Isabela & Fernandina Island
We started our day looking at a rock, but it was not a common rock at all. Roca Redonda means “round rock,” which is nothing else but the very tip of an extinct volcano with an incredible amount of sea birds nesting on top and at its ledges.
After a few times circumnavigating the rock and looking at its interesting patterns, we decided to go south and, in on way, we spotted killer whales also traveling south. The unmistakably long dorsal fin of the male and at least three other whales made our morning even more interesting.
By 8:30 the mist was already surrounding the volcanoes and it was coming closer to the Polaris, things were not looking good! The sea turned choppy and the winds started to pick up for no apparent reason. We were all confused – what was going on? All of a sudden the horn of the ship started off…we were crossing the equator line and then we understood! The sudden appearance of the old King Neptune from the bottom of the sea took us by surprise. AGRRRH! What’s going on, he said! (Actually, his exact words could not be translated to the common human language!) He demanded an explanation for carrying so many “poliwalks” (nautical term used to describe people who haven’t crossed the equator ever) on board of the Polaris. Accompanied by his “untrusting” pirates (a pirate can never be trusty by the way!) he started the capture and consequently baptize of the “poliwalks” which, under the threat of being sacrificed, were submitted to obey King Neptune’s demands (an old man that hasn’t shaved in a hundred years and who is wearing a dress, can be very demanding, believe me!) He commanded the poliwalks to drink iguana blood or to kiss his fishy-smelly flippers (guess which option was the popular one!). After a complete ritual that would satisfy even the most demanding King Neptune of any sea, he commanded the ocean to raise and, in a blink of an eye, showered the impure poliwalks transforming them in what is known as “shellbacks” (come on…at this point, I would expect you to figure out what this term means!) After posing for few pictures and answering questions about his future participation on the yet to be done saga of “Master and Commander II”, the master of the seas and his pirates disappeared among the mist and the vast ocean of the mysterious Galápagos Islands…
We started our day looking at a rock, but it was not a common rock at all. Roca Redonda means “round rock,” which is nothing else but the very tip of an extinct volcano with an incredible amount of sea birds nesting on top and at its ledges.
After a few times circumnavigating the rock and looking at its interesting patterns, we decided to go south and, in on way, we spotted killer whales also traveling south. The unmistakably long dorsal fin of the male and at least three other whales made our morning even more interesting.
By 8:30 the mist was already surrounding the volcanoes and it was coming closer to the Polaris, things were not looking good! The sea turned choppy and the winds started to pick up for no apparent reason. We were all confused – what was going on? All of a sudden the horn of the ship started off…we were crossing the equator line and then we understood! The sudden appearance of the old King Neptune from the bottom of the sea took us by surprise. AGRRRH! What’s going on, he said! (Actually, his exact words could not be translated to the common human language!) He demanded an explanation for carrying so many “poliwalks” (nautical term used to describe people who haven’t crossed the equator ever) on board of the Polaris. Accompanied by his “untrusting” pirates (a pirate can never be trusty by the way!) he started the capture and consequently baptize of the “poliwalks” which, under the threat of being sacrificed, were submitted to obey King Neptune’s demands (an old man that hasn’t shaved in a hundred years and who is wearing a dress, can be very demanding, believe me!) He commanded the poliwalks to drink iguana blood or to kiss his fishy-smelly flippers (guess which option was the popular one!). After a complete ritual that would satisfy even the most demanding King Neptune of any sea, he commanded the ocean to raise and, in a blink of an eye, showered the impure poliwalks transforming them in what is known as “shellbacks” (come on…at this point, I would expect you to figure out what this term means!) After posing for few pictures and answering questions about his future participation on the yet to be done saga of “Master and Commander II”, the master of the seas and his pirates disappeared among the mist and the vast ocean of the mysterious Galápagos Islands…
