San Cristóbal: Day 2
The cab picked us up at 5:30am and drove us over to Puerto Chino on the eastern coast of the island. The gate was down on the road but it was unlocked so we opened it up and the taxi dropped us off at the beach. We had the beach entirely to ourselves. Several young sea lions were resting near the rocks. Sally light foot crabs were combing the beach for food but quickly retreated as we walked past them.
We ate breakfast on the beach and the finches came around looking for a quick meal. We hiked a small trail up to a rocky outcrop where a pair of blue footed boobies were preening. On the trail back down the finches were all around us again, one even landing on my head. After almost two hours on the beach it was time to head back to the cab to our next stop.
Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado is a reserve area to protect and breed semi-wild Galápagos tortoises. The Galápagos Islands is comprised of 19 main islands. There are 12 species of tortoises each as unique as the islands they inhabit. Chelonidis Chathamensis is the subspecies found on San Cristóbal Island. Our tour through the preserve quickly revealed dozens of these giants. They are surprisingly difficult to spot among the large rocks considering their size.
Six foot distance limits mean getting some great up close shots. Getting too close results in a startlingly loud hissing noise. This hissing is not a warning call. The noise is the result of the tortoise expelling all the air from its lungs as it retracts its head back into its shell. Through hundreds of years of humans hunting them they still see humans as predators. Halfway through the trail you arrive at the breeding center where there are enclosures full of baby and juvenile tortoises. The cab then took us into the mountains to a place called El Junco which is a fresh water lake in the crater of a volcano. The hike to the top was foggy and muddy with little to see at the top due to the fog and mist.
Second half of the day we took a walk to Playa Mann where we rented snorkels and goggles and tried swimming with the sea lions. For how big they are they are incredibly difficult to see underwater until they are right on top of you. After some time getting used to the snorkels and using the waterproof housing we headed up the road to Playa Punta Carola.
We spent a ton of time snorkeling at this beach watching small fish dart and dive among the rocks and watching the iguanas come in on the surf. After this beach we hiked over to Muelle Tijeretas which is a little cove on the ocean with clear shallow water. Tons of fish and sea lions and a few iguanas. After that a hike to the overlooks to watch the cruise ships and birds. Back to the hotel to pack for the next island, dinner and then drinks at the docks to finish the night.
