There’s no such thing as too many beautiful sunrises.
Juice every morning, and every morning a different fruit. This may be what everyone called tree tomato. I just checked the internet, and in New Zealand it’s called tamarillo. It’s in the Solanaceae family, and is Solanum betaceum. Now I know.
Right after breakfast, we had a wet landing on Santa Fe Island. The sea lions were just becoming active.
This was a short walk to see these giant-size opuntias. The pads are not tasty to humans, but are the favorite of land iguanas.
Right on schedule, here’s a large male land iguana.
And another.
Back on the Grace, the crew lowered kayaks and the pangas took us to a good kayaking spot.
After that, we changed into wet suits for a snorkeling expedition. Again, no photos of these two activities. Salt water, you know.
After lunch, I spotted this hitchhiker. Another came and ousted it.
Dry landing on South Plaza island, and a slow 90-minute loop. Nocturnal gull.
Marine iguana. Note longer narrow tail, used as a paddle in the water. Also, the land iguana’s tails are more rounded on the bottom, a good tip if you find their tracks.
A finch busy looking for…seeds, I think.
Little lava lizard…little compared to the iguanas. On the “trunk” of one of the tall opuntias.
Land iguana profile. Those neck spikes draw my eye every time.
The iguanas have so aggressively dined on the opuntias on the west end of South Plaza that the park folk have planted new ones, with these protective cages. Still, they have had to replant and replant, as the small opuntias are easier for the iguanas to climb and access the pads, as you might guess. Even with the protective cages.
Sun is cruising down, although it’s still an hour and a half to sunset.
Sous Chef Washington’s tiramisu was a resounding success. Several of us thought it the best we’d ever had.
Did you catch that we did a walk, a kayak ride, and a snorkeling expedition all before lunch? I have never changed my clothing so many times day after day in my life.