Around 3am, the captain sets sail for Punta Pitt, around the northern tip of San Cristobal island. We disembark for a short 2 hour hike up the old lava fields to reach a viewpoint that allows red-footed booby sightings, the only place other than Genovesa Island that these birds are found. It was one of my objectives to see both red-footed and blue-footed boobies, and their complete lack of fear of humans is quite remarkable. There are quite a few juvenile birds around – one takes a fancy to the panga, and happily sits on the bow of the boat as far as the Beagle.
Today’s snorkelling at San Cristobal Island is akin to snorkelling at an Australian surf beach like Bondi. The visibility is not too bad, but the wind is whipping up over the hill and creating snorkel-filling waves. Not particularly pleasant snorkelling, but at least it’s another day in the water with the wildlife.
