Day 167, Year 1: Trip to Cabo Rosa
Date: Sunday, April 2, 2006
Weather: Partly Cloudy Morning and Evening; Blue Skies and Sunny Afternoon
Location: Puerto Villamil, Isabella Island, Galapagos
Well, I didn’t get to swim with penguins today, but I did get to swim with huge sea turtles. It was another unbelievable day here in the Galapagos. We were picked up at 1045 by the Capitan Freud, a 25-foot panga (like a Boston Whaler but with a sun cover). The captain, Henry, his wife Marianna, their 18 year-old daughter Arianna, 6-year old son Freud, and either crew member or older son, Danny greeted us. Dick and Lynn from Wind Pony (Minnesota), Sylvia and Doug from Windcaste (San Juan Capistrano, California), Margaret and Patrick from Aqua Magic (Devon, England), and the four of us from Windbird were aboard. We headed out for Cabo Rosa going about 20-25 knots. As we flew through the water, we surfed the Pacific swells. We sincerely hoped that Captain Henry knew what he was doing, and it soon became evident that he did. It took about 30 minutes to reach Cabo Rosa. None of us really knew what to expect, so when Henry indicated that we were going to shore and all we saw were huge breakers rolling over a rocky reef, we braced ourselves for the ride. He was unbelievably competent and worked his way through the breakers, through the tiny entrance to the rocky reef, and then guided us through a rock strewn path to a quiet anchorage. It is always hard to comprehend how wild the surf can be outside a reef and just how quiet it can be just inside. Henry weaved in and out of a series of narrow channels until we reached a quiet anchorage.
The dinghy was hauled out and five of us went for a dinghy ride while five of us snorkeled. Heather and Jed were with the first dinghy crew while Mark and I snorkeled with very large sea turtles. It was magical. We stayed in the water over an hour and then got out just in time to switch over to the dinghy ride that was even more magical. We negotiated through an unbelievable lava landscape of tunnels, bridges, and columns until we reach what I would characterize as the “back bay”. There were so many huge sea turtles here that it was impossible to count. Most stayed just under the surface of the water, but others poked their heads above the surface to say hello. In addition to the turtles, we got to see a lava gull and her baby up close on the face of one of the lava tunnels. It was truly special.
Once we returned to the panga, it was time to depart and once again Henry negotiated the rock strewn path with great skill. We worked our way into another anchorage for a short stop and walk on the lava rocks, and then we headed out. We inched our way through the rocks and then when Henry saw the narrow pass, he gunned the engine and off we went into the huge rollers. Once we made it through the reef and the surf, we headed back to Puerto Villamil. We made one stop at a huge rock offshore, Roca Union, and watched as the surf climbed the sheer rock wall and rushed down off it, much like watching the water rush over Niagrara Falls.
We entered the anchorage shortly before sunset and all marveled at the day’s adventure. It wasn’t over, however, There were eagle rays swimming by our boat and Heather just had to jump in to swim with these beauties. We watched a beautiful sunset and called it a day. And what day it was.
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| 060402 Day 167 Isabella–Cabo Rosa |
