Day 7: Sombrero Chino and Bartolome
On the second day of our cruise we settled into what would become our daily routine. First thing in the morning the ship would have arrived at a new island. We would take a morning walk around the island while temperatures were still pleasant. Then as the heat came in we would return to the boat. Those that wanted to snorkel could see the amazing diversity that exists underwater at the Galapagos. In the evening we usually sailed to another island for an evening walk. Our first morning walk was on Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat) because of this mountain on the island. A few years after we went on this trip GAP adventures had an online quiz in which they showed this rock formation and Gowri identified it and won! She received a music CD and 10% off our next GAP trip (which we never ended up using).
On Sombrero Chino there were more interesting volcanic rock formations.
Marine Iguanas were here in even larger numbers.
We also got a great closeup look at the endemic Galapagos Hawk, one of the few large raptors to make it to the islands. He preys on marine and land iguanas, crab, baby tortoises and insects.
Next we made our way back to the ship for the first snorkeling stop. My mother cannot swim so she was happy to rest on the ship during these stops. Gowri also did not know how to swim but we put her on a crash course to learn swimming before this trip. But we just didn't have enough time for her to completely get the hang of it. Therefore, we decided Gowri should only wade into the water in the hope she could still see some of the underwater critters. The Galapagos are not a trivial place to snorkel. The currents can be quite strong. The Islands are on the path of the Humboldt current. Therefore, cold water and warm water come together at the islands requiring a wet suit. Luckily I was able to borrow one from a friend at work. At our first stop I experienced the currents and temperatures first hand. One moment I would be in warm water with no current. But then I would swim a bit and get caught in a cold water current that could really catch a hold of you! It was surprising at how cold the water could be considering we were in the tropics! While I was snorkeling, Gowri went ashore with our guide Gino to see if she could wade in and see things. Gino was only an average guide. After Vinicio, he was quite a disappointment and it was a good that the wildlife at the Galapagos was so easy to see since Gino did not display much expertise or enthusiasm! I could see Gowri on shore wading out and Gino just lying on the beach doing nothing. He seemed to just be lying next to the sea lions. Noone else went with Gowri for the shore excursion and she ended up seeing a few fish but has a lasting memory of Gino among the sea lions. People either snorkeled or stayed in the boat. In the meantime I was battling the currents to see what I could see. The Galapagos do not have a coral reef but the volcanic rocks and nutrient rich cold and warm waters lead many cold water and warm water species. I came up from snorkeling and saw this Galapagos penguin right next to me !
We also purchased an underwater housing for our canon powershot to take some underwater shots. The underwater housing for the digital SLR proved to be over $1000 and we didn't want to spend that much. Underwater, I immediately saw tropical fish like this Parrot Fish.
I also saw this unusual Hieroglyphic Hawkfish. I think I was getting the hang of snorkeling as was looking forward to what more I'd see in the days to come.
We next headed to the Island of Bartholome to see one of the most famous scenes at the Galapagos, Pinnacle Rock. In order to see Pinnacle Rock, one needs to hike for a few hours uphill so my mother decided to rest on the boat. Gowri and I went ahead and saw this cute baby Sea Lion on shore.
A very cute baby Fur Seal was also nearby.
We started hiking and realized Bartholome was a stark volcanic landscape. It reminded me of Mordor from Lord of the Rings. There was almost nothing growing on the rock and you could see many volcanic cinder cones.
The only large plant that has managed to colonize this hostile environment is the Lava Cactus.
The rest of the hike was filled with interesting lava formations like this one with great views of the ocean.
Finally we made it up to Pinnacle Rock and the view of the two beaches separated by a narrow strip of land at sunset. This shot appears in many travel brochures and commercials. I never realized it was at the Galapagos until we visited. The first full day at the islands was very eventful.
