This morning we woke at 630am, breakfast at 7am. Chef Segundo has laid out a feast of fresh fruit, omelettes, toast, cereal, granola, yogurt, fruit juices, coffee, tea. We certainly won’t starve on this trip. At 8am we put on our life jackets and boarded the pangas for our transfer to Santa Fe island for a wet landing. We are better prepared this time. As we approach the shore we can hear the sounds of the sea lions bellowing.
What a sight! There are dozens of sea lions, large and small. They are so cute! Babies are are frolicking in the sea, some bellow for their mother, adult lions are sleeping on the warm sand and some snuggle up together.
Leaving the beach we head in land to discover the wildlife on the island of Santa Fe. First stop is to view the large land iguanas, colourful little lizzards and birds.
There’s a beautiful view of the sea from the top of the hill. The terrain is a bit rugged and sometimes you must take large steps to get over the rocks. It’s imperative to watch your step on the uneven rocky path to avoid slips or falls. It’s very hot (34 degrees) and humid. We made frequent stops to drink from our water bottles to avoid dehydration.
The path loops back to the beach were we first landed. It’s a great view of the ships in the bay. Back at the beach we take a few more moments to observe the sea lions and enjoy the fresh salty air. We remove our shoes, roll up our pants and climb back into the pangas for our transfer back to our ship to change into our swimsuits for snorkelling.
The ladies were very excited and looking forward to snorkelling. The water is warm and clear. It’s a hot day and a relief to dip in and cool off. We swam towards the rocks where there are many colourful fish feeding. To our delight a sea lion joins us. She swims back and forth entertaining us. It was great fun! We climb back into the pangas and transfer onto our ship. in time to enjoy a delectable lunch. Chef Segundo puts on another amazing spread; mixed salad, vegetables, rice, grilled fish and fresh fruit for dessert, This afternoon we relaxed for a few hours as we cruised to another landing spot on South Plaza island.
