3 March. 08deg 24N 79deg 50'W

 

Continuing our circumnavigation of Las Perlas we sailed south, west around Punta Cocos then north past San Jose, a former US chemical warfare site and now privately owned, to Pedro Gonzales, anchoring on the east side in a wide deep bay about a mile across. The beach is sand and fringed with tall coconut palms - the nearest yet to a 'desert island'. There is a high densely wooded headland to the north and the southern end, where we are, is guarded by two small islets which are joined to the main island at low tide. In the middle of the bay, close to the shore is a small humped island with broken down concrete steps leading up to a small white cross on the highest point, put there by whom or why we know not.

 

We dinghied ashore and found an environmental impact study group just behind the palms, excavating a small site which seems to indicate the presence of human habitation but who or when they did not know. There seems to be an intention to turn part of the island into a resort. There is also a petroglyph which we set out to find, unsuccessfully at the first attempt, notwithstanding a hot steep and sticky walk along a bulldozed track in the scrubby vegetation above the beach. By the time the second attempt was embarked upon, your correspondent had found a hammock swung between two palms on the beach in a shady spot from which, with the left eye open he could see the curve of the beach stretching out ahead and with the right eye open, the good ship Aqualuna lying in the limpid blue waters. Due to a regrettable lack of character your correspondent is not able to report on the subsequent and successful expedition to find the petroglyph.

 

A large catamaran from Freemantle came in as evening fell and anchored close by. As the tide rose the bay filled with an alarming assortment of rubbish from logs to plastic; by far the worst seen so far. The bay is full of jellies so no swimming.

 

We intend to o'nite in Contadora and to leave tomorrow the 4th, for Galapagos. Winds are light and the forecast is the same so it may be more iron topsail than sailing. However, today dawned grey and overcast which may indicate some change.