After a great nights sleep, we got up to see the towering cliffs of Buccaneer Cove on Santa Cruz island. We went for a panga ride to look for birds nesting on the edge. We saw 2 sea turtles mating, a fur seal, pelicans and the famed blue-footed boobie (a bird that dives for fish) and a sea turtle track and nest where she laid her eggs. While we waited for the panga to pick us up I had a refreshing swim - I was already soaking wet from the heat and humidity. Then, after a snack we had a half hour to get ready to go snorkelling along the cliffs. We saw hundreds of beautifully coloured fish, star fish, a spiny lobster tucked into a crevice in a rock, and a fur seal even swam by Vic. He's not sure if he got it with the go pro camera as it keeps acting up. We're keeping our fingers crossed though. Some of the group saw a shark as well.

Many boats cruise by Buccaneer Cove, a favourite hide-out of the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century pirates looking to clean their boats and stock up on food and water. Fifty-metre high cliffs, spattered with guano (bird poop), taper down to a short, dusky beach. Pre-Columbian pottery shards discovered here led archeologist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl to suggest mainland fishermen had used the cove as a campsite long before the arrival of the pirates, probably in the wet season when a freshwater stream ran down to the beach.

Later, we sailed, for 2 hours, to Puerto Egas. We had a wet landing on a dark-sand beach went for a 2 hour, blistering hot hike and saw marine iguanas, lizards, various birds, sea lions and fur seals. My favourite moment was seeing a mother sea lion with her 3 week old pup just lying on the rocks. When we arrived at their spot the pup sat up and tapped it's flipper on his mom. I could see him thinking: "Mom, mom, there's strangers looking at us". Then it just suckled on her nipple. So cute! We also saw fur seals playing in a grotto. They were rolling and diving and floating. I was very jealous because it's so hot here!! We also saw a tidal pool which was reminiscent of a toilet flushing - it was very cool. Then we went snorkelling from the beach. Some people saw a huge shark. I didn't but am kind of glad and kind of sad that I didn't. We snorkel in a group so,theoretically, I think I can say I swam with sharks even though I didn't see any.

We went back to the boat and had before dinner drinks (yes, someone other than Vic and I were drinking!!!) and had a few laughs. Unfortunately, Vic was not well and couldn't join us for drinks or dinner. He wasn't the only one - 2 others had to run from the briefing about tomorrows activities and missed dinner as well. The wind picked up quite a bit and the boat is rocking pretty much. Its pretty rough, and considering Vics luck lately, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't roll out of bed tonight!!! However, his bad luck was my good luck as Mattias (hunky Swiss guy) asked me to eat dinner with him tonight. I think he was feeling sorry for me.