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Galapagos Day 6: Pirates, Sea Lions, Turtles and more on Floreana Island

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  Blue-footed booby takes flight in the Galapagos. The sites, adventures, and wildlife have been stunning here during this six day cruise of the Galapagos Islands. I can't believe it is coming to our final day already. We are going out with a bang though, with a visit to the famous Post Office Bay, zodiac tours, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking to accomplish. If you are looking for adventure, the Galapagos can be your cup of tea. The famous barrel post office box in the Galapagos. We all left post cards in the barrel, and we took a look at ones in the barrel to see if any were located back by our homes. Quite a few people took post cards to hand deliver to their recipients back in the states. Post Office Bay, nestled within the pristine archipelago of the Galapagos Islands, is a site teeming with historical significance and natural beauty. Located on Floreana Island, this bay holds a unique tradition that dates back to the 18th century when whalers and sailors established a makeshi

Galapagos Day 5: Giant Tortoise Reserve and Charles Darwin Research Station

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Galapagos Day 5: Giant Tortoise Reserve and Charles Darwin Research Station Today we got a little bit of civilization, anchoring outside the "big" city of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. This is the main tourist hub for those folks not on cruise ships. You can get dive trips, day snorkel trips, and tons of lodging and dining options here. No trip to Puerto Ayora would be complete without a walk to the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the different types of Giant Tortoises from the different islands. We also had the chance to jump in a bus and head up into the highlands in the middle of the island to visit the Giant Tortoise Reserve. An endemic Giant Tortoise walks towards me on a trail. It was another big day today. We left after breakfast and took zodiacs into the dock at Puerto Ayora. A few sea lions and pelicans greeted us on the docks. We loaded up into a bus and drove a couple of miles along the coast to the Charles Darwin Research Center. Here we saw baby giant

Galapagos Day 4: Climbing Dragon Hill, Flamingo Ponds, Red Sand Beaches and Snorkeling

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  Dragon Hill in the background of another beautiful Galapagos Island landscape Today was a big day on our exploration of the Galapagos Archipelago. We crammed three different adventures into our day, with a hike and a snorkel on Rabida Island in the morning, and a hike to Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island in the afternoon. The landscapes were stunning, and the snorkel was super fun. I spent most of the time underwater, freediving with sea lions, big schools of fish, and an elusive nurse shark. And it all started off with a bang as our zodiacs took us in for a shore landing on the most beautiful red sand beach. Beautiful red sand beach Another shot of the red sand next to the green bushes. Beautiful cliff view from our Hike Not only did we get a scenic hike in on the lava rock coastline, but there was a pond full of pink flamingos just inland from the red sand beach. We spent a while just watching the flamingos feeding in the shallow water. I think a lot of the guests onboard were surpr

Galapagos Cruise Day 3: Snorkel, Hike, and Kayak at Isabela Island

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  This is what I'm talking about! Today we did it all. We started with a snorkel in Urbina Bay, then kayaked around Tagus Cove, and finally did a hard charger hike up the volcano for a spectacular view. The snorkeling was a blast. Tons of hungry sea turtles swam in the shallows. Many could be seen feeding on the green algae growing on the rocks. They didn't seem to mind our presence so I managed to get some fun GoPro shots of them from pretty close. I realized after our snorkel that this is the real hidden gem of the Galapagos. Everyone knows about the land animals and how close they let you get, but no one talks about how the sea creatures are also right in your face. Off in the deeper, bluer water I went free diving into a massive school of King Angelfish. I always love swimming around big schools of fish. It felt like I was part of the school and they totally surrounded me. Take a look below to see what I mean! The afternoon was spent kayaking and hiking. The hike took us ri