We are on Day 6 of our 7 day trip around the stunning Galapogas Islands....here is my diary from the last few days.....it really is the most amazing place on earth and the best place we have ever visited!

Day 1- San Cristobel Island

We awoke early this morning excited about our Galapogas trip. After 2 flights and a short bus ride we got the first view of yacht La Pinta which would be our home for the next week. She looked big and new which were both good signs and when we got aboard our cabin felt like the lap of luxury after our recent abodes.
After a welcome briefing and yummy lunch we settled into our cabin when suddenly....7 short blasts of the horn- an emergency! Never fear though it was a drill- we all had to put our massive lifejackets on and congregate in reception to be counted. I've only ever been on a Brittany ferry before and you definately don't have to do this on that... I do think they should start though as, whilst recognizing the serious side it was quite hilarious! At least we knew we had a life
jacket should the need arise.
After a short journey we arrived at our spot for the afternoon and jumped into the dinghys to be taken ashore where there was a welcoming committee of sea lions to greet us. We then spent a lovely time snorkelling with the pups swimming around us and when Charles and I ventured away from everyone and by the rocks we were rewarded with a huge beautiful old turtle swimming right by. We followed him and then when he dissapeared headed back to the lovely White beach which was framed by a huge rainbow. As I write this the bing bong pa system has just gone to announce that it's time to go to the lecture on where we
will be visiting tomorrow. We're dosed up on travel sickness tablets and ready for action! (although still feel a bit queasy- apparently August is the choppiest time)

Day 2- North Seymour Island and Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz Island

We were woken to the sound of classical music through the speakers at 7am... We were feelling a little groggy after a slightly restless nights sleep from being shaken awake by the ship's engines at midnight and our cabin door flying open but soon perked up at breakfast after yummy pancakes and fresh fruit. We then lined up to get into the pangas (motorised dinghys to take us ashore) and went to North Seymour island. As we approached a frigate flew overhead with his big red chest balloon fully out as well as huge pelicans. We walked around on the lava rock and saw the blue footed boobies and their lovely babies that looked like big puffs of cotton wool. The island rang with the sounds of all the babies calling to their parents for food and we could see some older ones standing on rocks and flapping their wings learning to fly. As the name suggests the boobies have lovely bright blue feet and like all animals in the Galapagos they don't know humans as a predator so just looked at us quizzically as we traipsed within a foot of their nests. The island is the nesting place of these and also the huge frigates. The males were all trying to find females so were doing little dances to show off their big red balloons that take half an hour for them to inflate and deflate. They are kleptoparasitic, that is they do not have oil ducts to enable them to go in water and fish so they spend their lives stealing from the boobies and each other in mid air. We also met some big orange land iguanas and nearly trod on a sea lion fast asleep and snoring loudly on the path! When we came back to the boat it was a quick change then back to the pangas for them to take us to some nearby cliffs for deep water snorkelling.
The water was clear and it was like sticking your head into a tropical fish tank. We found a big basking sea lion who we actually thought was dead as she wasn't moving but when we got really close she opened her big beautiful eyes and twisted round in the water playing with us. A little further on we saw a huge spotty sting ray and then I spotted a big black shape on the bottom. Sure enough it was a white tipped reef shark about 4-5ft long and we followed him for a while until he dissapeared off into the distance. We were lucky as we were the only ones to see a shark and when we shouted for others to come it was too late. We had bought a disposable underwater camera and I hope I managed to get some shots of him. Hungry after a busy morning we returned to the boat for a delicious lunch. The food is fantastic and with a buffet for breakfast and lunch charles is treating it as an all you can eat- I hate to think how much weight we will have put on after a week!
Over lunch the boat moved to the north of Santa Cruz island which is called Dragon Hill. Here was the place to spend time with the prehistoric iguanas- the bright orange land ones which waddled across our path and the black marine ones. I never realised there were a sea faring variety and I really hope we see one snorkelling later in the week. We also saw a lone flamingo fishing in a pond-apparently that is really rare and only seen here on the islands- normally they live in huge colonies and get depressed if in small numbers- hence in zoos they tend to line their enclosures with mirrors. After a 2 hour walk we returned to the pangas to a boobie feeding frenzy- there were hundreds with huge pelicans and the thieving frigates circling overhead waiting to steal their catch. So now it's off to a talk about what delights we will see tomorrow then we sit down to a four course meal- another stressful day in paradise!

Day 3- Post Office bay, Champion Islet, Floreana island

This morning we wrote some postcards and went in the pangas to Post Office bay. This is not like a normal postbox but a tradition started by sailors in 1752. A very old barrel sits there and you put your cards (no stamp) inside. You then hope that someone going that way will come past and take it for you by hand. Before putting ours in we had a look through the ones in there and took out one to Singapore that we will deliver when we're there. We also looked to see if my mum had left us one when she was here at Christmas but either she didn't or it's already on it's journey... So Witcombes, gran and gramps and dad look out for a postcard being hand delivered! I wonder if they'll ever make it...
After that it was back to the boat for a quick change and talk on the different fish we would see whilst we moved round to champion islet for a deep water snorkel. There we saw huge parrot fish and a chocolate chip starfish amongst hundreds of other brightly coloured ones swimming all around us. We also played with a beautiful sea lion who swam all around us within centimetres- she came straight towards your face then span round and twirled underneath you before coming straight at you again- it was lovely and she was so pretty and graceful.After another yummy lunch we settled down to a lovely nap then were woken by a bing bong to board the pangas to Floreana island. There we went for a walk and saw a big group of flamingos with their lovely curved necks fishing for shrimp in a lagoon... We were also lucky enough to see two flying and underneath their wings are black- they look amazing with their metre long legs. Further on we came to flour beach, so called because of the soft powdery texture of the sand. This is where the turtles lay their eggs but although we watched and crossed our fingers we didn't see any babies emerging... We did, however, see the stealing frigate birds circling overhead though waiting to get their dinner when they did emerge. Although the beach was stunning there was no swimming because of the dark shadows of the diamond sting rays in the shallow water. These were the type that killed Steve Irwin and although we had seen them in deep water if you step on them or chase them like he did they can harpoon you with their poisonous tail.
We hiked back to where we arrived and took some photos with a baby sea lion pup who loved the attention. They are so cute you just want to reach out and touch them and it's so hard not to! Tomorrow is an early 6am start with the hope of spotting a whale which I am desperate to do so it's straight to bed after another gluttonous dinner!

Day 4- Isabella and Floreana Islands

Last night we stayed up watching the stunning show off the side of the boat. There were sea lions fishing, chasing the super speedy flying fish that flip along the top of the water providing a show better than any you would see when coerced by humans. We also saw turtles hunting the same fish and at the end a huge beautiful golden diamond ray looking like it was flying in the water. When we came down to bed there was a sea lion fast asleep on the back of the boat snoring loudly and it didn't when wake up when poked with the end of the ladder!
So that combined with a very bad nights sleep from the choppy seas meant that when We we were woken at 6am we were pretty tired. We were rewarded when we
climbed up to the bridge, however, as there we saw 4 whales around the boat. 3 huge 8metre tropical Brydes whales and a baby, spouting huge streams of water out the top of them and creating huge waves as they moved through the water. It was truly stunning and worth having no sleep for ten times over. After breakfast we went to Isabella island that in fact used to be four seperate islands until volcano eruptions joined them together. Walking over the solidified lava was like being on a completely different planet and the black ground next to the
bright blue sea with green lagoons made a beautiful combination. In the lagoons were flamingos and huge fish that had floated there as eggs and now couldn't return to the sea. It was a great walk. We went back to the boat to change and returned in the pangas to snorkel with giant marine turtles and the odd penguin. Charles and I went away from the group and found three gorgeous massive turtles. We followed them very closely and admired their majestic gracefullness as they moved through the water- it was another really special experience to add to the list.
The water was absolutely freezing though just how the peguins like it so we didn't last long and were really ready for lunch when we came back to La Pinta!
After 2 hours of sailing the afternoon's activity was a fabulous walk on Floreana island. This was the best one yet- as we arrived we were surrounded by black marine iguanas swimming with their heads bobbing above the water. We climbed off the panga onto the black lava field and spent our walk trying not to step on the tails of the gremlin like huge colonies that they formed everywhere. In the rock pools it was great to see the iguanas swimming with huge turtles and pelicans flying overhead. We also got a chance to see the flightless cormorant
which are the only ones in the world thus endemic to these islands. They are a prime example of Darwinps theory as they no longer even have the breastbone required to take to the air. Further on we came to a lagoon that we sat by enjoying watching the sea lions, turtles and the pelicans dive bombing to catch their dinner. There were also 6 little gorgeous penguins that were surrounding them to catch the birds they dropped. We could have sat there for hours, in fact we could have built a hut and lived there, but sadly we had to leave to get back to the boat before sunset. We stepped over the iguanas all the way back, spotting some tiny baby ones on our journey. We also saw a huge whale skeleten of the breed we saw this morning and it was amazing to see the huge size of the bones- they looked like they belonged to a dinosaur. To top the perfection as we got back on board we watched the sunset and I saw some dolphins in the distance.
Anyway the bing bong has gone again to call us to our evening talk and the boat is already moving to it's next destination which is 12 hours away. I can't wait for tomorrow although I don't think it will top today that I will remember forever.

Day 5- Santa Cruz Island

Today was a whole day on dry land away from the ship. We left early in the morning to go to the most inhabited island in the archipeligo. The first stop was the recycling station that was a really interesting place to go and visit. We saw how they dealt with all the rubbish collected on the islands and the education programme they have put in place for the citizens. We then boarded a bus to the highlands and walked around two large Geysers that are massive craters in the ground caused by the collapse of a lava field. We spotted birds all the way and say lots of different plants that our very enthuisaistic naturalist Kiki told us all about. We then got back on the bus and went to see an underground lava tunnel that you could walk through, it was amazing and the first time I have found geology interesting! In the same place we were also able to meet some lovely wild Giant tortoises who were, as the name suggests absolutely massive. They were also just fantastic to spend time with as they chomped on their grass and ambled into ponds. Their legs are huge like elephants and their huge shells just amazing. After lunch at a hotel we went to visit the Charles Darwin research station where they have a breeding programme. Because of the introduced species such as dogs, cats and goats on the islands the giant tortoises are now unable to breed in the wild as their eggs are eaten or nests collapsed. They had been made pretty much extinct until the project started due to people eating them and taking them as pets. The saddest story is that boats used to collect one and then because they are so huge they would eat it a bit at a time, for example one leg, and then just burn the wound and keep it alive. In order to keep the population alive the research station breeds tortoises for each island from the few that were recovered and releases them there when they are old enough to survive, normally at about 2 years. We got to see the incubation process and the tiny baby ones who are the size of the palm of your hand and it is stunning to think that they grow into such massive creatures. We also got to meet lonesome George who is the last Giant Tortoise from pinta island. He cannot reproduce so sadly when he dies that will be it for that population. We also met a giant tortoise who had belonged to our guide Kikis school- easily identifiable by the BB gun marks in his shell!After learning all about them we had some free time to spend in the town and support the local economy before it was back onto the Pangas to return to the ship for a lovely dinner on the top deck.

Day 6- Bartoleme Island and Rabida, Santa Cruz Island

Last night was another one of rocking and rolling and so having felt quite queasy at dinner we were in bed and fast asleep by 9pm... This morning though it was banana pancakes for beakfast so that was an excellent start to a beautiful day! Having eaten enough to sink we took the pangas to Bartoleme island where the highlight was to climb 386 steps to the top of the volcanic rock which gave us a stunning view that often features on postcards of the area. After coming back down we went for a dinghy ride to spot penguins and sure enough we found one little chap chilling out on a rock. Then it was round to the beautiful beach to put on our snorkel gear and get in the water. Because we spent some time on the beach we were last in the water whilst everyone else was way out and this meant that we were the only ones to spend time with another penguin that was fishing by the coast. He was lovely and it was great to watch him underwater catching his lunch. Of course our underwater camera had all been used up so no pictures which was annoying. The snorkelling was beautiful though as the water was crystal clear and really calm and we saw hundreds of different types of brightly coloured fish as well as hundreds of sea stars and swam with a big colony of sea lions who were plying with each other and our bubbles. At lunch we had a special Ecuadorian feast which was yummy and great to try all of the local dishes. Luckily we had a two hour break afterwards to recover whilst we moved to Rabida which is the north of Santa Cruz Island. Here we went for another dinghy ride and saw the fur seals who are actually sea lions but called that as they are much fluffier and the ones traditionally hunted for their skin. They are a lot more shy (unsurprisingly given our history with them) but so gorgeous and we saw quite a few. We then went round to a red sand beach where we went for a walk and spent more time with some sunbathing sea lion pups...including one that was following everyone around barking because he had lost his mummy. Hopefully she had just gone fishing and will be back with him by now. Anyway now it is time for our briefing on tomorrow and a talk on Darwin.....we do not want to leave here!