Moving about ... Sunday, 4/22/18

The TipTop III usually moves during the night, so when we wake up most mornings, we're moored near a different island than the day before.  Occasionally she hauls anchor during the day and will reposition a short distance away, to the other side of an island or to a new one, like today.

I don't know the nautical distance between Genovese Island and South Plazas Island (Plaza Sur), but everyone on board knew when the ship left Darwin Bay last night, because we were suddenly pitching and rolling!  Yes, the ship was, but so were we!  All night our beds shuddered when she followed a roller into a trough and came up again.  Jimmy and I were fine (it was kinda fun).  Others weren't so sure.  Suitcases that were supposed to stay put during the voyage came loose and rolled back and forth across the floor.  Doors that weren't fastened banged away, etc.  South Plaza Island is southwest from Genovese, and we caught the westerly waves.  Around 4 or 5AM, we awoke, knowing immediately that we'd arrived at our anchoring point, because the movement quit.

I haven't taken many photos aboard the TipTop, although I shot the fishies above looking over the side this morning ... into the beautiful azure sea.  When I come back from an excursion, I recharge the camera battery and download the morning's adventure pics ... grab it again as we go out for the afternoon, and repeat the drill -- recharge and download.  So I don't usually have it available on the ship.  I wish I'd taken a pic of the clotheslines on the top deck, which were always festooned with drying bathing suits and hand-washed laundry.  Oh well, I forgot to.  Besides, being in the Galapagos is all about being Out and About among the critters, flora and fauna, that we won't see anywhere else.

Above is North Plaza Island from our ship.  Plazas Islands are two small crescent-shaped islands off the east coast of Santa Cruz Island.  North Plaza is only used for research purposes and isn't open to visitors.  Today we'd go hiking on South Plaza, one of the smallest islands with a visitor site.  It was formed from an uplifted seabed.  Despite its dinky size, we're told that South Plaza is home to a wide variety of species and is famous for its extraordinary flora and loads of iguanas.  Neither of these islands has a human population, nor does Genovese ... just day trippers like us.

A small section of the welcoming committee as we landed on their island.

Youngsters.

After we'd left the cement landing, this big guy lumbered up to watch us.

He's the alpha male.

Lava lizard basking in the sun.

We saw a number of them.

I wanted to get a close-up of the Swallow-tailed Gull because of those red eye rings. This is the nocturnal gull and those big eyes allow it to see at night while hunting for food. Interesting.  It's also sticking out its tongue!

We saw so many land iguanas, many in various stages of molting,

which BTW, looks really gross.

This cactus variety is Opuntia Echios, variety Echios, and endemic to this island.  Land iguanas feed on all kinds of vegetation, but during the dry season, they survive on the fruits and flowers of this cacti.  When I think of iguanas, I picture them in thick jungle, so it seems strange to see them on dry volcanic islands, but see them, we did!  Can you spot the iguana below?

Iguana food.

This guy was moving fast.

I suppose he saw something good to eat.

Medium ground finch. 

A oceanographic marker installed by Ecuador.

I couldn't find any info on it, though.

An imbalance caused by human meddling led to a serious reduction of cacti.  Cacti replanting has begun and an ongoing challenge is the long-term restoration of the cactus forest while maintaining a healthy land iguana population.  You'll notice the new plants are protected.

We spotted a few Brown Noddies ...

OK!  (It's a long way down!)

... and then we saw a couple of Blue-footed Boobies. 

We continued on our explore till we reached this inlet at the western corner of the island.  Surf pounds relentlessly here, where a colony of male sea lions makes their home at what is referred to as "bachelor's site."  It's also called the Old Folks Home, 'cause it's mostly old retired guys that end up here.  The oils from their fur leave the surrounding rocks looking polished and shiny.

Although we saw this sweet scene at the same area.

Mom 'n Junior.

This thing looks like it's straight out of a horror movie!

And one more Sally Lightfoot crab, which, as I look again, could also be straight out of the same horror movie!  Well, that was our morning, a walkabout on a fanciful island with so many strange and marvelous characters, both land and sea, all on one narrow spit of volcanic land.  We returned to the TipTop, recharged and downloaded, and ate lunch like we hadn't eaten in a week.  We are well fed on the TipTop III.  Lunches often begin with an Ecuadorian soup, and each one is delicious.  And the meal always ends with a dessert!

One more aside:  Thank goodness for the showers in each cabin.  The days are so warm, even hot under the broiling Equatorial sun, that two showers a day aren't unusual.  I think this afternoon we go kayaking.