Dan Suzio Photography: Galápagos Diary, Day 4

Day 4, April 15: More snorkeling, more boobies, and our first snakes

This morning’s snorkel outing was a huge improvement over my first attempt. For the first 10 to 15 minutes I could keep my face under water for only a minute or so at a time. Then something shifted and I could stay under for longer and longer periods, breathing more or less normally through the snorkel, and even starting to feel comfortable. It’s pretty amazing – but not really surprising – how much easier it becomes when you have a turtle or a sea lion swimming along with you. I might even start to like this.

Galápagos Sea Lion

Galápagos Green Turtle

Before snorkeling, a sunrise panga ride along the coast of Isabela Island gave us close encounters with a variety of bird life as well as Sea Turtles, Sea Lions, and the always abundant Marine Iguanas.

The view from inside a cave on Isabela Island

Blue-footed Booby

Marine Iguanas

Nazca Booby

“Of the three boobies, this one is the largest.” – Monica, describing the Nazca Booby.

Considering the number of smartasses in this group, there’s been a surprising lack of booby jokes. Maybe we’re all being polite, trying not to offend people we just met. I’m certainly not going to start now.

A nice pair of boobies

On an afternoon hike on Fernandina Island we were shocked to see (and smell) dozens, if not hundreds, of dead Marine Iguanas in varying states of decay. This year’s El Niño current had a devastating effect on their food supply and many of them starved to death. But nothing is wasted in nature, and they became food for a variety of scavengers.

A victim of El Niño

Sally Lightfoot cleaning up the beach

On the same hike we found Flightless Cormorants, Sea Lions, and our first snakes, both of them Western Galápagos Racers, plus a couple of Lava Lizards chasing and eating flies that were drawn to a sleeping sea lion. A good day, for a guy who likes snakes and lizards.