Quito to Galapagos. MV Penguino. 11th May 2017

Thursday 11^th May 2017

Quito to Galapagos. MV Penguino

The lovely hacienda gave us an early breakfast of scrambled eggs and tree tomato smoothie at 6.15am.  Departed 6.45 with Diane and Terry with our bags in the back of a truck for the 15min transfer to the airport.  Left our extra bag for the boat with Gunna to take as his luggage, we took the two suitcases which were now at 20kg each, ready to dump on the mainland.

Plane was delayed for some unknown reason and Gunna, Ed and Jude actually left before us. Met up with Pete and Brenda at the airport, after their overland trip with Dragoman.

Landed at Baltra airport and hit by the heat and humidity, after the cool of the altitude of Ecuador. A chap named Angel met us and took the two suitcases to transport them to Scuba Iguana – paid him $70.  No idea whether they reached their destination at all, as no access to internet for the next week! Last seen boarding a bus, clearly to save him the taxi fare which we had paid for.  Another entrepreneur.

Met by our guide, Jimmy, and taken on an old bus to the dock nearby where we boarded a RIB to take us to the MV Penguino.  Allocated our various berths – we had room 2 which was a single bunk bed on the top deck, Pete and Brenda managed to get the double bed and single bunk above. Gunna was stuck downstairs with just a porthole.

After a short boat ride, we again boarded the RIB, had a ‘wet landing’ i.e. jumped into the water by the beach, and went for a walk around Baltra Island. Immediately accosted by bright red Sally Lightfoot crabs and lots of Frigate birds that looked like prehistoric pteradactyls.  Our guide gave us the brief about not touching any animals, staying 2 metres away, no use of flash etc. He then drivelled on about not being able to survive in the mid-land between the sea and the central hills. I just wanted to get on with the walk rather than listening to his horror stories. The island was fairly low-lying so it was easy walking along the beach area and then slightly inland through shrub trees and grasses. One sad sight was a mass of Frigate birds dive bombing a green turtle nest where the turtles were just hatching. None survived.  Lots of other birds present, including Pelicans.

Back to the boat and changed into snorkelling gear.  Nice snorkel off the beach and saw a huge green turtle which we followed for a while. Lots of Sergeant Major fish and various parrot fish (Bicolour and bluechin), butterfly fish, Angel Fish and later a white-tipped reef shark.  After about an hour, back to the boat and got ready for dinner.

Watched some Pelicans in the water, hoping for some fish from the boat – then saw a very large shark swimming around – luckily didn’t eat the Pelicans who seemed unaware of their presence.