Today saw us get up bright and early again to eat a leisurely breakfast and share a few laughs. Soon we were off to enjoy a day at the beach where we saw sea lions sleeping and a plethora of birds nesting in the mango trees. The island, Genovesa Island, is one of the most natural areas in the Galapagos and the birds nesting on the ground are safe from any natural predators. Soon it was time to return to the boat where we had a quick snack and then relaxed for a bit before we went on our next adventure. The bartender/cook/and jack of all trades always has an amazing juice drink and snacks waiting for us at the end of each adventure. The adventures are awesome and the hospitality shown to us at the end of each adventure is like a cherry on top of the whipped cream.
Next on the days agenda was snorkeling with sharks, hammerhead and white-tipped reef sharks, as well as tons of colorful fish. Kathy was lucky and saw a golden manta ray. G saw a distinct shark called the Shimmy shark, but he was shy and only wanted to flirt with her….or maybe he was eyeing her tender toes. We floated and swam for about an hour, lazily snorkeling and seeing the fish and sharks. When it was time to go back, a giant alpha sea lion swam past Dave just as he was getting ready to snap a picture of the shark. The very large sea lion takes up almost the entire frame of the photo, but at least it ignored him. The hot topic for the day was who would be in your alliance on a Survivor team. Of course Dave was one of the first picked. Thankfully, Kathy can ride on his coattails and she was begrudgingly added to the team. We come together!! At least that is what Kathy said, but who really knows?? Alliances seem to disappear during the course of the game, but then of course Dave was a boy scout and one of the most important mottos is loyalty. The island thought would definitely make a good location for survivor, but then of course the contestants would starve as everything is protected.
The afternoon saw us get ready for an afternoon hike and brought us back into touch with our hiking boots that had been somehow forgotten during the joy of wearing sandals in January. We hiked ~~ 1 kilometer where we got to see more nesting birds and a juvenile bird playing with a stick. The highlight of the day, probably the trip for Kathy, was seeing the short-eared owl casually sitting out during the day. The owls of the Galapagos have adapted over time to eat during the day, since that is the only time prey is available. Dinner again was a rousing affair where the noise level rose and the laughter flowed as we joyfully told stories about our various adventures. So many had been so many places and Dave is already compiling a list of their next adventures based on the team’s recommendations.
The evening “entertainment” was a science lecture about the geology of the islands which we expect will come in handy tomorrow. Then, we had a lovely dinner, a glass of wine with friends, and enjoyed watching the sunset to round out a perfect day.