Capturing the Moment

Alright, I've put together the best of the best underwater GoPro footage from last week's Galapagos trip with UnCruise on La Pinta. This is from six different snorkel spots on three different islands. Magnificent! Best to watch in 1080, high definition resolution. If you have trouble with the above you can follow the link below: https://youtu.be/M3sUJ1KYpEY?si=rDKZ1_a6zkRb_Kv3

  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...

  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...

 Heading to Antarctica: Chapter 1  I've made it to the beautiful Silver Cloud, my home for the next five and a half weeks. The first voyage is a big one traveling from Buenos Aires, Argentina to the Falkland Islands, on to Antarctica, and finishing in Ushuaia, Argentina. We will cross the Drake Passage twice, sail the waters of Cape Horn, visit the bottom of the world, and hopefully see lots of penguins, but let's start from the beginning.    Day 1: First line of action is getting all the paperwork cleared and then moved into the cabin. My roommate for this voyage is Patrick, the Assistant Expedition Leader, who lives in Finland but is originally from Germany. Turns out he is also one of the best fooseball players onboard. We are pretty involved in the guest checkin procedure, but end up sailing off the pier around 6:30pm. Proud Gentoo mother King Penguins!  Day 2: We spend this day at sea, cruising from Buenus Aires to Puerto Madryn, Argentina...