Cormorant Point, Baroness Outlook & Champion Island Snorkel, Isla Floreana 2011

Cormorant Point, Floreana Island

We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise this morning. Today was our first wet landing. Of course, our water shoes were in our checked luggage and we had to wear hiking boots, take them off for the landing and then dry off our feet and put our hikers back on. 2 hour easy walk. We saw Flamingos, Stilts and other wildlife. The flamingos were very far away. On return to the beach the ones not doing the advanced snorkel could snorkel from the beach. We opted for the Champion Island snorkel where there was a chance you could snorkel with sea lions. Looking back at our photos, we wished we'd had todays technology with super zoom and a Go Pro for the sea lion snorkel.

pangas ready and waiting

our shadows in the sand

Greg taking a photo of me taking a photo of our shadows

Sally Lightfoot Crab

Flamingos

the Flamingos were just dots in the distance

Sally Lightfoot Crabs

Lava Heron

Lava Heron & Sally Lightfoot Crab

Ruddy Turnstone

Black-bellied Plover

Sandpipers

Turtle tracks

Smooth-billed Ani

Blue-footed Booby diving for fish

Great Blue Heron

Champion Island Snorkel

They returned us to the ship where we got our snorkel gear and boarded pangas for a 25 minute ride to Champion Island. We jumped off the panga and there were tons of beautiful fish. We saw many King Angelfish and other beautiful fish and starfish. Without a doubt this was my favorite excursion on the trip. Unfortunately, their mask did not fit me well and I was being flooded with water in my mask. The naturalist offered me his to try on, and it was worse. (perhaps just my hair was causing it to leek).  While trying to get my mask to fit a pair of Red-billed Tropic birds flew right over my head. Beautiful! I finally got the mask to fit reasonably well, and headed for the sea lions.

A young sea lion flew up to my mask at light speed and stopped just short of plowing into me.  He stayed to play with me and blew bubbles at me and then bobbed it's head back and forth and I bobbed my head back and forth and again so did the sea lion. Before swimming off he took his fin and slapped me on my snorkel mask. (at that moment I said to myself---who cares about lost luggage---what a cool experience!) They often turn on a dime and swim away or stop and blow bubbles at your mask. They swam all around and under you and were so playful. Greg played with a baby one as well. Many colorful fish to see as well. 

me drowning in my mask - I finally got it to not leak

this is the one that played with Greg

Back at the ship we had an Italian buffet lunch.

Baroness Outlook, Isla Floreana

We had a wet landing for a short, but steep walk to a viewing platform. Then we had a Zodiac ride through a mangrove area where we saw some sea turtles, golden eagle rays, lava herons and a couple of penguins. They rotated the groups so neither area was crowded.

rock looks like an Iguana

there were a few spiders under the railing everyone was leaning on

Lava Lizard

start of the panga ride

trail to the outlook

penguin

Lava Heron

Sally Lightfoot crabs

2 penguins and a sea lion

a bit of a rainbow

party

This evening after dinner and the naturalists party they anchored and turned the lights out for fantastic stargazing. It was a new moon phase with fantastic views of the Southern Cross and the Milky Way. 

Then all the lights were turned on to watch sea lions, pelicans and sharks feeding. AMAZING! The Blue Footed Boobies fly through the water as do the sea lions as they feed. The sharks were swimming slowly and then one turns his head so fast and snags a fish and then just swims on. I could have watched that all night, but morning comes early for another day of adventures.

Cormorant Point, Floreana https://photos.app.goo.gl/j7vQUyXr7RYJBENE9

Champion Island Snorkel https://photos.app.goo.gl/WBNbmUMFUPAjmtzR8

Baroness Outlook, Floreana https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZtCiDfeftn6Fqkd49