Whales at Puerto Lopez

What an amazing trip out to isla Plata.   One of the best short excursions we've taken and it felt like a bargain at $40.  Whales leaping out of the water right next to the boat, watching va mother humpback whale teach her baby to jump, bird colnies, snorkeling and a nice basic lunch.  Fantastic.  The company was called Palo Santo and they were some of the better guides we've had.

We got picked up at the hotel at 9am to go to the office,  where we were fitted with life jackets and marched through town to the docks to take off in a small cabin cruiser.   There were 16 of us on board, including captain and guides.  By comparison,  the interisland Galapagos ferries packed 25 and more people on these boats, then added crew and guides.   A cozy trip I'm glad I've bought motion sickness pills for.  At 25 cents each, it's a bargain for a three hour tour.

By comparison,  the isla Plata trip was pure comfort.  We got out into the bay and were immediately in search of whales.  Within 20 , minutes,  we were getting closer to the acrobatics of several males that were being called to by a female.   Females have no vocal chords, so she slaps her flukes on tge water repeatedly and the males respond by leaping out of the water dramatically.   We got so close that you could loudly hear them slapping down onto the water before being sprayed with the mist from the splash.  I was lucky enough to get out on the bow of the boat for a prime view and some great pictures with my large SLR camera. 

After half an hour of non-stop showing off from the whales,  we left them to go for our hike on isla Plata. 

We were also visited by about a dozen sea turtles while we waited to get on shore.  Sadly,  our guides threw them lettuce,  which really isn't what they typically eat, but it was amazing to see them come so close.   We've seen a lot of turtles down here and I am still not bored of them yet.

Once we got on land, we decided to take the highest trail to see blue footed boobies nesting and a colony of frigate birds, many of which had their red throats inflated in an impressive display I'd been wanting to see since Galapagos.