Galápagos cont.

Having met a few people that said Gordon Rocks was the best dive of their life, the day turned out to be a little disappointing. Visibility at only 7-8m was poor so we had no impression of the grandeur of the site and obviously couldn't see as much as you might otherwise. Still, there were lots of turtles and saw one hammerhead shark in the murk (the big tick for most divers coming here).

I headed over to Isabela the day after. The biggest island but with a much smaller population than Santa Cruz and the main conurbation is a small, relaxed beach town. Poor weather, poor planning (not just on my part) and a strong desire to do something not part of a tour meant I didn't really make the best use of my time on Isabella...

I think I can say with confidence it's the rainy season. Back to back days of heavy showers and drab, grey weather wasn't particularly inspiring. My first full day, I'd planned to do a short tour in the morning to go see some penguins and then hire a bike in the afternoon to go exploring on my own. That plan was scuppered when on board the launch, the animated capitán exclaimed there were too many people on board and someone had to get off....

Not this guy...

Numbers are limited on a lot of the tours and it seems that a family had failed to mention that their daughter was in fact 7 years old, not 4, and therefore did actually count as a full person after all. Not up to the challenge of fighting my case in broken Spanish against a 7 year old, and as the last person to book the tour, I just scowled and got off the boat. 

 

So my morning was wasted and although I managed to get on the same tour in the afternoon I wasn't particularly thrilled by it. Yes, we saw Galapagos penguins, lots of iguanas and snorkeled with a couple of grazing sea turtles, but the whole nature of having to go everywhere with a guide, be constantly reminded what you can and can't do, for me really detracts from the experience (been told by the guide to "come here, take a photo" was particularly grating).

lots of Boobies

There's no doubt that with the number of tourists here the level of control is just about warranted. But it's made me appreciate true wilderness more so than ever. Much more exciting to chance upon a wandering stag in a Scottish Glen than to be driven to a viewpoint and told to look at the penguins. Even for snorkeling you're meant to stay with your group.

On the back of my uninspiring tour the previous day I spurned the tour to go see the volcano and undertook to go it alone, cycling up and then hiking the cone myself. My Rough Guide said it was possible, however I'd heard mixed reports from others on whether it was still allowed. Thought it was worth a shot however so hired a bike for the day and set off in the early morning. Got off to a good start, passing a few pink flamingos on the way, but after a 2 hour uphill slog to get to the volcano, the Galapagos reality struck home and I was duly informed by the park warden that I definitely could not hike the cone myself. I'd also missed all the tour groups so wasn't even able to join a tour.

The park warden was a friendly chap however and after explaining that it was  far too dangerous to let people hike the volcano without a guide, told me there was a fun little excursion I could do just down the hill a bit. A bit of up and down and some good views he said. So off I went, followed his directions, and eventually came across a big volcanic hole in the undergrowth with some ropes and muddy step ladder disappearing down into the darkness...

Clambering down into the black hole alone was pretty exciting and went a long way to making up for the disappointment of the volcano!

Still, I hadn't given up entirely on the volcano and after sheltering from heavy rain under a tree for 2 hours went exploring to see if there was another way up. My search proved fruitless but I had a good bike ride and the run back down the hill was excellent.

 

I went on a snorkeling tour to Los Tuneles the day after. A cool place: a flooded lava field with lots of tunnels and arches in the lava and a sheltered haven for marine life. Saw a few turtles, white tipped sharks, rays and even a seahorse.

 

Spent another night on Santa Cruz and was then over to San Cristóbal for my last 2 days. I liked the vibe in San Cristóbal. More of a proper town than Isabela but with the same relaxed atmosphere and with interesting places nearby. There is a large sea lion colony in residence on the town beach which provides a lot of entertainment. Sea lions are everywhere across the waterfront; benches are particularly appealing (across all the islands in fact). At night, when everyone is home, the cacophony of noise is somewhere between a flock of sheep and the walking dead.  

surfing the beach breaks

There are a lot young pups around at the moment and on the beach at night, numerous lost babies scrambling over everyone and everything, in a frantic search for their mothers. Didn't see too many concerned mothers however and it seems they wait until morning when most sealions are out feeding, to find one another. I witnessed a very touching and affectionate reunion between mother and cub one morning.



Rough night

My first day on San Cristobal was beautifully sunny and I had my best (free!) snorkeling in a bay not far from the town. Visibility was excellent and there were loads of fish, sea lions and a few turtles near the beach. Watching a mother and cub sea lion play around me was delightful.

 

Did another dive at Leon Dormido on my last day (lots and lots of sharks... but no hammerheads) then flew back to Guayaguil.

 

Oh diving... Ive always had an uneasy relationship with diving; I don't like breathing underwater. I'd previously thought that my diving experiences just weren't interesting enough to distract me from thinking about breathing. After my 3rd uncomfortable dive in the Galapagos however - surely one of the best places to dive in the world - I've come to the conclusion that diving isn't for me. Sure, you see some cool things down there and it is a gateway into another world, but breathing through a regulator.... Time to get airborne again!

exactly.