Day 3 on Galapagos Islands,Snorkeling with Turtles and Walking with Giant Turtles

Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Mon 12 Jul 2010 20:25
To me one of the high lights of this trip and even 7 months on the road, was
the swim with Sean and turtles. Initially Sean was flapping about not
surprisingly as the water was cool at 20 degrees, and he was slide out of a
dinghy to me. But when I calmed him down, and realized a turtle was a few
feet away from us, I had him duck his goggles under the water, and he went
quiet and spent a lot of time just staring at this huge turtle a few feet
way, just gliding and maneuvering around us. I suspect the turtle was trying
to understand Sean as he was small, and not the typical snorkeler. After the
turtle swam away, Sean poked his head up and chatted about it, and he
continued to do this through the rest of evening. I suspect that will be a
moment I remember for the rest of my life.
Last night we had sundowners on the top deck as we rounded the end of Isla
Isabela and crossed the equator by sea, another first for the boys, and they
go the certificate from King Neptune. This morning was an early 5.30 am
start, as we had to get ashore and come down through the Island to the
Darwin Research institute. This was also where we would get off the boat and
move into a hotel in Santa Cruz island for 4 nights so we can do some local
exploring. We entered the Research institute which is really trying to save
the different giant turtles and restore the islands. To sea Sean and Alex
standing next to a giant Tortoises (land based) with such long necks, huge
shells, was a sight. Alex liked the babies and certainly was unsure of the
giant old ones.
We now settled into the Red Boobie hotel, (pretty basic) but family is
asleep, and it is cloudy so we will just explore the town today and look to
do activities next could of days.