Summary Day Four

First let me apologize for the lack of posts.  The internet at our hotel is very spotty.  

There is little doubt that the kids will look back on today as a highlight of their lives.  The day began with a nice breakfast at the hotel followed by a two hour boat ride to Isabella Island.  We transferred from our big boats to smaller ones so we could get closer to the flocks of Blue Footed Boobies. 

On reaching the dry, lava-strewn island we headed off to the shore and were welcomed by hundreds of Marine Iguanas.  They were not wary of us at all.  In fact, we had some that walked right under our feet.  It is easy to see why they were called dragons by the first visitors. 

At one point an open fissure connecting two harbors revealed white tip reef sharks resting from their night’s feed.  Continuing on we came to a small colony of Sea Lions.  Two young males seemed to be practicing fighting while some younger ones played in the waves.

From there we headed to the highlands to see Tortoises and learn about the efforts being made to save the various varieties that inhabit the different islands.  Looking at them, there is no question where Steven Spielberg’s inspiration for ET came from.

Next we visited an in-land pool and saw a variety of beautiful birds

After a delicious meal, we had a chance to do our first snorkeling.  The water was clear and full of life.  We had Marine Iguanas, Sea Turtles, Rays and a wide variety of fish swimming within arm’s reach.

We concluded with a trip to the beach.  The kids welcomed the chance to frolic in the water while surrounded by adorable Sea Lions and a variety of other wildlife.

Then we made our way back to Santa Cruz for dinner and some fun in town.  Several of the kids saw an enormous school of rays feeding under the light of the pier.

It is hard to imagine a better day.