After a much calmer night time transit we awoke to the sight of Chinese Hat Island (so named here in the islands because it very closely resembles the shape of traditional bamboo hats). Our guide also jokingly called it Pizza Hut Island – you be the judge as to which is more accurate!

In the morning we had three distinct activities planned on and around the island. We started with a sea safari in search of more penguins. Unfortunately, the penguins were already out getting breakfast so they were not in their usual nesting ground when we arrived. We did however see a few Pelicans and Lava Herons. Following the boat tour we made landfall on Chinese Hat and walked along the shoreline. During our walk we saw several sea lions, sea iguanas and numerous crabs. These crabs have such vibrant colors (as with many other species here) so they are quite striking.

Our final activity in this location was snorkeling along the shoreline. These waters were teaming with life, we saw countless fish to go along with several white tip reef sharks and eagle rays. With our ears underwater, it was fun to hear the sounds of the parrot fish munching on the coral (which they they process to make sand, up to 1,000 pounds per year). Stephanie even saw a penguin swim through the water no more than a few feet in front of her (of course, Jay had the go-pro, so we did not capture this amazing moment). We were very much hoping to see a penguin in the water so that was a real treat. There are about 2,000 penguins in the islands so it is relatively rare to see them, let alone see them swimming right in front of you.

During our afternoon break and navigation, a variety of frigate birds hitched a ride on the boat’s draft, allowing us an opportunity to closely observe their beautiful coloring and watch their playful mannerisms After a lesson by our guide on the life of Charles Darwin, who is famous for his travels here in the islands that inspired his theories of evolution and natural selection, took the zodiacs to the tranquil island of Mosquera Island. The small island is largely a sand dune that serves as a breeding site for sea lions. We wandered around the island with around 50 baby and adult sea lions, taking turns sunning themselves and getting in the water to cool off – what a life! We also saw a small scorpion, a first for us.

We are headed to south Galapagos tonight for another fun day tomorrow!