taking Aerogal from Quito to Galapagos |
Galapagos airport is on Baltra Island |
Galapagos airport arrivals |
wildlife is everywhere! |
we waite for our boat but seats are taken |
first glimpse at our home of one week |
excited about our boat Monserrat and the whole week of paradise ahead |
excited about our boat Monserrat and the whole week of paradise ahead |
lovely Monserrat |
excited about the whole week of paradise ahead |
first wet landing, North Seymour island, with our local guide Maria |
my favourite bird blue-footed booby |
aren't they cute |
three is a crowd |
blue-footed boobies mating ritual |
blue-footed boobies mating ritual, spot the lifting of left leg |
blue-footed booby and a land iguana |
blue-footed booby with an egg |
blue-footed booby with an egg |
blue-footed boobies nesting |
the name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo meaning "stupid fellow" |
blue-footed booby with a chick |
blue-footed booby with a chick |
chick is bigger than mother |
Galapagos land iguana |
Galapagos land iguana |
blue-footed booby feeding its chick |
blue-footed booby |
blue-footed booby |
blue-footed booby |
baby frigatebird |
blue-footed booby with a chick |
blue-footed booby trying hard to impress her female |
sad looking booby... maybe lonely as no mate? |
frigatebirds colony |
male frigatebirds have inflatable red-coloured throat pouches which they inflate to attract f |
Frigatebirds attack other sea birds, hence the name |
Frigatebirds are related to pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them |
North Seymour scenery |
lots of frigatebirds nests |
sealions |
marine iguanas bask in the sun |
sealion is sunbathing |
sealion is sunbathing |
sealion is sunbathing |
who are you? |
sealions and our boat in the background |
drying up |
cute baby sealion |
frigatebird in flight |
frigatebird in flight |
Meeli with a baby sealion |
swallow-tailed gull |
swallow-tailed gull |
brown pelican |
pelican and sealion |
back to Monserrat after an exciting day |
sunset in Galapagos |
sunset in Galapagos |
sunset in Galapagos |
other boats |
sunset from our deck |
Espanola Island: sally lightfoot crab |
Espanola Island: marine iguanas |
Espanola Island: cute couple of blue-footed boobies |
Nazca booby |
Punta Suarez - Espanola Island |
the courtship of the Blue-footed Booby consists of the male flaunting his blue feet and dancing to impress the female |
during the dance, the male will spread his wings and stamp his feet on the ground |
blue-footed boobies mating ritual |
When mating, the female parades and the male points his head and tail high to the sky and his wings are back to show off to the |
be careful not to step on animals |
Nazca boobies |
baby Nazca booby |
Sally Lightfoot Crab |
marine iguanas are found only on the Galapagos Islands |
marine iguana |
Marine Iguana's on Española are the only ones that change color during breeding season |
as a cold blooded animal, the marine iguana can spend only a limited time in the cold sea, where it dives for algae |
waved albatrosses' mating ritual |
waved albatrosses breed exclusively on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago |
waved albatrosses' mating ritual |
waved albatrosses' mating ritual |
portrait of waved albatross |
waved albatrosses nesting |
nests are built on areas of lava with boulders and sparse vegetation |
waved albatrosses nesting |
waved albatrosses' mating ritual |
During the non-breeding season, waved albatrosses reside primarily on the coast of Ecuador & Peru |
Punta Suarez of Espanola Island |
look closely - the rock is covered with marine iguanas |
marine iguana |
marine iguana |
waved albatrosses colony |
marine iguanas just lying around on the walking path |
sealions at Gardner Bay of Espanola Island |
sealion |
was really looking forward to see the beach full of sealions |
cosy |
sealion with a puppy |
Gardner Bay, Island of Espanola |
Gardner Bay, Island of Espanola |
sealions at Gardner Bay of Espanola Island |
sealions at Gardner Bay of Espanola Island |
sealions at Gardner Bay of Espanola Island |
Meeli and sealions |
sealion is curious |
not interested |
sealion |
sealions |
sealions on Santa Fe |
land iguana |
land iguana |
land iguana |
Santa Fe island |
sealions on Santa Fe |
sealions |
sealion relaxing |
sealions chase |
sealions on Santa Fe |
sealions chase |
sealions on Santa Fe |
sealion |
sealions on Santa Fe |
sealions on Santa Fe |
sealions on Santa Fe |
Santa Fe island |
from Santa Fe to South Plaza, south west of Santa Cruz |
another cute sealion |
another cute sealion |
Santa Fe land iguana |
National Park of the Galapagos |
marine iguana |
marine iguana |
marine iguana |
Santa Fe land iguana |
South Plaza hosts a forest of Opuntia cactua and Sesuvium plants, which forms a reddish carpet on top of the lava formations |
island of South Plaza |
island of South Plaza |
marine iguanas on South Plaza |
island of South Plaza |
island of South Plaza |
island of South Plaza |
marine iguana on South Plaza |
sealion on South Plaza |
sealion on South Plaza |
sealion on South Plaza |
iguana's skeleton |
marine iguanas warming up on the rocks |
sealions on Santa Fe |
sealions on South Plaza |
sealions on South Plaza |
Sally Lightfoot Crab |
Charles Darwin research station on the island of Santa Cruz |
sealion skeleton |
97% of Galapagos Archipelago is national park |
Galápagos tortoise is the largest living tortoise |
Galápagos giant tortoise |
the average life expectancy of giant tortoises is estimated to be 200 years |
giant tortoises weigh ~ 300 kilograms (660lb) and measure 1.2 meters (4 ft) long |
giant tortoise walking fast |
giant tortoise portrait |
Meeli getting close |
Lonesome George is the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise |
Lonesome George is the last Pinta tortoise |
Lonesome George is estimated to be 60-90 years of age, and is in good health |
baby tortoises |
work with baby tortoises at the Charles Darwin research station |
Puerto Ayora is the most populated urban centre in the Galapagos Islands with approximately 10,000 inhabitants |
pelicans in Puerta Ayora |
lots of Sally Lightfoot Crabs wherever you look |
that's how you enter Puerta Ayora - the "capital" of Galapagos |
Puerta Ayora bay |
Puerta Ayora bay |
entrance to Puerta Ayora on Santa Cruz - the "capital" of Galapagos |
giant tortoise in the wild |
giant tortoise in the wild |
walk among giant tortoises in the wild |
walk among giant tortoises in the wild |
you can not see me now |
giant tortoise in the wild |
giant tortoise in the wild |
volcanic sink hole Los Gemelos |
volcanic terrain, Santa Cruz |
lava tube, Santa Cruz |
lava tube, Santa Cruz |
Isla Santiago (=Isla San Salvador) |
black solidified lava flow circa 100 years old |
walking on black solidified lava flow circa 100 years old |
Isla Santiago (=Isla San Salvador) |
Isla Santiago (=Isla San Salvador) |
Isla Santiago (=Isla San Salvador) |
view onto Pinnacle Rock on island of Bartolome |
lava cactus is the first sign of life to appear |
Sally Lightfoot Crabs |
Isla Santiago (=Isla San Salvador) |
Sally Lightfoot Crab and marine iguana feeding on seaweeds |
marine iguana feeding on seaweed |
marine iguana feeding on seaweed |
marine iguana feeding on seaweeds |
Bartolome island from Santiago island |
beach full of Sally Lightfoot Crabs |
beach full of Sally Lightfoot Crabs |
beach full of Sally Lightfoot Crabs |
beach full of Sally Lightfoot Crabs |
beach full of Sally Lightfoot Crabs |
beach full of Sally Lightfoot Crabs |
Galápagos Penguin is a penguin endemic to the Galápagos Islands |
Galapagos penguins |
Galapagos penguins |
Galapagos penguins |
frigatebird on the boat |
frigatebird in flight |
Galapagos penguin is the only penguin to live on the equator |
Galapagos penguins are endangered, with an estimated population size of around 1,500 individuals in 2004 |
leaving Isla San Salvador (=Isla Santiago) |
island of Bartolome |
island of Bartolome |
Bartolomé is famous for Pinnacle Rock, which is the most representative landmark of Galápagos |
Meeli and Pinnacle Rock |
finches |
Galapagos penguin |
frisky penguins |
threesome |
left out |
our boat from inside |
our boat from inside |
our boat from inside |
frigatebird couple |
Nazca boobies |
red-footed booby |
cute couple |
cute couple |
Nazca booby |
baby booby |
baby booby |
red-footed booby |
finch |
Nazca booby |
frigatebirds nesting and young booby trying to fly |
baby booby |
baby booby |
chick is larger than mother |
baby booby try but can not fly yet |
baby booby try but can not fly yet |
baby booby |
red-footed booby |
lava cactuses on Isla Genovesa |
frigatebird |
frigatebird |
red-footed booby |
frigatebird |
frigatebird |
frigatebirds |
Isla Genovesa (=Tower) |
fur seal |
fur seal |
red-billed tropicbird nesting |
fur seal - they have bigger eyes than sealions |
fur seal |
approaching Prince Philips Steps at Darwin Bay of island Genovesa |
this is the boat we were supposed to be on initially |
frigatebirds nesting |
island Genovesa |
seal on isla Genovesa |
seal on isla Genovesa |
seal on isla Genovesa |
seal on isla Genovesa |
swallow-tailed gulls |
seal on isla Genovesa |
frigatebirds nesting |
frigatebirds nesting |
red-footed booby |
red-footed booby |
lava heron ? |
red-footed booby |
Isla Genovesa (=Tower) |
Isla Genovesa (=Tower) |
frigatebirds nesting |
lava heron on Genovesa |
lava heron on Genovesa |
lava herons on Genovesa |
lava herons on Genovesa |
Nazca booby |
lava heron on Genovesa |
lava heron on Genovesa |
sealions on Genovesa island |
back to lovely boat |
another lovely Galapagos sunset |
another lovely Galapagos sunset |
Isla Lobos |
Isla Lobos |
Isla Lobos |
Isla Lobos |
Isla Lobos |
Isla Lobos |
sealions |
our cabin on Monserrat |
our cabin on Monserrat |
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno - "capital" of Isla San Cristobal |
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno - "capital" of Isla San Cristobal |
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno - "capital" of Isla San Cristobal |
sealions conquering the dingy |
sealions conquering the dingy |
sealions in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno |
sealion |
last night on the boat |
last night on the boat: the crew |
last night on the boat: group photo |
barman Ronald |
salsa with Fabian |
last night on the boat: Meeli, Fabian, Jane, Brian, Lisa and Maria |
leaving the Enchanted Islands |