Changing rooms from the bunk bed to the double room as it could possibly be our last night for a fortnight and we can spend the extra $4 on it. The flights to Easter Island have dropped in price and they are now cheaper than before to test Sarah and her drive for Easter Island. This happened just after telling our friends her plans and where she would be to catch up with them.

We were picked up from the hostel just after 8am and headed to the Parque de national Humboldt Pingüino. This is a small species of penguin and many other animals that live on an island just off the coast, 123km north of La Serena. A few laps around town and then the drive through the desert to the coastal town. This area is in a dry season; it hasn't received a drop of rain in over a year or more. Needless to say it's dry. We arrived and jumped on a boat hopeful to see the little Pingüinos. I was thinking that there probably wasn't much chance since it's so hot and they would have moved somewhere else. On the way to the islands we were told about the Humboldt current that means the water here is very cold and that's how Pingüinos and sea lions live here. The first thing we saw was a small, 40cm tall Pingüino!! They nest here and have to walk up the cliffs to nest so the otters don't steal and eat the eggs. It's hard to imagine the little guys making it up the massive hill but we saw them up there and doing it later.

For your education, what is the difference between a seal and a sea lion? Not sure? Neither were we. We guessed 1 difference, which was sea lions, have fur and seals only have skin. Other differences are sea lions are slower, have a higher % body fat and the other easy difference is sea lions have ears.

So yes the next animal we saw was a fatter, slower, hairy animal with ears, a whole colony of sea lions. There were two fighting which was great to see for two reasons. They make a crazy sound and all the ones around them move towards or away. So interesting watching a sea lion climb!! We saw otters briefly, as with giant starfish and red headed vulchers. After a long time we headed out to sea and then along the other side of the island. We came around and moved along with a group of Bottlenose dolphins. Two young ones diving and interacting with the boat. We stayed with them for a while getting photos before we moved on along the coast following diving and jumping sea lions. Then out the starboard we saw humpback whales!! This is usually as close as they get but today was a different day, they came alongside the speedboat. They began by showing and splashing with their fins, occasionally raising and holding their tail after breaching. The guide said they see whales about 4 times a year, but when we got so close the driver was super excited we knew this was different. They swam under the boat multiple times and other times they were breaching the water within meters, actually getting wet when they blew out their blowhole. The pod of three stayed with us for more than 10 minutes, with one laying face first pointing at the boat for a minute or two, a meter away! This was an incredible experience. We could see the details on the mollusks that are attached to the whales. I don't know if I will ever be within a meter of three wild humpback whales ever again.

It's hard to write much more about the tour.... We walked around a different island and had a great lunch and headed back to La Serena..... But you can't beat tiny Pingüinos and close encounters with a pod of Humpback whales.