Capturing the Moment

  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...

  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 s...

Snorkeling in the Galapagos!   Everyone knows about the giant tortoises, iguanas, and blue footed boobies in the Galapagos. You literally have to step around them as you walk around the different islands. However, the real wildlife bonanza here is revealed only when you put on a mask and snorkel and look underwater. Giant schools of fish fill the water column. Sea turtles and sharks swim by. And curious sea lions come so close that they might even chew on your camera playfully. I could have stayed underwater here for a long long time. I was very eager to see some of the rarer endemic wildlife underwater, like the Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, and marine iguanas. I had my old GoPro camera mounted on a pole ready to go. Well, it turned out that the ocean conditions didn't cooperate entirely with us for our underwater time. The waves were quite big, which stirred up a lot of sediment, decreasing the clarity of the water. We had to cancel one beach snorkel because of huge ...

  A huge manta ray gliding gracefully under the snorkelers Yesterday we had two wonderful adventures here on the Big Island of Hawaii. Both adventures were very private and intimate experiences, away from the crowds. Read on to find out how you two can do these amazing activities away from the crowds. Two, very popular activities on the Big Island of Hawaii are trekking through volcanic landscapes and going snorkeling at night with huge manta rays. Usually people go to Volcanos National Park to see the volcanic landscape, and while this is an amazing experience you may experience large crowds, especially when there is an active eruption to see. The manta ray snorkeling experience is no different, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but there can be dozens of boats, putting 20 snorkelers in all at the same place, and can feel quite crowded. However, there is a way to get off the beaten path and do both of these activities without the crowds. It can feel like being in Hawaii 50 y...