Galapagos - Adventures of an English “Marine Aquarist”!

[SPR]

Still on the day of 18th May 2019 and on Punta Moreno, we continued the journey over the volcanic rocks and back to were the boats would pick us up.

A pelican flew past at very close range, I managed to get a burst of pictures, not the best but you get the idea.

When we left the island the water was only a few feet deep and littered with rocks, so we went backwards so the crew could see what to avoid

 

[chickenjohn]

absolutely fascinating Shaun, thanks for sharing.

 

[SPR]

We left the rocky lava flows of Punta Moreno still on the 18th May 2019, and went back out to sea and to another section of the island were we saw the first Marine Iguanas of our trip.

 

[Pancho75]

Those are some large iguanas! great experience.


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[chickenjohn]

Piquing my interest in going everytime I look at this thread, I was looking for something different from the same old Mexico holidays, just need to convince the mrs there is more to life than sun, sea, sand and tequila.

 

[SPR]

Piquing my interest in going everytime I look at this thread, I was looking for something different from the same old Mexico holidays, just need to convince the mrs there is more to life than sun, sea, sand and tequila.

When you do something like this, your realise that the world really is a small place with modern air travel. I had never done anything as adventures as this so it was a real eye opener

You think only people like David Attenborough can go there.

We set off from London Heathrow and at some point in the same day we were the other side of the earth in Quito Ecuador. And then a few days later on a boat in the Pacific Ocean walking around a Galapagos Island.

The pictures you’ve seen so far are only 2 days into the boat trip, there are many amazing things to still see and I’m glad your enjoying the journal, it’s certainly bringing memories back to me. Like wow did I really do that.....

 

[SPR]

Those are some large iguanas! great experience.


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There are many more to come Pancho, bigger smaller and in vast numbers.....

 

[chickenjohn]

Watching with interest mate, just keep the pics coming so I can show the mrs what she is missing.
My ultimate If there is one thing I must do before I die is to see a Blue Whale close up in the flesh. I get all emotional just thinking about it so I don't know what id be like if I ever saw one.

 

[SPR]

Watching with interest mate, just keep the pics coming so I can show the mrs what she is missing.
My ultimate If there is one thing I must do before I die is to see a Blue Whale close up in the flesh. I get all emotional just thinking about it so I don't know what id be like if I ever saw one.

You can certainly see Blue Whales there if your lucky, and it’s one of the major meeting points for Whale Sharks in the world and if your a diver it’s a good place to go.

Personally as @Nobbygas knows, if I saw either, I, well I would soil myself!! Lol

 

[chickenjohn]

Not so much a diver but I have a fascination with Whales, I think they are the most graceful creatures on earth.

 

[SPR]

Not so much a diver but I have a fascination with Whales, I think they are the most graceful creatures on earth.

Take a look at Monterey in California as well then

It’s in the ‘golden triangle’ (which I didn’t know at the time! lol) so has great white sharks on mass, but we saw pods of killer whales, humpbacks etc out at sea

We went out with these guys

http://www.gowhales.com/

I think they are connected to National Geographic surveys or at least they were at the time and the guides are all Marine biologists

 

[SPR]

Not so much a diver but I have a fascination with Whales, I think they are the most graceful creatures on earth.

Here’s something to inspire you, I took this from the boat in 2009

So this isn’t Galapagos for anyone reading, it’s Monterey Bay, California

 

[Nobbygas]

I've swam with Whalesharks off Mozambique. Beautiful, graceful, peaceful creatures.

 

[chickenjohn]

I've swam with Whalesharks off Mozambique. Beautiful, graceful, peaceful creatures.

I bet that was priceless Nobby

 

[Pancho75]

You can certainly see Blue Whales there if your lucky, and it’s one of the major meeting points for Whale Sharks in the world and if your a diver it’s a good place to go.

Personally as @Nobbygas knows, if I saw either, I, well I would soil myself!! Lol

LOL!


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[Nobbygas]

I bet that was priceless Nobby

The best part is that we were on our way to dive on a Manta Cleaning Station and we just happened to see the Whalesharks from the boat. So in the same day we swam with Whalesharks and dived with Giant Mantas at a cleaning station. Shall I mention the Dolphins jumping out of the water next to the boat on the return trip? One of the best days diving I ever had.

 

[chickenjohn]

Shall I mention the Dolphins jumping out of the water next to the boat on the return trip?

I swam with some wild dolphins down in Cornwall a few years ago, the mrs and me went to St Ives for a long weekend and saw some dolphins not too far out to sea so next day we hired a boat and went out to a pod of about 15-20 dolphins, needless to say I jumped in with them, it was a bit scary at first as they were coming up really close but I soon got used to it, Greatest day of my life so far was swimming with the dolphins, very difficult to put into words the feeling I had.
Blue Whale here I come

 

[chickenjohn]

Sorry Shaun, getting a bit side tracked from the thread its meant to be, more pics please.

 

[SPR]

Still on 18th May 2019 we rounded another bend in the inflatables and came across a really handsome fellow sat with his friends the Marine Iguanas.....

 

[chickenjohn]

You wouldn't want to argue with that thing.