position S00 53.845 W89 36.778
Ocean Rival Journey Log
Adam Power Diana Power
Sun 6 Aug 2017 16:11
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Sun 6th August
The tour to Espanola was a bumpy 400HP speed boat ride against the wind to fulfill Dianas worst fears. We had 6 fellow bronco riders- a group of Danish youngsters, a coupe of Americans and a Berliner. However we all survived somehow and the trip ashore at Punta Suarez immediately revealed a smothering of marine iguanas over the rocks and littering the path so that walking without stepping on a tail required constant vigilance. The path then follows the cliff line and a colony of Nazca Boobies, mostly canoodling couples, followed. These are the formal cousins of the blue foots, dressed in black and white suits and without the comic turn of the blue feet. Then without pause for breath the waved albatross. Great waddling goose sized birds also mainly coupled and an occasional ball of grey fluff that already sported the distinctive beak and piercing eyes. A single egg had been abandoned on the path but I wasn't allowed to take it for a fry up later- it could have served 6 comfortably. We sat on the cliff top admiring the soaring birds, Booby, Albatross, Frigate, Red Billed Tropic and Galapagos Hawk all sharing the airspace without need for traffic control and Iguanas swimming in the surf below. We eventually dragged ourselves away and walked back inland with the occasional clack of an albatross beak in the brush marking another courting couple. A generous lunch on board of fish and rice was followed by a short ride to the other end of the island and a nice long snorkle along a cliff edge with little caves giving dlightful sunlight effects. Plenty of colourful tropical fish but no shark or ray visits as the tempting sales blurb offers. The swim was punctauted however by sea lions playing around us - we had been warned to wear our fins which I tend to find uncomfortable, in case the seals nip your toes. The trip back with wind abaft was more comfortable and then tea and cake (thanks Leslie!) back on board. Spent this morning tackling the broken forward Heads pump (you don't need to know what this was choked up with) but fortunately a set of spare bits in store should get it sorted. Happy aniversary Oliver & Mary! |