Last Big Outing – Elizabeth Bay – Isabela Island – Galapagos Islands

Altho we have a bit more to see, this was our last big outing – a panga ride in Elizabeth Bay.  Let’s get started….

Water Lines

Before we got on the panga, I enjoyed some wildlife along the Beagle, our boat.  This pelican just peacefully floated alongside us.  Not only did I like his reflection in the relatively calm waters, I love the look of the lines of the water – just flowing along.

Reflective Dancing

I call these birds Jesus Birds because they seem to walk on water – however, I’ve come to find out their formal name is Elliot’s Storm Petrol.  This is one of the clearest images I was lucky enough to take of this little guy – he’s balancing on one foot at this moment, and the reflection is lovely.

Leaving the Beagle

Here’s a view of our friends leaving the Beagle for our outing.  Love the look of the Beagle and the scenery!

Great Blue Heron

Here’s one of our last views of this wonderful bird as he’s sitting on the rocky shore enjoying the morning!

Blue-Footed Boobie

One of the animals I most looked forward to seeing was the blue-footed boobie – not quite sure why, but I sure am glad I got to see a number of these guys!

Pelican Point

I love this image of this pelican – it’s sort of a quiet, reflective image.

Drama at Sea

We had some drama on our last big outing, too.  I purposefully processed these in black & white as a sort of journalistic perspective.  We came across a frigatebird that apparently got too wet, and was waterlogged in the sea.  Another frigatebird hovered nearby, but I’m not certain it meant to help.

Floundering

Here’s another image of the frigatebird in trouble.  The wing of the other frigatebird is in the upper right corner of the image.

Rescue at Sea

Here’s the image of our guide, Fabrizio, rescuing the poor bird.  He used a towel to grab it, so he didn’t inadvertently injure it.  It was very, very scared.  He ended up placing it on the rocky shore just behind the panga.

Beagle

I really liked this image of a pelican and our boat.  I thought it looked especially reflective when I processed it in black & white.

Flying Away

I love this image of a pelican flying away from us.  The perfect position of his wings is just too cool.

Escaping the Surf

Here’s another cool pelican shot.  This guy was just sitting on the rocks, hanging out, when the surf started coming in.  Once it started rushing over the rock on which he was sitting, he decided it was time to go, and I was lucky enough to capture the moment he took wing!

More to come when we cruise thru the mangrove cove growing out of lava rocks in the water, but for now….

Enjoy!



Wonders Along Punta Vincente Rocca on Isabela Island – Galapagos Islands

 

We saw many different, interesting creatures on this journey, and I thought I’d share some of them!

Jesus Bird

I don’t actually know the real name of this little guy, but I’ve heard him commonly referred to as a Jesus Bird, because of his habit of apparently walking on water!

Nazca Boobie Drying Wings

We saw Nazca Boobies before, but they were on shore where their wings were nice and dry.  This one had been swimming in the water, and apparently his wings got a bit too wet for his liking.  I thought the way he held his wings behind him to let them dry was so cool and interesting!

Sea Lion Soaking up the Sun

Oh, life is so rough for a sea lion in the Galapagos!  This guy just got tuckered out from swimming, and decided to rest by sunning himself on the rocks near shore – hope he got a good rest!

Sea Lions and a Blue-Footed Boobie

Here are more sea lions resting from their busy morning of swimming and playing in the surf…..and a new boobie to add to the collection!  See the Blue-Footed Boobie hanging out with them?  You’ll see more of him and his cousins in another blog posting.

Enjoy!