Everyday we see new things.  Today we moved to Elizabeth Bay also on Isabela Island.  I think we stop at five or six places around Isabela Island during this cruise.  We took a dingy ride into the mangroves to look for sea turtles and other things.

The last picture is a sally-lightfoot crab.  They are just about everywhere.  Very colorful.  After we leave the mangroves we head for a spot to snorkel.

Our guide, Johan, knows all the best spots.  Afterall, he’s been bringing people here for three years.  You cannot travel around the Galapagos without a guide.  The national park forbids independent travel within the islands.  You can sail into the area but you must register with the national park and either take a cruise or enlist a guide.

We see sea tortoises and sea lions come right to our faces, there are sharks around but I don’t get any pictures because they’re out of camera range.

This last one is upside down near the surface but is within touching range.  Which, of course, you aren’t allowed to do.

After lunch we move to Urbina Bay to see land tortoises and land iguanas.

As we walk on the path, the tortoises withdraw into their shells but don’t move off.  Today we saw more than 20 land tortoises.  They weigh up to 250-300 lbs.  Further up the trail we see our first land iguana.

We see about 10 land iguanas.  Tomorrow we head to another locations to see marine iguanas.  They are dark green and black and tend to blend in with the lava.

They gather in large groups to warm in the sun.  Often you’ll see them on top of each to build up heat.

After dinner this evening we’ll cross the equator the third time.  The other two times were in the middle of the night.   Tonight it will be a sunset and we’ll be at 0’00’00’ latitude.

I’ll start my last cruise blog with the sunset picture next time.

Today, Monday, I went looking for the Aerogal Airlines office here in Puerto Ayora to try and get my reservation back to Quito changed.  I have a reservation for this Friday but I’d like to leave sooner, if possible.  Yesterday, when we arrived back in Puerto Ayora the boat drops us at the ferry dock and we have to ride the bus back to the airport.  While I was there I went to the Aerogal counter but they indicated they didn’t have any openings until Thursday and that I’d have to go to the office in town to talk to them about changing my reservation.

This morning I was at the office ten minutes before it opened and I was #16 in line.  Luckily, a lady in line helped translate for me.  (Knowing Spanish would be a definite help here since most people here don’t speak English and my Spanish is weak.)  Anyway, she told me that many tour companies block more seats than they need and 3pm is the release time for tomorrow.  The reservationist told me she’d hold a seat for me for tomorrow morning if something opened up.  I have to be back at the office about 3pm. to find out.

That’s it for this post.  The waiter wants my seat in the restaurant if I’m not going to order the land tortoise steak and seafood combo dinner.  Adios!