Winter Drysuit Training

 Ah, the west coast in winter. As a snowboarder, just looking at that mountain of powder makes me say "I really want to see whats 50feet underwater by that yellow buoy!" So this weekend we got our first taste of wintery open water diving with dry suits. The water averaged 5-7 degrees and for added fun we each wore 40lbs of extra weight.

 Though entirely fashionable for day-to-day wear as you can see, the drysuit also has a bonus feature of locking a pocket of air around your body underwater which not only keeps you dry but helps keep you warm as well. Despite this, Kathryn got very chilled after her first dive and skipped the second one because the shivering would not stop, so its time to get a layer or two of thermal underwear for the next dip.

 Below, our instructor Paul emerges from the deep with George. In both dives we saw lingcod, crabs, anenomes, nudibranches (Kathryn loves these), decorator crabs, perch, sea cucumbers, and a plethora of unknown fishes. In the second wreck, there was an amazing tour through an intentionally sunken ship which is forming an artificial reef and covered in white plumous anenomes.

I know the internet is a fan of "pics or it didn't happen" but we don't yet have a camera which can stand going down to 50+ feet. The several atmospheres of extra pressure would crush anything we have. We're likely to get Kathryn a gopro once they have a proper underwater option and I am on the fence about an expensive housing for my DSRL setup since I really like the control it gives. We are quite taken with this sport and will likely have one or the other in place for more dives by the summer at the latest.

If Completed The World Will End: Basílica del Voto Nacional

The best thing about visiting countries with a strong or large Catholic community is the churches. It's incredible! I love Neo-gothic Ecuadorian architecture! Below are some of our photos from the Basílica del Voto Nacional (Basical of the National Vow). The Basílica was proposed in 1883 but is technically unfinished because if were ever to be finish that would spell the end of the world. Really! It is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas.

Typcal of Neogothic architecture are gargoyles and grotesques peering below at the huddled masses. The carvings were representatibe of all the different biomes of Ecuador. Below are alpacas from the Andes.

Our favorites of all the exquistely done sculpture are the ones below. These are gargoyles representing various unique wildlife from the Galapagos. The birds below are a Blue-footed Booby and an Albatross. There are also iguanas and tortoises as well.

Galaplanets

  Note: Clicking on any of the pictures below will enlarge them.

As you may or may not remember, I got a fisheye lens recently with the specific intent of creating little planet-style panoramas such as the three you can see below. These ones were shot in a different and slightly inferior manner in that they took dozens of smaller pictures to make rather than 7 or so fisheye pictures, and as such there is a lot more distortion in the ground and less sky. Still, they are neat representations of that wonderful and alien landscape.

 Above is the beach at Genovesa island, the last place we visited before returning to the mainland. You can see a frigatebird passing by in the sky and feel the heat coming off the sand. In the lower left there were people swimming with sea lions and the air around us was filled with the calls of nesting birds.

 Above is the top of a lookout near Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz where we had our first excursion. In the right side you can see Kathryn and Jean (our tour leader) scouring the distance for sings of cuckoos or other rare birds. We were at the end of our group and walking along the path that snakes in from the left and exits to the right.

And finally we have a visit to Sombrero Chino, a recent volcanic arrival there was barely any plant life beyond a few settler cacti and some hearty plants. To the lower right you can see the bay where we watched penguins swimming, and at the very bottom you can see the white dot of our boat waiting patiently in the bay for us while to the left the peak of the island raises up.

A Primeval Landscape

We visited the island of Santiago. Part of it was home to very young lava flows. These pahoehoe flows were just over 100 years old as they happened in 1897, mere foetuses in geological terms. Life had barely started returning to this landscape. Some tiny lichen here and there and small pockets of wee lava cacti.

Click on the panorama below to enlarge it.

 The lava flowed had formed tubes, pots and cracks, some of which were quite deep. The lava was such that it looked like it could have solidified yesteday. In parts it was perfectly smooth and shiny. In others it had created ripples where it encountered resistance or began to cool. The warm lava rock was pleasant and soothing to lie on creating a natural massage.

 Within the lava forms were fantastic shapes. With the tiniest bit of imagination the lava comes to life as forms of animals and scenes spring to the eye. I spied an iguana swimming through water in the shape of the lava below.

Big Honking Snake

I never ever thought that Geordie and I would run into this huge Anaconda while we were in the Amazon Rainforest.  I figured we had more chance of seeing the Windigo or the Loch Ness monster. Nevertheless we did. This one was mostly coiled up on a hummock jutting into the lagoon within view of our lodge.

We were in a canoe which enabled us to sneak up quite close. Closer than I ever thought we could get to a huge snake as we were about 2.5- 2 metres away. We were all whispering which was kind of silly as they are deaf....but you know..... big snake.  Like all snakes they sense vibrations but as we were in the water we produced none.

This one is a baby, which is the first time I heard something 5 metres long called a 'baby'. It's colouring is that of a juvenile. The fetching yellow spots about the size of dollar coin on the underside fade into adulthood. This one didn't even blink even as flies crawled over its face. Its eyes were a beautiful rich leafy colour but primeval in their expression. The entire time we watched him he didn't move. The next day we went back, he was gone.

Galapagos Sea Lion Highlight Reel

The power of cute compels you! It will be very hard not to say 'Awwww' as you watch the highlight reel focusing on the Galapagos Sea Lion. We ended up with so much great footage of them that we felt they deserved their own video. The individuals in the video are from several islands. There are male beach masters, sub adults, females with nursing pups and even a 3 day old pup that still has the umbilical cord.

The Galapagos Sea Lion does not leave the archipelago. They have no predators there which makes them fearless. It is possible to get very close to them but by law you must stay 2 metres away. 

Song is 'A Well Deserved Break' by Morcheeba.

Galapagos Penguins

Penguins are not usually associated with the Ecuator. The icy cold Humboldt Current which flows up to the Galapagos lets penguins find these tropics habitable. We saw our only Galapagos Penguins at Sombrero Chino at Santiago Island. This was a lovely area with crystal clear waters and magnificent lava fields.
Click on the panorama below to enlarge it.

Way off in the distance were spotted a group of 4-6 Galapagos Penguins. These wee fellows were chilling on the lava rocks on shore. They were very difficult to spot without the aid of binoculars. Eventually all but 1 or 2 disappeared under a rock hang or cave.

We were most fortunate to see the fellow below racing through clear shallow waters chasing fish. This one looked to be having a fine old time as he scythed through the shallows of the beach which we were walking. It looked like he was chasing fish. The speed and agility at which he moved was impressive. It was our best sighting of the Galapagos Penguin. Unfortunately it was our only one of such quality.