November 28, 2007

1.1 Tortuga Bay Beach - Lisa
1.2 Gordon Rocks Scuba Diving - G
2.0 Highlands

After breakfast at the hotel the guide met me at the hotel and we walked to Tortuga Bay Beach. The walk was about 6 km total. Along the walk I saw finches, mocking birds, lava lizards, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and a sea turtle. After walking we stopped at a lagoon and waded around looking for white-tip reef sharks, but did not see any. We then walked back to the hotel.













Before breakfast G headed out to Itabaca Channel to catch his ride to go diving at Gordon Rocks. The gear was new and there were only 3 other divers plus the divemaster on the trip. The water was very choppy but still a lot of fun. On the first dive he saw some sting rays and some moray eels, a school of some fish and some interesting marine life living in the lava formations. After getting back on the boat and contributing his breakfast to the well being of the marine life, he went for his second dive. Alas, no hammerhead sharks on this dive either, but some fun time with a sea lion, albeit too short. Then it was time to head back to shore and dock in Puerto Ayora.

G met me in the outdoor cafe where we had lunch before heading out for our highland tour. We drove to some lava tunnels that we walked through. We saw an owl resting in the tunnel. From there we walked through many different fields full of wild turtles. They were huge! Also found out the hard way that if you get too close they kinda hiss at you and then retract their heads.













We then returned to the hotel where we packed before meeting Katja and Charlotte, two German ladies we met, for dinner. We then walked to the docks and caught the water taxi to Angermeyer Point where we had a lovely goodbye dinner.