and all the colorful invertebrates and reef fishes.
We had a little birthday party at lunch for Chayton McCaslin who turned four, Happy Birthday! After a brief navigation to the southern coast of James Island, we arrived to one of the Bainbridge Islets, where the National Geographic Polaris could approach the lowest part of the crater islet and look at the hidden lagoon inside; it’s a flamingoe's hideout and we spotted a few of them from the top deck of the ship.
Snorkelers and kayakers had a good time at Sombrero Island and a solitary penguin was sighted on the lava shore while a Tai Chi session was taking place on the coral beach.
Clear skies and some stars with a waxing moon made the scenery for our barbeque in the evening. The crew meanwhile was trying to recover from the brutal 3-0 that the Brazilian football team inflicted on the Ecuadorians the night before…
