So we have shaken off our spider fears even though a heeby jeeby would crawl up your spine and make you shudder every once in awhile. We were off to start a very, very busy day.
What would an island adventure be without visiting a tortoise center? This one was one of their breeding centers so we got to see the littles, even ones who were just starting to poke out of their shells. It’s amazing that they start out so tiny and get to be so big!
After that we took a stroll through the flamingo lagoon to see the flamingos, the tiny little crabs and some of the marine iguanas who enjoy the area.
We enjoyed our time seeing the sites but this was not our main event for the day and all of us were eager to get a jump on our next activity. On Day 1 of our trip we had a few options on how to spend this day presented to us as it was mostly set as a free day or additional activities. The majority of us signed up for snorkeling at Los Tuneles for a half day. We picked up our snorkeling gear and were given a lift down to the docks, where the bulk of the team was sitting in the back of the truck a few of us were allowed a little air conditioning reprieve as the day was pushing on to be a hot one.
In the boat we go, a few people from our group didn’t sign up for this activity but we had gained one more for the day. As the boat was going out to Los Tuneles we stopped at this rocky outcrop where there were all of these boobies (Nazca and Blue Footed), I dub it Booby Island. The water and moss surrounding this island was such a contrasting pop of color. It was truly amazing. We kept circling the island so it didn’t make it super easy to grab shots but I managed to get in a few shots I was happy with. While we were circling the island we saw what looked like a shark fin circling about. It was kind of exciting versus scary. I have swam with some sharks before in Mexico, just docile nurse sharks, but to see one in open ocean just hunting about was fun. We were quickly corrected saying that wasn’t a shark but a manta ray, fun and exciting nonetheless.
Getting to our final destination we were directed to keep following Alex and stay as a group on our snorkeling adventure. This was an adventure snorkel for sure, right away we saw marine turtles but Alex kept pushing along and to follow him we had to glide over all of these lava rocks with very little wiggle room between the rocks and the surface of the water and it required you going one by one often. The area we were in were dotted with quite a few mangroves and the horse flies in the area were aggressive. If you stayed above the surface for too long they would be on you trying to bite away, quite annoying.
After a bit of snorkeling we were asked to stay in this one spot and only one by one come over to where Alex and the boat driver were. They had located a sea horse and would show us individually. This was an area that it was quite easy to kick up sediment and when people swam around you it would cloud your view. While I was looking about we did see a spotted ray swimming by, by this time it was my turn (next to last) to see the sea horse. I went over to the edge of the mangroves and was looking to where they were pointing and saw nothing, too much sediment was floating through. Alex said do you see it? No. Then he grabbed my head and pushed me under the water, if you ever want a drowning experience at someone’s hand this is the feeling. Ha! I wasn’t expecting it so going under unexpectedly was a surprise. I still couldn’t see anything due to the sediment so I went around to the boat captains side and he was able to point out the sleeping little seahorse.
Continuing on we endured a few scraps going up and over and through the lava rocks and then we spotted our next sleeping friends, the white tipped reef shark. We spotted a few of them under in one of the rock tunnels but continued around the bend to see if we could get a better viewing location. Here you could see tons of them under the rocks. We were all given a chance to see, and a few got Alex’s dunking experience to help them go further into the tunnel to see the sharks at a closer view.
Our snorkeling experience was coming to a close, but we had to save the best for last, right? So I checked my gear, my gopro’s battery was draining but I had enough juice. I got the signal, it was time. I started to swim forward, then it happened. Not quite the way I was thinking it would so I reacted quickly to make sure I got the shot. That’s a photographer’s number one goal is to get THE shot. It was a whirlwind but I think I did. Such a happy moment!
So earlier in the day while we were in the flamingo lagoon, Mick approached me to ask a favor, now this is not something you could refuse, of course I said yes. Mick had planned in the trip, while snorkeling to ask Vicki to marry him, and had asked for my help in capturing the moment.
The time had come, Mick gave me the nod and swam towards Vicki who was watching a marine turtle. I was above the surface with a cleared lens to capture the moment. All of a sudden, things changed, the added person to our group swam in between them at the last moment. Mick waiting for him to leave and under the water (not over like I had expected), Mick extended out the ring to Vicki. She really wasn’t expecting this, he had been throwing her off for some time now but he had called her mom to ask permission before they boarded their flight. Don’t worry, he didn’t have the real ring on him in the water, he got a temporary ring for the trip as they would be in South America for about 3 months or so and had planned when they got back home that they would get the official ring. She was so stinking happy, it was hard to not be giddy with them. When we got back to the boat, Mick opened up a bottle of champagne he had Alex stow away and we all toasted to their life and happiness. What an engagement story to tell!
After we snacked and enjoyed some libations we continued on to a different part of Los Tuneles to wander about. Here we recreated an on land version of the engagement, some over the top and funny and some a little more realistic. Ha! Still so much fun.
This place was unreal, some storm clouds started to roll in giving me my favorite moody skies. Wandering about it was soon we were face to face with a booby, man they do not care about people at all. We saw the male and a female booby who was sitting on her eggs, around the next corner was a fledgling booby with all of the baby fuzz. Boobies were flying overhead coming in for a landing. The main thing I was excited for when going down to the Galapagos was seeing those Blue Footed Boobies and this day crossed that off my list. I know we saw a few the day before but to get so up close and a great view of the boobies made my heart sing.
Our drive back, the weather started to get gloomier and we saw what is the “typical” weather of the island. Okay so maybe Alex wasn’t just telling us we are so lucky just to give us the warm feels. You couldn’t see the top of the volcano we could see earlier in the day. We hit a few waves along the way that made us all clutch the boat as it felt like it was about to tip. What a way to go, eh? Awesome day filled with boobies, snorkeling, proposals, etc then to get wiped out by waves on the boat. Ha! No worries all was safe and sound.
We had voted earlier to do a BBQ and have a low-key evening back at the campsite, so we took our sunburned selves (well most of us sunburned) and all had a giggle while most of us tried our organic outdoor shower. It was tucked away in the trees with rather low ceilings with very frigid water but a fun experience however I am glad that I only needed to use it for one day.
The evening set upon us with a campfire and cocktails, then my plans of doing a night sky time-lapse washed away as the rain rolled in while I retired to our tent, where thankfully no 8-legged creatures were waiting for a snuggle.