Eric's own awesome Galapagos photos

You gotta see his photos. An awesome photographer. He has a very creative and fresh eye.

http://flickr.com/photos/refractionless/sets/72157606016884831/

Eric's Ecuador and Galapagos photo links on Flicker

http://flickr.com/photos/damfast/collections/72157606056942479/

Bird, Bees and Tortoises

Our tour guide is really amazing explaining how they breed giant tortoises.

Breath taking view

I took this photo on after our tram ride on top of Quito.  This image is a weird size because it's a panoramic photo.  It measures about 3.3" X35"  All I remember taking this photo is that I was breathless from the altitude of 13,000 feet.

Jump Blue

A link for those curious about Roberta's diving sport: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9e331rKBk Underwater video of a Jump Blue competition. A 15x15m square of rope is set up 10m below the surface. You have to touch the disc at the corner and swim along the square. If you can't hold your breath any more you put a clip on the line to mark your position and swim to the surface. Can be done with or without fins. Apparently Roberta can hold her breath for 5:30 min!!

Back in Davis

OK, I have been home 24 hours now, as of 4 a.m. this morning, and I am still tired & groggy.  I love being places but the travel to get there is always exhausting.  I did upload my pictures and one taken on that magical day snorkeling around Daphne Minor (Seymour North area) really appeals to me right now.  It was taken as we approached the Pelican Beach (my name, don't know the correct one).  I developed a close, personal relationship with one of the Pelicans, roosting in the mangroves over my head . . . .  Don assured me it means good luck.  

Cerro Azul - Volcano on Isabella

Cerro Azul, 1640 m high and the second highest peak of the Galapagos archipelago, is a typical shield volcano located at the SW tip of Isabela Island.  It is one of the most active volcanoes of the Galapagos, although historic records of its activity only dates back to 1932.  As most of the other shield volcanoes on the Galapagos island, it has steep-walled 4x5 km nested summit caldera, one of  smallest diameter, but at 650 m one of the deepest in the Galapagos Is.  Young lava flows cover most of the floor of the caldera, where temporary lava lakes are sometimes present during summit eruptions.  Numerous spatter cones from lateral fissure eruptions dot the western flanks of the volcano.  source: www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcano-tours/galapagos/cerro-azul/