Diving Adventure in the Galapagos #11

April 21st – Wolf Island

Slept hard all night!! Sleep on this boat is divine. Mike got up at 0600 to look for dolphin and whale. I told him to come get me if he saw any, but none emerged. Breakfast bell rang at 0700.

We’re running late, may not make Wolf until noon. Everyone lying around the salon, reading and writing. Looks like bunch of sea lions on shore.

1215 – Finally here! Fast suit-up and out. Quick entry from dinghy because of chop and surge. Wolf is a flat topped island with sheer rock walls 600 feet from top to ocean. Nothing lives here but the ubiquitous sea birds, and there are thousands of them.

The water here is usually much warmer than the islands further south, but not this time. The temperature at 66′ is 60 degrees. And at 30-40 feet still very cold with full wet suit. Turtles are EVERYWHERE!

The minute I stepped from the dinghy to the boat, I got the worst headache I have ever had. Felt like an ice pick stuck between my eyes. Couldn’t see, couldn’t stand up, and thought I was going to vomit. Mike took care of my gear and I got to the room, took a hot shower and fell into bed wrapped in blankets and towels on my head. When I awoke everyone else had already gone diving again. So, they left me behind! Probably best, but I was not very happy about it. Dicksie got too cold on first dive, so she stayed up too. Mike and David conspired to buddy up on this one.

Anchorage tonight is in a sheltered cove at Wolf with our Aggressor sister ship here too.

The video shots today were great. We reviewed the footage after dinner and there was one shot of a turtle that was especially beautiful. Shot from below with the sun shining through from above, the turtle swam across the field until his carapace covered the golden orb of the sun. Elo observed, “Well, that’s a turtle eclipse of the sun!”

We’ll lie here until about 0330 then travel the 4 hours to Darwin Island. Then day after tomorrow, we’ll make the 16 hour voyage back south. Tomorrow, we will make 3 dives at Darwin.

I’ve made a good friend here: the bartender, Warren, who also serves our meals, and tends our cabins while we dive, is a sweetie. He noticed that I was missing at lunch and told Mike to let me know he would keep soup for me in the kitchen when I felt better. He was true to his word and the soup was grand.

Every morning the steward leaves chocolates on our pillows. I have gotten in the habit of leaving Corn-nuts or beef jerky for him in trade.

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