Capturing the Moment

  We had great encounters with six different giant Galapagos tortoises on our hike at Urbina Bay. Several of the tortoises were on the move, fighting, and stretching their necks out. This one gave me the shot I was hoping for! What a packed day for Day 3 of our Galapagos Expedition Cruise. Last night we crossed back over from Fernandina Island to Isabella Island. On the menu for Day 3 was four different activities at two different locations on the west side of Isabella. We started with a nature walk into the tortoise filled forest of Urbina Bay, followed by a snorkel from the beach there. In the afternoon we had either a kayak or drift snorkel, followed by a power hike or skiff tour at Urbina Bay. The wind kicked up a bit in the morning as we jetted into Urbina Bay on our little zodiac. We had to do a wet landing, so our guide, Dries, jumped out in the shallows to hold the front of the zodiac steady, while everyone else did the sit-and-spin over the sides and scampered up the beach...

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...