A magic start to this morning’s panga ride towards Elizabeth Bay with the sighting of a large pod of bottlenose dolphins. There were approximately 15-20 individuals, with at least one calf learning how to bow ride the front of the panga.
Cruising slowly through the mangroves later on we see the famous Elizabeth Bay Galapagos ‘tree lions’ – sea lions that have learnt to climb into the mangrove branches to rest. Not particularly comfortable, but more comfortable than the alternative – to haul out onto the jagged lava fields. We also see eagle rays and golden rays in the shallow waters of the mangroves, and flightless comorants and Galapagos penguins sheltering on the lava outcrops.
Today’s snorkelling trip off Punta Moreno proves to be short-lived: 20 minutes from leaving the Beagle we are back on board. The water is murky, with a strong on-shore break. Even the few Pacific green turtles in the area are washed backwards and forwards. The water is also very cold – the coldest to date. The upside is that there is no evidence of an El Nino event here yet – the warming of the coastal waters as part of El Nino are catastrophic to the marine life. Sea lions and marine iguanas starve to death, as do the blue and red-footed boobies, who cant plunge dive deep enough to catch the retreating population of fish.
In the afternoon, we hike over the lava fields of Sierra Negra, near Punta Moreno, to visit the brackish ponds that are fed by the subterranean tidal waters. Some very large mullet fish are stranded in the ponds, and there is a group of 5 Caribbean flamingos feeding in the water of the largest pond.
Tonight is a long and rolling navigation to reach Puerto Villamil, where we plan to hike to the summit of the volcano.
