This morning we had a pre-breakfast kayak adventure. We hopped into the Zodiac and rode close to shore where we boarded the kayaks. The water was a bit choppy and it made kayaking a bit challenging for a beginning paddler. As the waves crashed against the rocks, we were in awe of the stunning scenery.
While we were looking ahead to plan our route we saw a fin zoom past us and we knew it was a shark. We confirmed our sighting with our naturalist and continued to paddle along. As we grew tired and paddling grew increasingly difficult, we got back on the Zodiac. On our way back to the ship we saw two more sharks which were identified as hammerheads.
Later in the morning, we had another opportunity for deep water snorkeling. The water was a bit choppy, but we had to take advantage of the chance to see more stunning marine organisms. Even in the murky water, we were able to catch a glimpse of sea turtles and a variety of fish. Above the water we saw flightless cormorants, pelicans, and blue footed bobbies. It was challenging to swim against the crashing waves, but it was an outing that was not to be missed!
We had a wet landing on the beach, where some people chose to swim while others took the opportunity to snorkel again. The beach had already been claimed by a group of sea lions. We watched them playing in the surf and even witnessed a young pup nursing. We took the trail to a coastal area of the island that was covered in lava. The contrast of the black lava and the turquoise water was striking. As we maneuvered around marine iguanas, we were on the lookout for fur seals. We were able to find one tucked away in a crack that was just waking up for his evening meal. As he headed to the water for his dinner, we went back to the ship for dinner and an evening concert by the captain.
