Galapagos: August 2022: Day 2: Embarkation

Index
Day 1 - Guayaquil
Day 2 - Embarkation
Day 3 - N. Seymour/Rabida
Day 4 - Fernandina/Isabela
Day 5 - Isabela
Day 6 - Santiago
Day 7 - Santa Cruz
Day 8 - San Cristobal
Day 9 - San Cristobal
Day 10 - Return

Galapagos

August 2022: Day 2: Baltra and Santa Cruz

Randomly assigned seats, got business class!

They even fed those sitting up front.

Although it was pretty sad.

Eurobusiness = economy class seating but with middle seat blocked.

Eurobusiness = economy class seating but with middle seat blocked. Yuck.

Arrived at Baltra Island in the Galapagos (GPS).

Aeropuerto Ecologico Galapagos (GPS). Posing.

Posing.

National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions runs an incredibly polished operation.

Tiny dock right by the airport.

Distributing life jackets as we wait for the zodiacs to the boat.

Wildlife sightings started immediately with sea lions right under the dock.

Plenty of seabirds as well, including blue-footed boobies.

Bathroom is reasonably spacious for a little expedition cruise ship.

Not bad for two people.

Plenty of power outlets.

The (only) dining room.

First of many forgettable meals, chilled soup.

Corn salad.

Supposedly seared but more like well done on outside and cold/rare/unpleasant without flavor on the inside. Smashed plantains were creative at least.

Magnificent frigatebird overhead on the first landing at Playa Las Bachas, Santa Cruz Island.

Wingspan up to seven and a half feet (!).

Home for the next 8 days, the National Geographic Endeavour II.

Great blue heron.

Semipalmated plover.

Salty lightfoot crab. Old one-- very colorful.

Spotted eagle ray.

Blue-footed booby busy fishing.

One of the few nights any appreciable amount of starts were visible.

With the full expedition assembled (90 or 92 of us?), a private breakfast for the whole group, then three big buses took everyone back to the airport for an Avianca flight to Baltra in the Galapagos. Slightly less than two hours later we were there, the National Geographic team took charge, and everyone immediately started exclaiming as the sightings had already started-- iguanas on the side of the road, blue-footed boobies and sea lions right at the dock (!).

First of many zodiac rides began with a quick one to the ship, the National Geographic Endeavour II, just in time for lunch. The style of meals was quickly established, tastefully presented but not especially tasty food, clearly catered to the audience (mostly old white people), in the ship's single large dining room.

The first landing of the trip was on nearby Santa Cruz Island, where magnificent frigatebirds, great blue herons, semipalmated plovers, salty lightfoot crabs, spotted eagle rays, and plenty more blue-footed boobies all made an appearance in the afternoon. Throw in the one decent night of stargazing (most nights were cloudy) and the tone for the trip was set-- an overwhelming experience with wildlife everywhere.