On the last day of March, my Belgian friend Sven arrived for
a two week vacation on Irie. We stayed a few more days in San Cristobal and
gladly showed him our favorite sights. During his first snorkel ever, at Las
Tijeretas, he had a close encounter with a sea lion, and a snorkel trip to La
Loberia had us observe many sea turtles and a baby sea lion up close. Especially the sea lion was a sight to
behold. On our bellies, in three feet of water, we saw the little one play with
a rock and chasing its tail five feet away. I can´t remember the first time I snorkeled,
but it sure wasn´t as exciting as this! Hours were spent watching the
Blue-footed boobies kamikaze dive next to the boat and the playful sea lions
swim by. 
April 3rd had Irie and her crew move to the
island of Santa Cruz. There was no wind and the still air was disturbed by the
humming of our engines. Other than that, it was a beautiful day, with sightings
of acrobatic rays. When we passed Isla Santa Fé, the wind picked up and we
continued the trip with a fantastic two hour sail towards our destination.
Being near the equator, we take all the wind we can get, even if it’s short
lived. Once in Santa Cruz, we met our agent Irene and, following suit, settled
into the bay on two anchors. Our first impressions were more positive than
expected. The area looked pretty, diving boobies all around and it even seemed
less busy than San Cristobal. Where were the sea lions?
Mark and I wanted Sven to experience all three islands Irie
was allowed to visit, which meant we had limited time in the most touristy of
them. On the first day, we explored the little town of Puerto Ayora and gained
practical information about stocking up on propane, water, diesel, oil and
groceries. In the afternoon, we walked under the hot sun to the Darwin Research
Center, where we observed the different stages in the life of the Galapagos
tortoise, an impressive gentle giant, and we learned about the almost extinct
land iguanas. 
The next day, the three of us followed a long and easy trail
to the magnificent beach of Tortuga Bay. We followed the wild and turquoise
waters until we reached a path to a smaller protected bay. Tons of marine
iguanas posed in the sun and the shady spots in the sand offered a relaxing
morning. The mangrove fringed water was pleasantly warm, but very murky, making
snorkeling impossible. Some black spots moving by proved the presence of rays
and one iguana got our attention when swimming through the water. After lunch,
Sven stayed out, while Mark and I returned to town for some errands.
On Saturday we hired a taxi for three hours ($30) and did an
inland excursion. The Los Gemelos sight consists of two sink holes, created by
volcanic eruptions many years ago. The bottom and flanks of the massive holes
are covered with green vegetation and the area supports Scalesia forest,
endemic to the islands. Our second stop was at a long and impressive lava
tunnel. Our taxi drove to the other
side, while we descended into the deep and drippy dark of the tunnel, created
by a flow of lava. Slowly and carefully, we made our slippery way over rocks
and through the mud, while gazing at the high “ceiling” and different rock
formations. Last but not least, we visited Rancho Principias, a privately owned
refuge and hang out for the giant tortoises. Our driver acted as a guide, while
we walked the trails and came eye to eye with several wild tortoises. They are
truly impressive!
Our last day in Santa Cruz was spent by ourselves. Sven
visited the site of Las Grietas and returned to Tortuga Bay, while Mark worked
on a reoccurring problem with the navigation computer and I finished a
translation job. Another 6am windless start on Monday brought us, under the
sound of engines (flying the spinnaker proved to be impossible), to the third
and last island of our private Galapagos cruise: Isabela.
This is how little tortoises are created...
Land iguana
Fishing boats in Puerto Ayora. When fresh fish arrives, pelicans, frigate birds, herons and sea lions put up a show to get some scraps.
There are not many sea lions in Santa Cruz, compared to San Cristobal, but they are still in charge!
The "wild" beach of Tortuga Bay
Marine iguanas love sea, sun and beach!
Marine iguana swimming in the calm part of Tortuga Bay
Giant tortoise feeding on grass at the "ranch"
Are we so small, or are the tortoises "giant"?
Playing the stupid and "funny" tourist! :-)
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