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Galapagos Flora 1

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Hello from onboard the Celebrity Flora! We figured if we travel all the way to Galapagos we should explore above the water as well as beneath it.  We boarded on Sunday and have enjoyed several excursions already. We started with a Hike followed by snorkeling Monday morning and then a kayaking excursion in the afternoon. Galapagos Mockingbird The rocky shoreline, lava rock. These crab are black when born, at that point they have many predators. As they mature they change color because of their diet. Obviously losing their camouflage would seem to be an issue - happily their shell gets so hard the birds don't find them worth the effort. Marine Iguana. These are cold-blooded reptiles who rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. They are vegetarians and eat algae off the rocks in the ocean. They can stay down in the water 35-40 minutes. They slow their heartbeat down and have a way of storing oxygen in their muscles. Once they are done eating they find a nice hot lav...
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Galapagos Diving 3

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Hello, First, some final words about the Tiburon diving are in order. We crossed the Equator and got a certificate to prove it. These are Bigeye Travalle. They are always together - like me and Carsten...  We went to a Lava Tube. These are formed when slow moving lava cools and forms a crust around still flowing hot lava. Then the lava flow stops, runs out the tube and leaves an empty tunnel. We had to crawl on our hands and knees at one point.  We then visited a tortoise sanctuary. They have a huge place with ponds and plenty of grass for the tortoise to eat. They can move about 4 mph. Darwin thought they moved slower but modern GPS gives us the real speed (if you call 4 mph speed). This guy weighs about 550lbs. The last few dives were at Cousin's Rock. They were great: more sea lions, so many eagle rays, baby sharks (so cute)! Sea Urchin Eagle Ray Starfish Marble Ray Young Shark! Sheri is off to school Carsten and I agree that this was the best liveaboard we have been on! Th...
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Diving Galapagos - part 2

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Hello again from the Tiburon!  We had three dives this morning and are now making our way from Wolf Island to Cousins Rock. Tomorrow will be the final dives. Seals Sheri and a shark When we are at a dive site looking for sharks we basically go down to 35-60 feet, depending on the terrain, and settle in and wait. That's me (Sheri) on the left wedged in next to the big rock. There is current to contend with - it is actually harder than you would think to stay in one place. Massive schools of fish. Sharks! More fish! Hammerhead Shark Guineafowl Pufferfish  Dolphin The day is done (yesterday at Darwin Island). Turtle Ocean Sunfish (Mola-Mola, about 6 feet tall without the fins) Today we will have a celebration when we cross the Equator (for the fourth and final time). Tradition dictates a champagne toast! This has been a new and different experience in diving and a great boat, crew and fellow divers! So much fun! Take care, Sheri and Carsten 
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