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The time we spent in the gaalaopgas islands was so incredible! We arrived in Santa Cruz where we stayed fora few days and did some diving in Loberia and Academy Bay, and North Seymore ( Daphne & Mosqeuera) The dive were amazing, at first it took a few mins to get used to tge barrelling playful and curious sealions underwater but then we had so much fun tumbling and spinning around with them ! At one stage we heard this weird sounds behind us like a grunting burping sound and it was a sealion behind us telling us itwas still there before it shot out and looked intoKates masks with is huge black eyes. One blew bubbles back at peter's mask to miimic the reguator, it was uch a buzz and our fave part of diving At Loberia we saw a huge school of salaema fish that was abopiut 10m wide and deep and about 30 m long akllk we could see was fish and no sunlight! We also saw turtles, schools of eagle rays, uge manta rays and stin rays ( so graceful as they move about in the water) and white tipreef sharks, eels, millions of starfish and beautiful fish . One our last few days after the boat trip we went diving at gordon rocks known for its stong currents and schools of hammerhead sharks( yep we saw a few!) and Floreana for a last play with sealions.
We went on aan 8 day boat trip onthe Estrellla de mar which left from san c ristobel and had a jam packed boat for 15 with about 25 people on it to get there in the burning heat of the afternoon ( trying not to think about the fact that there were only 10 lifejackets on board!!) San Cristobel has a hge colony of sealions that are everywhere, all over the boats in the harbour to collect the rays, on teh steps of the port, in the street off the beach, it was so cool to watch them rolling around in the sun making disgusting belching noises and occaisionaly having a play in the surf!
The next day we boarded our boat and were so thankful to see a group of other people all about the same age from all over Europe and we all got along really well ( we had seen so nay retired american that we were all happy when we saw each other! We covered the following islands in our time there all so different and with varied wildlife,
Espanola, great snorkellingand whee kate go munched alivie from sea lice and stinger and looked like she had the measles for the rest of thr trip. We also saw blue footed boobie birds doing their cute matig dance and the 3 second glory of the mating ! andmarine igunans and sea lions.
Floreana, amazing snorkelling oif devils crown, anda beach where turtles nest and a lake with pink flamingos and a big lava tube we went into that led intothe sea eventually.
Isabella, with the giant tortoises breeding programme and centre ( seeing a 150yr olf male mate with a 50 yr olf female tortoises was certainly an "experience" we also law marine iguanas digging thier nests all over the beach.
Santa Cruz to see giant tortoises in the wild ( yep and some more mating!) Our guide had a little salasa party at his house which was good fun that night.
Santiago where we got to see the incredible frigate birds who blow a huge red ballon out of their throat to sing to attract the females! jwe also saw land iguanas which were peter's fave.
we also went to Bartolome with its strange mars like landscape and santa fe.
we also saw penguins, masked boobiebirds, lava lizards, it was just such an abundnce of wildlife during our time there and such a special experience.
The heat was inredible about mid to high30's everyday and the islands didnt have much shade so even at 8am it was roasting! it was great to be able to get in for swims and cool off. we got along really well with suzanne and shastry who we met up with in cuzo and a really interesting couple from slovenia.
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