Galapagos,

The plane landed on Baltra Island, an uninhabited island except it is home to an international airport and nothing else. I was met by my guide Luis and we got a lift down to the port where a couple of Zodiacs came ashore to pick us up. A view of our boat at anchor. There is space for sixteen passengers but there were only fourteen so we weren't too crowded. I had been in the travel agents office a few days before and at that time there had been only ten people booked onto the boat so fourteen was more than I had expected.

 We hadn't even got on the boat and there was a large iguana sitting on the quay.

We cruised from Baltra Island to Las Balchas on north coast of Santa Cruz, the main island in the archipelago. There were long wide beaches of white sand and not a single piece of flotsam.

 There were red crabs scurrying around the rocks.

 Pelicans perched on top of the rocks drying their wings whilst others dived for fish.

 In a lagoon behind the beach was a single flamingo that was sieving the mud for things to eat.

 In the bushes was one of the thirteen types of finches that are unique to the islands.

 We had to keep strictly to the paths as beyond the high water mark was where turtles lay their eggs. The shallow depressions can just be made out.

 A marine iguana basking on some rocks on the beach.

 There were numerous fish in the waters just off shore and snorkelling was great fun with a host of colourful fish. Then it was back on board for our overnight cruise to Isla Genovesa in the north of the archipelago. And a lovely sunset as we left Santa Cruz.

 After dark we found a stowaway on the back of the boat. A sea lion had hauled itself up on to the diving platform and was content to just lie there as we moved northwards. We were within two metres of it but it seemed unconcerned, opening an eye as we peered at it from the deck and then gong back to sleep. It was still there when I went to bed but it had gone by the morning when we awoke to find ourselves within the former volcanic crater of Isla Genovesa. It erupted millions of years ago and one blast blew away a section of the crater rim and the sea flooded in.

 We landed on a beach within the caldera and started a slow walk to see the fauna, such as these Nasca boobies.

 A red footed booby.

 And more birds which I won't try to name as I will probably get it wrong and have a host of comments which would be welcome but I can't answer everyone!

 But these are male frigate birds showing off and trying to attract a mate. If they don't succeed they will move on to another place and try again.

When there is a colony of frigate birds there is a big splash of red as the males try to attract a female.

 Back on the beach there are sea lions lying on the beach sleeping or just lying. As the sea comes in and wakes them up, they move further up the beach.

 The tide came in and made an island of a rock outcrop that formed part of the beach.

 And on the incoming tide came a ray looking for whatever it could find to eat.

 I went snorkelling off a white sandy beach and found a host of fish plus a couple of sleeping sharks in a shallow rock pool.

 There were all sorts of fish amongst the rocks off shore. We also went snorkelling in deep water on the edges of the vent of the former volcano and saw a completely different selection of fish. We saw barberfish, three banded butterfly fish, king angelfish, yellowtail damselfish, panamic seargeant major, giant damsel fish, Moorish idols, Blue and gold snapper, Cortez rainbow wrasse, both male and female whch look completely different, Mexican hogfish, Blue chinned parrotfish and again both male and female which don't look anything like each other, Galapagos nullet, leather bass and guinea fowl pufferfish. Sorry no pictures as I didn't have a waterproof camera...since I lost it earlier on the trip but do look up a few on the internet as the colours are fantastic.

 Then it was off to a walk along the top of the former volcano with a steep climb up the inside steep face of the crater.

 Nasca booby.

 Not a dead chick but if it pushes back its hind legs it raises its bum into the air and can get more breeze to an area without so many feathers to cool itself down.

 The whole area is volcanic rock, with sharp edges, thin soils, a lack of water and of course no trees as the ground is too rocky.

 So birds nest on the ground such as this mockingbird...

 another pair of birds just watching me as I went past without showing any fear...

 and another sunset.