I woke early to the sound of barking sea lions from the front of the hotel and roosters crowing from the twon side. I walked along the shore in town and spent time watching and taking pictures of the sea lion colony right there. I had a private show of a se alion playing with a long stick in a pool among the rocks right near shore. Some things I learned about sea lions. Number 1 is, they stink! Number 2 is they can get comfortable anywhere. They sprawl over the rocks in the silliest positions, they climb over other sleeping sea lions to find a comfortable spot. Number 3 is that for as quick and sleek as they move in the water, they are pretty dopic on land. The sea is definitely their element.
After another yummy breakfast we went sea kayaking. I am a kayaker, never been in the sea before though. I picked a single kayak, but most people were in doubles. We paddled along the shore. We had curious sea lions popping out of the water around us. We had pelicans dive bombing around us. And blue footed boobies plunging into the water. It was a little freaky at first to see out of the corner of your eye things falling out of the sky into the sea! Along the shore we saw nesting boobies and pelicans and a still white baby firgate bird in it's nest.
All this time we were shadowed by the boat which had brought us here. Some of the group got tired and were able to board that boat. After kayaking for a couple of hours we all boarded the boat. We traveled a bit further to a cove with a big sea lion colony, on the way we saw swimming Marine Iguanas. And no one got seasick! The sea was calm, the sun was shining. It was a beautiful day. We had lunch on board and tehn back into the water to snorkel with the sea lions. I had my video camera in a waterproof case and got some great shots of them swooping past. All to soon it was time to get out and move on.
We next travelled to Kicker Rock with plans of snorkeling, but according to Fabrico the water there was too murky and we would not have been able to see anything. So we slowly floated around the Sleeping Lion. There were all kinds of sea birds nesting and flying around, and more sea lions sleeping on ledges near the shores. The pictures I took do not do it justice, it just towers above you.
Our next destination was a cove where we could snorkel from shore. On the way we saw a whale spouting from it's blow hole. We tried to get closer but it had either dived deep or swam away. We cruised by Isla Lobos and saw more Blue Footed Boobies and Marine Iguanas. Then we moored near the shore and were able to relax on the beach or snorkel. Here the water was much warmer so I snorkeled. There were not many fish but there were some interesting plants.
That night I had pizza at a restaurant at the opposite end of town from Hotel Teclas. There was a sea lion colony on the beach right across the street. I was able to see a new male come in to try to take over. He waddled up onto the beach and the current male woke up and chased him from the colony. They waddled to teh waters edged, yelling at each other and once they hit the water they flew at top speed.
I spoke with at least a half dozen other travel companies, looking for a Galapagos cruise that fit our schedule and budget. Some companies could manage one or the other, but Erin was the only one who could do both. She found us the perfect cruise, at a fantastic price! And she has been quick and patient with responses to my many questions. So far, Adventure Life has been a fantastic company to work with!
Sandi T
3 weeks ago
Erin was patient, thorough, responsive, knowledgeable.
Karen Bukolt
4 weeks ago
Erin was responsive, knowledgeable, helpful, and ran through a few different choices with us. She got us a fabulous price on a trip, and made everything easy to do. And QUICK!!
Tina
1 month ago
From the initial meeting and planning process with our trip planner Jess, through to the finalizing of our itinerary, trip details and questions, I was very impressed with the professionalism, thoroughness, organization and attention to details. I would highly recommend Adventure Life to anyone looking to plan a unique travelling experience, knowing that the expertise and experience provided will result in a seamless trip of a lifetime.
Lynn Farquharson
1 month ago
Excellent suggestions I line with my desires on a Galapagos very last minute cruise.
Swift and professional guidance and assistance in booking the trip. Helped me realising a substantial saving.