Coastal Waters

Another early start we went to the docks and watched the birds looking for their morning meals. Boobies and pelicans repeatedly hit the water grabbing fish.

The boobies were the most fun to watch (get your mind out of the gutter). They would circle the narrow bay in groups of 3-4 and in a formation dive all at once, hitting the schools of fish simultaneously.

The water taxis and ferries were all getting loaded up and preparing for a day of business. The birds ignored the activity and continued hunting around the boats. After breakfast we bought tickets to a guided snorkeling tour.

The boat, which was smaller and fully open, took us out along the cliffs to look at the sea birds. We stopped and got off the boat to look at some of the geology of the island. After that we got into the water.

The swells were pretty big but once you got used to it, your focus shifted to what was beneath the waves. The fish were brilliant, some in the group saw a shark. After a little while a sea turtle appeared and hung out with us. The tour then brought us to Las Grietas which is basically a big volcanic crack in the rocks that has filled with water. The water is crystal clear and cold! That afternoon we took another boat out to Playa Tortuga Bay.

The water was murky due to the rough surf out past the bay and our snorkel rental was essentially a waste. After some time on the beach we chose to walk back across the island to town. Along the trail were tons of birds and another long beach covered in iguanas and shore birds. We spent the evening getting dinner, drinks, and buying souvenirs.