You just need to tune into the BBC DVD on the Galapagos for footage of this extraordinary place. Our photos don't come anywhere near the real thing.  We joined a party of 16 on  quite a traditional boat with mahogany cabins, Andrew and I were in steerage where the Irish were on the Titanic.  All added to the atmosphere and we really enjoyed being off Hebe  for a break not having to worry about charging batteries or water consumption. Forget the amazing creatures we saw it was the characters in our party who made the tour such fun. Alan Aykbourne would have had a field day. 

Our guide was an officious little man we called Mussolinni who ruled us all with a series of bells. By the end we were all salivating to the bell and standing to attention with trainers and binos. In fact when one of our group rang the bell for a beer we all rushed out of our rooms in snorkel and wet suits.  It was all rather Fawlty Towers. I kept saying "is no fire.. is only bell" 

Mussolinni would give long lectures as we wilted in the blazing sun and Andrew getting ticked off  for wandering off. 

Andrew missing??

The water was really that colour. 

 I was so desperate to get in the sea the first day I overlooked a huge sea lion who charged at me, to which I fell flat on my face in the shallows. Mussollinni not amused.

We did make the most of every moment with these bells, up at dawn into the dinghy with a walk and snorkel before lunch and again in another place after lunch.  The snorkelling was quite thrilling with lots of turtles, rays and  sharks, along with all the pretty little fish and monster star fish. Everything seems to be luminous and outsize. The landscape on Isabella is barren, with solidified lava floes, tunnels and craters. Amazingly the sand was often pure white against the black rocks.  The water was either deep and freezing or turquoise and warm . We swam with penguins and cormorants watching them whizz below streaking bubbles.  

Some places there were so many iguanas you had to tip toe through them, and the giant tortoises caused traffic jams with the various tour 

parties...

.

Tip Toe through the 'guanas …...

 Andrew had to get a grip occasionally as we would be frog marched in a crocodile often a few yards behind the previous tour party.  He's more of a private safari kinda guy! 

I wish I could show you all the wonderful things we saw, although only a fraction of what is there.  In fact the BBC film is unrecognisable as the Beeb gets off the beaten track.

FINALLY THE FAMOUS BLUE FOOTED BOOBIES, WHO ARE HILARIOUS WHEN THEY ARE MATING.