Galapagos Island Snorkeling Pictures

We were lucky to see a wide variety of creatures during our snorkeling excursions, including sharks, rays, sea lions, eels and a wide variety of fish. The two major omissions were a hammerhead shark and a sea turtle. (no need to get greedy!) Here are some pictures…

Wednesday, March 6 – transit from M/S Cachalote Explorer to Puerto Ayora

It was somewhat sad to be finishing our cruise, but I think six days was about right. Taking into account the close quarters, hectic pace, and familiarity with the other passengers, crew and environment, I don’t think an eight or ten day option would have been an added benefit for me.

Following breakfast we were transported to the Baltra Island airport. This was great for the five in our group who were flying out that morning, but the rest of us were extending our stay in Puerto Ayora. So, you know what that meant…the bus/ferry/bus procedure to get into town. Oh well!

I stayed at the same hotel as my previous visit here, but the rate was a little higher this time. I think this is mainly because I wanted to book it early – before I got on the boat – knowing that I wouldn’t have internet access while on the cruise. Two nights @ $66/night.

I spent the afternoon roaming around the Charles Darwin Research Station. The Charles Darwin Foundation and the CDRS are undertaking research to ensure the conservation of the environment and biodiversity in the Galapagos Archipelago. The main focus of the visitor areas is the Galapagos Giant Tortoise.

The nine of us from the cruise who stayed in Puerto Ayora met for one last time over dinner and drinks in town. It was a nice way to end the trip. (but we forgot to take a group photo!)

Funny Story: I met a couple from Canada who were staying at the same hotel in Quito. We were both looking to book a last-minute Galapagos trip, so we spent a fair amount of time comparing notes. We also went on the day trip to Otavalo together. Well, they left Quito for the Galapagos one day before me, so we said our goodbyes. Fast forward two days and I’m walking down a side street in San Cristobal when I hear someone calling my name. You guessed it, my friends from Canada! Weird, right? Hang on, there’s one more chapter. Today in Puerto Ayora our group from the cruise agreed to meet at the town’s main pier. As I’m walking there, I hear my name called out again. Yup! And the bizarre part is that they were only in town for a short window during a break on their cruise. They were getting back on their boat 20 minutes after they saw me. Small world…

Final note about the cruise: At certain times today after getting off the boat I noticed myself rocking back and forth a bit. Kind of funny. It took me back to the times when we’d spend all day on Lake Mendota. I got the same feeling then.