Cruise the Galapagos Islands.

The boat traveled for about four hours to South Plaza Island while we were asleep. Was up about 5:30 to watch the sunrise and the brightening colors of the nearby islands. There is also a North Plaza island, but there is no public access. Breakfast at 6:45 and on the pangas for the south island by 7:30.

For the next three hours, we would see marine and land iguanas, sea lions, colorful crabs, swallow-tailed gulls, yellow warblers… all in the wild and and within a meter or two of us. Couldn't ask for a better photo op. Of note was a female sea lion that had given birth within 24 hours, with a suckling pup and a still-moist placenta off to the side. We also saw a red-beaked tropic bird sitting on her nest tucked in the rock on a cliff.

Then it was back to the boat for lunch, followed by a choice of snorkeling or kayaking. Peggy and I chose kayaking around a small inlet lagoon of Sante Fe Island for about 45 minutes. The last activity of the day was a wet landing (stepping out of the panga in calf-deep surf) onto Sante Fe to see blond-colored land iguanas and some cool cactus. Another amazing day.