UNDERWATER SNORKELLING AT THE TUNELES CERCA DE ISABELA ISLAND GALAPAGOS.
To get out to the tunnels (lava formations of mesas, tunnels, arches and more) from Puerto Villimil you need to go on a tour that can be booked on Isabela. My favourite agency is AGENCIA TUNEL OCEAN run by Roberto Cartagena and Alexandra Valladares, 05 2529 366 / 05 3016617 or Cels 0980920420 /0990782782.
From Puerto Villimil you take an exciting speed boat ride south for at least 30 minutes. The captain steers the boat through different landforms to where the ocean tides create huge calm pools between the land formations known as the tuneles.
You are guided to several snorkelling locations. When you roll into the water you surface in calm water and begin your underwater viewing adventure. It is kind of like swimming in an aquarium. Common sights are sea horses, white tipped reef sharks, the largest by far of any sea turtles seen in any part of the world by me, rays, an occasional octopus innumerable types of fish and spectacular ground cover.
Thursday, 11 December 2014
RECOUNTING ADVENTURES November 7 through November 14 in Galapagos:
I met two research scientists, Elizabeth and Kathryn. They both worked at the Darwin ResearchStation and have been coming here for over three decades to work and also to visit as tourists. These gals are a ton of fun. Who else would ride the "worm" with me around Puerto Ayora? Not once but twice waving to the local population.
They ladies were a wealth of information re the various species here and also about the history of research pertinent to the Galapagos. We saw a beautiful egret almost on our dinner table one night. Darwin's finches came for breakfast in the garden every morning. The male is larger and black while the female is grey and slightly smaller.
In Puerto Ayora early in the trip I managed to leave my travel belt in a cab. The driver I enlisted to help called every cab in PA until he finally found my belt with all but my passport in it.
Puerto Ayora is the largest town in Galapagos. It has a very active and large waterfront. The busy fish market is amazing. There is a large public eating area where you buy your fresh caught and then cooked food and take it to a table. I did a lot of preparing to travel on by going to booking agents, getting a mani/pedi etc.
I have connected with a friend who is writing the travel guide on the Galapagos for the Moon Travel Guides. I am going to work with her on part of the book. I will meet with her before we go off on the amazing cruise.
On Remembrance day I headed over to Isabela on the speedboat. It was a relatively smooth crossing. It can really be pretty rough. I found a great place to stay. I have the top floor of the Bar Beta with a fabulous big terrace overlooking the ocean and 180 degrees of beachfront.
It was super to get reunited with Marlena and Jim from the Booby Trap. Marlena came here as a baby with her schoolteacher mother and Jim was in the second guiding class of the Galapagos National Parks Board. Roberto and Fabrizio are keeping very busy with tours to the ever so wonderful Tunnels.
My friend Sebastion is still here along with all the young surfers who hang out at the Casa Rosada. Clarinet player extrodinare, Mike is back from the US. Jimmy is back from his singing gig in Cuba. Isabela is laid back and wonderful with its cast of interesting characters.
I made a trip to the Tunnels with Roberto. My pictures as well as ones from other people were good. There were more seahorses to be found than in the Spring. I guess that those female seahorses really were pregnant.
We did quite a bit of boat surfing to get out to the lava formations but once we entered the area the navigation was tricky but smooth sailing.
Yesterday I had a super water morning. Jim, from the Booby Trap, myself and Frank from Holland jumped into the water at 6 AM and made our way to Conche Pearla through an opening in the lava rocks. We had to go against the tide but once we entered the tidal pool the swimming was easy. Our intention was to see penguins feeding on plentiful anchovies. However, we only saw one penguin. Other wildlife was plentiful, especially rays, turtles, fish and sealions. We had a marvelous time until cold and cramps forced us to leave the aquarium (as it were).
Getting up on the pier without a ladder was a bit of a trick for me. As Jim commented it was a good thing that I invited strong, young Frank Corneliess to come along with us. He really worked hard to get me out of the water.
I'm catching up on editing etc. today as I am off to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island tomorrow. I will have a business meeting or two and then Muriel arrives to go cruising later in the week.
I met two research scientists, Elizabeth and Kathryn. They both worked at the Darwin ResearchStation and have been coming here for over three decades to work and also to visit as tourists. These gals are a ton of fun. Who else would ride the "worm" with me around Puerto Ayora? Not once but twice waving to the local population.
They ladies were a wealth of information re the various species here and also about the history of research pertinent to the Galapagos. We saw a beautiful egret almost on our dinner table one night. Darwin's finches came for breakfast in the garden every morning. The male is larger and black while the female is grey and slightly smaller.
In Puerto Ayora early in the trip I managed to leave my travel belt in a cab. The driver I enlisted to help called every cab in PA until he finally found my belt with all but my passport in it.
Puerto Ayora is the largest town in Galapagos. It has a very active and large waterfront. The busy fish market is amazing. There is a large public eating area where you buy your fresh caught and then cooked food and take it to a table. I did a lot of preparing to travel on by going to booking agents, getting a mani/pedi etc.
I have connected with a friend who is writing the travel guide on the Galapagos for the Moon Travel Guides. I am going to work with her on part of the book. I will meet with her before we go off on the amazing cruise.
On Remembrance day I headed over to Isabela on the speedboat. It was a relatively smooth crossing. It can really be pretty rough. I found a great place to stay. I have the top floor of the Bar Beta with a fabulous big terrace overlooking the ocean and 180 degrees of beachfront.
It was super to get reunited with Marlena and Jim from the Booby Trap. Marlena came here as a baby with her schoolteacher mother and Jim was in the second guiding class of the Galapagos National Parks Board. Roberto and Fabrizio are keeping very busy with tours to the ever so wonderful Tunnels.
My friend Sebastion is still here along with all the young surfers who hang out at the Casa Rosada. Clarinet player extrodinare, Mike is back from the US. Jimmy is back from his singing gig in Cuba. Isabela is laid back and wonderful with its cast of interesting characters.
I made a trip to the Tunnels with Roberto. My pictures as well as ones from other people were good. There were more seahorses to be found than in the Spring. I guess that those female seahorses really were pregnant.
We did quite a bit of boat surfing to get out to the lava formations but once we entered the area the navigation was tricky but smooth sailing.
Getting up on the pier without a ladder was a bit of a trick for me. As Jim commented it was a good thing that I invited strong, young Frank Corneliess to come along with us. He really worked hard to get me out of the water.
I'm catching up on editing etc. today as I am off to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island tomorrow. I will have a business meeting or two and then Muriel arrives to go cruising later in the week.
RECAPPING A WONDERFUL DAY IN LOS TUNELES
November 13, 2014, Puerto Villimil to Los Tuneles
As we headed out to Los Tuneles in Roberto's boat with government guide Dario, captain Roberto and first mate, Stalin, the air around us was charged with excitement. We all knew we were going to share a fabulous day of water adventures. Special thanks to Octay of Australia for helping me with my filming. We didn't exchange info so I hope that you see some of our films.
We travelled across open ocean looking for manta rays, dolphins and even orcas. When we spotted a circle of giant mating mantas the captain stopped and the gallant Stalin jumped in to take some film with someone's camera.
Chunky black lava formations marked the entrance to the Tunnels. The captain had to thread his way through the openings to find us a perfect parking spot. The first spot allowed us to climb up on land covered with giant treelike cacti. We saw baby blue footed boobies relaxing in the nest.
After some land viewing we checked out a couple of great snorkelling spots. The general look
of the area is giant tidal pools separated by lava formations. The feel once you have jumped into the water is like being in a giant aquarium. As the number of boats going in here is very limited and the captains try to keep their boats well apart from others it is like our little group of ten will be very alone finning our way through ponds, sometimes under arches and into new surroundings.
The seascape is hugely varied with rocks, coral, sand, beautiful flora and many usual lava formations. There is muffled exclamations as we try to communicate with fellow snorkelers about what we are seeing below.
I will post this and then attach the pictures and videos as my first go of at this got lost in cyber space, I think. Pictures and short videos coming in a moment.
Monday, 8 December 2014
GIANT TURTLES IN THE TUNELES
In the earlier post I seem to have gotten someone elses videos mixed in. I will repost my three videos of the mating process of giant turtles.
The first video is of the hunt to find the partner.
The second video continues the meeting of two males and one female.
THE MIRACLE OF LIFE GIANT TURTLE STYLE
Giant sea turtles in Los Tuneles are like no other sea turtle in the Galapagos or in any other part of the world that I have visited. The most distinguishing feature is that they are enormous. I swam with turtles that are 2 metres (6 feet) long. I will try to show pictures that illustrate the size.
The best explanation that I can get re the extraordinary size is that they live such a relatively protected life in the tidal pools of Los Tuneles. The same prey that would get them out in the open ocean like Orcas can't get in there. They have plenty of food. Most of them live to be about 150 years old.
They are fascinating to watch through a snorkel mask as they glide around the deep and shallow pools. They go slowly but can increase their speed in a flash. They come up for air when convenient. They seem to me to communicate with one another as they like to gather in groups of three or four. I guess you learn something after a 100 years or so.
The mating of the sea turtles is really something to see. Males and females copulate. When one session is complete another male moves in for his turn. I have seen and filmed as many as six males skirmishing waiting for their turn.
The video clips are intended to illustrate the mating process. I am still learning the details.
Note the size of the copulating turtles compared to the very tall man taking their picture.
Thursday, 4 December 2014
LOS TUNELES PART 2
"I have seen it all" quote in part 1 TUNELES refers to having seen all of items mentioned in the tunnels.
The first effort here is a collection of shark videos taken by myself and later Roberto that reflect the life of a white tipped reef shark in Los Tuneles.
Reef sharks do a kind of sleeping in the daytime. Even when sleeping they need to keep moving. The pools and caves of Los Tuneles give them an excellent venue for this"type of sleeping".
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
SNORKELLING IN THE TUNNELS ON ISABELA, GALAPAGOS
Part 1 - pictures and videos to follow in Part 2
Over many trips I have explored the underwater wonders of the tuneles. Tuneles is one of the very best locations in the Galapagos for viewing wildlife. When you arrive at these tidal pools and jump in you feel like you are swimming in a giant aquarium.
Los Tuneles is located about 35 minutes by speedboat south of Puerto Villimil, the only port on the enormous island of Isabela. You can only go to this area on a guided tour. The tour can be booked in Puerto Villimil. My favourite agency is Agencia Tunel Ocean owned and operated by Roberto Cartagena and Alexandra Valladares.
Cells 0980920420 and 0990782782
Los Tuneles is a vast area of partially submerged volcanic landforms. Your captain navigates between them to find the perfectly calm tidal pools. On one trip you will likely visit at least 3 locations.
EXPECT TO SEE sea horses, whitetipped sharks, the most giant of giant sea turtles, an octopus, many types of rays, beautiful coral and sea floor, sea lions, large and small tropical fish and much more.
Over my many trips to Los Tuneles I have seen it all.
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