The Turners arrived as scheduled and we checked into our hotel (Hotel Espana) in Puerto Aroya on Santa Cruz Island. We immediately booked a few tours through our very informative hotel manager, Anna. Anna absolutely adored Ryan and we probably only received special attention because of Charles and Jenny's blond haired, blue eyed extroverted 22 month old (but we are totally OK with that).

First day was a 2 hour boat tour out to Isla Floreana. Floreana only has about 100 inhabitants on it but is rich in history as it was the first island to be inhabited. Upon landing we saw sea lions, marine iguanas and pelicans, all at such close distances it was impossible not to get some good photos. We then visited an adaptive tortoise center, where tortoises are adjusting to living in the wild before being returned to their home island. Some tortoises are found on the incorrect island, either smuggled or transferred by other methods - the goal of this program is to ensure that each species of tortoise is returned to the correct island and given the skills necessary to survive in its natural wild habitat. This center was interesting as we had the opportunity to watch the tortoises during their feeding time, perhaps the most active time for tortoises. Our next objective was a short hike to a sandy white beach for lunch and snorkeling. Snorkeling took place in a calm bay where we saw sea turtles swimming, sea lions and of course lots of fish. The final stop was a small bay where we saw a few penguins and blue footed boobies.

Day two was a diving day for me, Charles and Kent while Jenny and Ryan explored Puerto Aroya. We headed out to Gordon Rocks which is known best for its large hammerhead shark population. The first dive was a bit challenging with a strong current but we saw a half dozen hammerheads, lots of fish and Kent even saw an eel. The second dive was a bit better with less current, clearer visibility and we witnessed white tipped sharks, rays and all sorts of fish. It was a pretty good day of diving despite the cold waters and 7mm wetsuits! Even though the Galapagos Islands are near the Equator and you would think the water is warm the Humboldt Current runs through here bringing cold waters this time of year.

Day three was a 'relaxing' day (sans the relaxing part). We stayed on shore and in the morning hiked out to Tortuga Bay, which is probably the most beautiful white sandy beach we have ever seen. Iguanas scattered the beach, alternating between sunning themselves on rocks and wading into the surf. It is still a bit weird to be walking on a beach around iguanas. In the afternoon we visited a huge lava tube, which took about and hour to walk through. It was quite interesting but unfortunately very difficult to photograph.

Day four was a 3 hour boat trip out to Bartolome. This small island has a volcanic landscape and boasts dramatic vistas from atop the 372 step wooden staircase. After enjoying the view we went snorkeling, walked the beach (carefully giving the sea lions their distance) and then passed by an area to catch a few photos of penguins. We enjoyed a nice lunch onboard before returning to Puerto Aroya.

Santa Cruz has served as a good base for day trips. Here we were turned on to a fantastic little restaurant (basically a glorified street cart where the locals eat) for dinner where fresh lobster is served for $12. It was so tasty when it comes right off the BBQ that we ate there 3 of our 5 nights!

Next we are off to Isla San Cristobal Island for a few days.

Picture above is from Bartolome - Charles, Ryan, Jenny, Kent and Heather.