Photo Of The Day -- Galapagos Day 3

It's Galapagos Penguin Day

Cormorants wake up and take to the water early.  Today is no exception, we are up and have sunscreen applied and have breakfast and are aboard the Panga's by 6:30.  That's 6:30 in the morning.  The sun has barely risen in the sky.   The coffee Mr. C knows I desperately need and has thus delivered to me while still in bed has barely kicked in by then. 

We take the Panga to Moreno Point on the shores of Isabella Island, where, again we are delighting in the ever-abundant wildlife.  We see Pelicans and Boobies diving for fish, sometimes so close to the boat we are splashed by their grand entrance into the water.  It was highly entertaining.  We see Pink Flamencos and fish in the lava ponds; It's our first sighting of Blue-Footed Boobies (there's an interesting story about how they got their name  -- not the blue-footed part, that's pretty obvious); We see the flightless Cormorants in the water.  They are just weird.  Not quite a bird, not quite a penguin.

But the highlight of the day are the Galapagos Penguins, 
just hanging out with their Marine Iguana Buddies.  

Our guide says we are "lucky today" to see them, 

as they do not usually make such a presence.

  

But for us they seem to be striking a pose. 

We think we are lucky, too.

 They are the star of the show today.  But the combo with the Marine Iguana's is just the topper for me.  

These islands are just amazing!