Galápagos : San Cristobal

San Cristóbal is the fifth largest and easternmost island of the Galapagos. It is home to the oldest permanent settlement and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. (Source: www.galapagos.org)

I had signed up for a snorkelling day trip at the island. Shani and Ruslan from the cruise were on the same trip too. 

We first visited La Loberia, coral sand beach named after the large number of sea lions resting on the rocks and sand.

Sea lions are animals with a strong territorial sense. Adult males defend their boundaries from other males. They spend much of the day watching over their territory and issuing a series of sounds and movements reaffirming their territorial power. (Source: www.galapagospark.org)

In this case, the beach master did not had to do much.

Beach master surrounded by females and babies

Video: Beach master was finally awake

The sea lions were just like dogs. Some of them were really friendly and came very close to us. Shani had to tell them the rule about how we need to keep a distance:

Sit!

When we were at San Cristobal in mid November, there were many newborns. They were suckling, sleeping and clumsily getting used to the water and the rocks.

Video: Juveniles and babies in pool

Suckling baby

We saw one with its placenta still attached. Our guide told us if we have scissors or a penknife, we could cut the umbilical cord. I really wondered if that was a good idea since the process would then transfer our smell to the baby and the mother may reject the baby thereafter. The baby cried repeatedly for its mother but she stayed put.

Video: baby crying out for mum

The baby then climbed feebly to its mother. The poor thing was struggling as the placenta got trapped in between the rocks and had to tug with all its might to move across the beach to its mum.

Placenta got stuck in between rocks

Bloody trail left behind

It finally got to its mum but we were not sure why it was not suckling.

León Dormido

After lunch, we visited 2 snorkelling sites. The first one was at León Dormido, where the rocks are famed for looking like a sleeping lion. The currents were strong and visibility was next to zero that three quarter of the group gave up half way through the snorkel and did not enter water again.

The sunset was not too bad though.