Today we took a walk on Playa Espumilla on James Island. Our guide tried to convince us that it was cool that this was the one place we would be allowed to wander the beach alone. Given that on the 4 night cruise we estimate that we got a total of 8 to 10 hours of his time, and other than that he was nowhere to be found, we figured this “walk alone” thing was really just another way to avoid working.
On the beach we discovered a nest of turtle eggs that had been broken open when the tide came up and washed some of the sand away. We asked our guide whether we could do something to save the eggs, many of which were intact. But he said that once the sea water breached the nest it would kill the eggs because it is too cold for them.
There were also a couple of Galapagos hawks that were so unafraid that they let us get right up next to them and take pictures.
Later in the day we went to Puerto Egas (aka James Bay) on James Island and again walked the beach. There were tons of baby sea lions there.
We also saw tons more Iguanas. They were everywhere – piled atop one another. So much so that you had to be careful where you stepped or you might plant your foot right on one.
We saw a number of birds including a Yellow Crowned Night Heron.
And Great Blue Heron.
This little lizard was happy to hold still for pictures – odd because most of these little guys scamper away when you put a camera right up to them.
The landscape here continues to be more desolate that we had imagined before we got here.
