November 7, 2002, 3:50 pm 30.45" Hg, 79.5 F

Yesterday evening was uneventful, but today! Today had some interesting highlights. After breakfast we had a short, but long-winded, hike. Saw many many marine iguanas, some lava lizards, and crabs. On the way to the landing on the volcanic spur of Fernanda Island, which has an impressive cone about 5000 feet high, we spotted a penguin standing on a rock.

penguin standing on a rock
Andy and a preening penguin and a standing penguin


that's a lot of marine iguanas

On our way back to the Polaris we had a zodiac tour during which we saw a penguin preening on a rock, a penguin next to a molting penguin, two penguins fishing together, and four penguins fishing together. Lastly we saw a penguin swimming on the surface above deep water.

another penguin!

This brings to a total of twelve* the number of penguins I have seen in the Galapagos. Given that there are about 1,200 Galapagos penguins I have seen one percent of them. I didn't realize there were so few penguins in the Galapagos until the naturalist told me.

Then as we were finishing lunch someone spotted a group of common dolphins off the starboard side. There were perhaps fifty of them, porpoising in a school. Occasionally one would jump especially high from the water. I asked Lynn, and she explained that dolphins porpoise to travel faster: there is much less friction to travel in the air. She said sea lions occasionally do the same.

After lunch I lay down for a bit and then went to the top deck, pen and journal in hand, to sit and write some more. I had barely finished one sentence when someone spotted an orca - a killer whale. The ship made several circles and we saw four orcas. Two babies and two adults. They would occasionally porpoise - each baby in concert with an adult. Then I could see why they are in the same family as dolphins. The body shape and fins are very similar to the common dolphins we saw earlier.


Sitting around the lounge and chatting in the evening.
Bill Hoon, Jeff, Marla Zometsky, Joanne, and myself



November 8, 2002 4:10 pm