Friday, January 14, 2011
We land at Baltra island, a WW II US military base and our
boat waits at the end of a five minute drive. Sea lions and sea iguanas
are greeting us the wharf as we wait for our panga ride out to the boat.
In no time at all we are under way to a nearby mangrove bay to look for
sea turtles from our two pangas. In a little while we cut the outboard
motors as the pangas work their way into increasingly narrow channel and
our 'driver', Israel,
takes out a single oar to navigate the twisting channel.
Michael asks all of us for a quiet time of about five minutes to
appreciate the surroundings so both boats fall silent. I hear only the
swoosh if Israel's oar as he gently pulls us forward. Then the soft
exhale as a sea turtle surfaces, swimming towards us. Soon the rustle of
mangrove branches as a lava heron picks its way along the tideline.
Little sounds seem magnified by our solitude. The quiet time puts all in
a tranquil frame of mind, and takes away some of my first day
apprehension - putting me in the hear and now.
Back on the boat, the group is pretty subdued , I think there
is a concern about seasickness and nobody is drinking before they get
their sea-legs. There are, in fact, one or two green faces as we get
underway to our evening anchorage.
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