Like sea lions. Playing, lounging, eating, playing.

And this is me, hoping I never ever ever have to get into a sea kayak again.

Next, we went snorkeling in Gardner Bay. I really think that snorkeling in the Galapagos in underrated–it is the best snorkeling we’ve had and just beautiful. Gardner Bay was particularly fun, as there was a huge drop off right off the islet–about 30 feet. So you have rock on one side, and coral/fish underneath you, and then it just goes down and down and down. The water had a ton of air bubbles in it, so visibility with a camera wasn’t great, even though it looked pretty clear in person. Lots of the chocolate chip sea stars.

While we were not in season for the huge waved albatross (missed by just a few weeks), there were a ton of Nazca boobies on Espanola. They are pretty when adults, but the chicks are awkward and very fluffy. They also are demanding for food from their parents. There are usually 2 chicks that hatch, but one chick (the alpha) kills the other, often by pushing him/her off the rocks. Survival of the fittest indeed. Side note: wings are so weird when developing–look at those bones and vessels underneath.

And of course, the marine iguanas. You have to watch where you step, otherwise you step on them. They crawl over sea lions without batting an eye, and generally don’t move (unless chasing one another…rarely it seemed). Their colors vary island by island. Many of the marine iguanas on Espanola seemed to have a bit more green and less black than on other islands. With no real predators on land, these iguanas seem to have a pretty cushy life.

We also saw more types of finches, a Galapagos hawk I think, and swallow-tailed gulls.

Next stop, Floreana!

I think that I expected that they might save the best for last, but Seymour Island was probably my favorite island of the whole bunch. Maybe it was just the thrill of seeing all the cool Galapagos creatures for the first time, the beautiful waves, or the sunset, but I loved Seymour Island.

Landings on islands in the Galapagos are tightly controlled. There are only so many people allowed on an island at one time (the exception being the inhabited islands); we were never on an island with another group for more than say 15 minutes. If we were landing, another group was just finishing. If we were leaving, usually another group was just landing. Props to their pretty fantastic conservation/tourism plans–it makes the islands that much more special.

We had 12 people in our group, with 2 guides. Usually one guide went ahead and one behind, and you could wander between them or with one of them. This allowed you to ask plenty of questions, hear lots of information, but also enjoy the spectacular animals and scenery on your own when and if you wanted. I can’t say enough about our guides or that set up–it was absolutely wonderful.

Back to Seymour Island…Seymour Island has an incredibly large population of Blue Footed Boobies. These birds…these birds are simply my favorite. They are peculiar, full of curious expressions, adorable behaviors, and, well have BLUE feet. In addition to Blue Footed Boobies, we saw lots of little and big sea lions (adorable, though I find they don’t photograph as well as they appear in person; this little fella was waiting for us right when we landed, basking in the afternoon sun), land iguanas, and Frigatebirds.

Land iguanas are often bright colored and extremely, extremely large. They are pretty nonplussed by activity, and more concerned about eating. And eating some more. But don’t let them fool you, they actually can run super quick when inspired!

Frigatebirds are another strange, strange bird. There are two types–the Magnificent Frigatebird and the Great Frigatebird. The Magnificent Frigate has more metallic, purple plumage, and the Great Frigatebird’s plumage is more greenish. They are very, very difficult to tell apart. They have pouches under their necks that they can inflate (and deflate) to attract mates. These pouches take about 15 minutes or so to inflate, and look like they could be popped like a balloon. They also have super weird feathers on the side that kind of creep me out–they look like feathers on an arrow, sharp and hard.

We saw the mating rituals of both the Frigatebirds and the Blue Footed Boobies on Seymour Island, which was fantastic. We watched the birds until we were forced off the island at sunset, as people aren’t allowed on the islands after dark. They have such fascinating behavior.

Next up? Isla San Cristobal, and tales of Heather’s seasickness. And don’t worry, the Blue Footed Boobies (and my 200 pictures of a single bird) deserve a post all of their own too!

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been too preoccupied with triathlon stuff (training and literally, stuff…tri shorts are a little too weird and hard to fit for my liking), or because I’m still tired from the Galapagos, or because I’d just rather do something else.

I don’t really feel like writing. In part, I think it’s because I can’t really explain how cool the Galapagos Islands are. And it’s hard going back to your every day life realizing there is something THAT cool out there. Sort of like the first time I went to Africa and realized how much I really love animals.

Because…I mean….look at THIS fellow. I stared at him for about 20 minutes. He stared back. He was trying to attract a mate. I’m sure I was interrupting. He let me watch him select a stick and wave his feet anyway.

Ten days later, instead of staring at curious creatures and amazing landscapes, I was walking home from the metro…from the airport…and DH and I were having a serious discussion of what made up *that* horrible, awful, pee-ish smell on U Street. DH claimed that some of it was despair, and I laughed, sadly. True, but unfortunate.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love the city, but….that was a smack back into reality. That + the Trump and Cruz’s election absurdity made me really miss the natural world. Devoid of (most) humans.

Anyhow, I have tons of stories and photos to post. We’ll get there eventually. I have taken more of a liking to Instagram, though, so find me there for anecdotes and photos! I mean, really, the Galapagos is best explored/explained/blogged just through photos. Because it is truly an amazing place.

The View!

Mainly I’m catching up on sleep and spending actual time with DH, who often gets frenzied Heather who is either working, working out, or talking nonstop about working or working out. Yea, I took some more contract work again, and I’m a bit short on time. Thank goodness for free Wi-Fi on Jet Blue so I could at least get a little bit done on the way down here.

Though, after 11 hours of sleep last night, I’m like a whole new human. DH said this morning “You’re chipper like a 10. Could you tone it down to a 6? It’s 8:30.” He is not a morning person. And I am a Grinch when I don’t get my sleep.

Anyways…Sanibel continues to be one of our favorite places. Last year I listed five reasons I love coming here, so, this year I’m going to add five more!

1. Grab coffee and breakfast at Sanibel Bean. I really like their coffee (even though I’ve been mostly a tea drinker lately, I did have a lovely iced latte this morning). They also have fresh fruit smoothies and excellent breakfast sandwiches and burritos. They also had a stuffed flying ace snoopy which we narrowly avoided taking home, but that’s beside the point…

2. Go to the Sanibel Farmer’s Market on Sunday! The Sanibel Farmer’s Market is pretty awesome. Last year we had some great barbeque, this year we opted for lobster rolls (good, though Luke’s Lobster in DC is still better). But the produce looks fantastic, particularly the tomatoes this time of year. There are also a ton of vendors selling things like monstrous linzer cookies (narrowly escaped buying one of those), huge stuffed olives (nom nom), pickles, handmade pasta, and cheese. If we were staying for longer, I think some lobster ricotta ravioli with fresh tomatoes would’ve been on the dinner menu…

3. Gawk at the amazingly kitschy Christmas decorations at the Pink Flamingo. It’s surprising, for how much I hate kitschy things, that I find most of the kitsch on Sanibel endearing. Particularly the inflatable menagerie (it really is a menagerie) at the Pink Flamingo. I’ve never seen so many blow up Christmas items in one place. Usually there are some amazing Peanuts characters, which are really my favorite.

4. Look for cool animals. You never really know what you might see! We saw a super cool Pileated Woodpecker (huge, may I add) on a run one morning. And then, to our surprise, a lady fishing on the beach pulled in a little baby hammerhead, about a food and a half long. It fortunately unhooked itself, unharmed on the beach…though she did have to figure out how to get the angry little fella back into the ocean. Super cool. Lots of egrets and ibis, too. It’s just a great place to always be on the look out for something.

5. Try New Places to Eat. I always leave Sanibel feeling like a blow-up Snoopy…and thinking how I would have liked to eat at more places! We definitely have our favorites, but each year we try somewhere we haven’t been before. This year was Doc Fords, which is a Sanibel standby (they also have a location on Captiva). While not original, they had some of the best wings I’ve had pretty much ever…and the conch chowder DH had was pretty tasty, too.

The Mucky Duck is Always a Lunch Stop

Because…baby elephants. Irresistible. But what’s more irresistible is the fascinating and touching stories of the elephants. And because it’s the season of giving; we give to Sheldrick’s!

When you adopt an elephant, you get monthly updates (and sometimes more) on how things are going at not only the orphanage in Nairobi (aka The Nursery Unit), but also from the Umani Springs, Ithumba, and Voi Units. While the Nursery Unit arguably has some pretty adorable activity updates, I’ve found that the updates from the other units really give you insight into the true mission and impact of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

The Babies Stay in Nairobi National Park All Day…and When It’s Dinner Time They Come Running In. And I Mean Running. HUNGRY!!

Sheldrick’s takes an incredibly holistic approach to elephants–they rescue abandoned or injured babies through their mobile veterinary teams and airplanes, then nurture them in Nairobi until they become old and well-adapted enough to succeed in a transitional location with stockades. They move them to these sites, which allows them to meet and greet (and linger) with wild elephants, while enjoying safety at night with keepers. With time, these elephants transition to living in the wild, just like any other wild elephant.

But the bond between keeper and elephant often remains: elephants raised and ultimately reintroduced by Sheldrick’s often return to the units. As Sheldrick’s monthly updates indicate, sometimes they come back for medical care (e.g., to have poison arrows removed), visit with the new orphans, or to show off their new, wild-born babies. These are the type of stories included in the monthly updates (and online on their website) that seriously make me melt–I told you I was better at showing affection to animals than to people! Certainly not all updates are happy ones–but they are honest and tactful in explaining when a baby doesn’t make it or something happens in the bush.

The Nursery Babies are Accompanied into Nairobi National Park Each Day by Their Keepers, Who Watch Their Health and Fend of Predators

It’s a pretty incredible operation because not only has Sheldrick’s figured out how to rescue, nurture, raise, and transition these elephants back into the wild as stable, healthy members of the herd, they simultaneously provide aerial surveillance and anti-poaching teams in addition to veterinary units in an attempt to change the situation on the ground. Sheldrick’s has a demonstrated record of success, and it’s hard to argue they aren’t making a significant difference.

When the Tiny Ones Come in From the Park, they Eat and Then Go Fast Asleep, Exhausted from Their Long Day

While other organizations we donate to send me more junk mail in a year (asking for more money) than could fit into Santa’s sleigh, I appreciate that Sheldrick’s provides actual details on their programs, routinely, that are extremely well-written and touching. With an absolute stunning watercolor of an elephant, too! I look forward to receiving the monthly news, which is way more than can be said for my excitement in shredding yet another donation letter. A good organization + good communication? I’m a fan.

Depending on their Mood and Personality, Some Like to Be Touched when in the Nursery; Only Keepers Can Accompany Them into the Park or Stay with Them at Night

If you haven’t visited the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, but are interested in seeing the elephants and supporting their cause, I’d wholeheartedly recommend it.

[And before someone asks: no, I don’t get anything from Sheldrick’s for writing this post and yes, it is totally unsolicited].

At least two people in our group did get to enjoy the bliss of chewed up grass cud… and the angry stare of a llama.

We had a llama growing up. His name was Tardy. I never asked how he got that name, but now I wonder. I also had a matching stuffed animal named Tardy. Both were white. One was much nicer than the other. My parents let me lead and pet Tardy, but I was watched pretty closely.

My best memory of Tardy was when we packed him to go backpacking in the mountains (like, real backpacking, not this “fake” backpacking that everyone seems to refer to on the east coast where you go set up a tent near a bank of showers and flush toilets. That is NOT backpacking.) Anyways. Tardy just stopped on the trail. I remember my dad absolutely losing his sh*t and trying to pull on Tardy as hard as he could to get him to move. And my mom telling my dad that was not going to work. I remember just staring at Tardy wondering how an animal could be that stubborn. Unfortunately for my parents, I was/am very much like a llama: if you want to try to convince me to do something, pulling as hard as possible definitely is not the winning strategy. Fortunately, my parents did train me not to spit cud as a small human.

Joking, obviously. I was not a spitter.

True story…I once was in a llama show. It was an obstacle class. I think my llama refused to walk through the poles, like any good opinionated llama. They are a very peculiar species. And yes, this whole post is really just a diversionary tactic so I could tell childhood llama stories.

The funny thing is, if you are pretty comfortable with animals or can read body language, you know exactly when a llama is thinking/planning/plotting to expel his/her spit on you. But the irony is that if you aren’t the person in their crosshairs, the chances of you successfully warning the target person in enough time for them to dodge is not very good.

It’s like one of those bad movies in slow motion… you know exactly what is going to happen, but there isn’t much you can do save tackle them to the ground or yell crazily. And really, llama spit is totally harmless. Think of it as a vegetable face mask. With some slime thrown in for good measure.

And, if you were wondering, llamas have large, banana shaped ears and are much bigger than alpacas. Alpacas typically have shorter, spear shaped ears. No, it’s not always that easy to tell them apart, though it’s a good start. Alpacas tend to be a bit more timid (and I think less likely to spit at you, too, though I wouldn’t push your luck). We unfortunately didn’t see any wild vicunas during our trip to Peru.

Anyways, I loved taking pictures of both llamas and alpacas in Peru. I especially enjoyed watching them watch/judge/assess humans. I will always have a true affinity for stubborn, spitting animals with crazy hair. The alpaca cape I got is pretty awesome, too.

[It’s true, I’m petrified of sea snakes in the ocean.]

But, I have to admit, aquariums are one of those things that just aren’t as great as an adult as they were as a kid. They are still cool, but after snorkeling and seeing so much wildlife in the wild, they’ve lost a bit of their intrigue for me.

I headed to the Shedd Aquarium after a meeting, during lunch time. Shedd is known for being one of the best aquariums in the United States (though I still think I’m a bit preferential to Baltimore). I was so sick with a vicious head cold that staring at fish seemed like a better alternative than making small talk, at least for an hour or so. Fish won’t judge my Rudolph red nose and wads of Kleenex, at least. Plus, the view of the lake and the city is gorgeous.

Don’t get me wrong–Shedd is well done and impressive. I realize there is a lot of controversy over captive wildlife these days, but I do believe there is great value in aquariums and zoos as educational tools–so many kids fall in love with animals or become really interested in the ocean, and learning visually is way better than reading a book. In addition, Shedd does some really fascinating research on things like growing coral (below), which is critical for protecting/rebuilding damaged ecosystems. They also do a great deal of conservation work in the Great Lakes.

I forgot how expensive museums/aquariums are these days…it was $30.95, for me, an adult, without any of the special exhibits (e.g., amphibians). I guess I’ve become accustomed to the free-ness of the Smithsonians. I don’t doubt the money goes to a good cause, and they do offer special deals for Illinois residents on certain days, which is nice for local parents/kids. It also wasn’t busy over the lunch hour on the day I went (Monday).

Their Wild Reef exhibit was definitely my favorite (pictured below). Watching sharks swim by really never, ever gets old. Wild Reef focuses on the oceans surrounding the Philippines, and has all the tropical, beautiful fish that I dream of snorkeling with one day! Plus, they have other exhibits showcasing the waters of the world; I always like when there is such a wide variety of animals–from those found in mangrove forests to the Indian Ocean.

Based on the expressions and enthusiasm of the kids in the aquarium, I can guarantee it is a hit with those wanting to see fish, sharks, and otters up close. As an adult, I’m glad I went–but I think I’m all good on aquariums for a while. I’d rather spend my time planning a exciting trip to go snorkeling, I think.

I don’t know many travelers who don’t have the Galapagos Islands on their “must see” list. If you like wildlife (errr….”like” may be a bit of an understatement for me), the Galapagos are an obvious choice for a trip.  And my mom’s photo just makes me even MORE excited to go!

But, if you’ve ever planned for the Galapagos, you know the incredibly wide and seemingly endless amount of options that exist. Ship-based? Land-based? Big ship? Small ship? Catamaran? Sailing vessel? Luxury? Simple? Focus of trip?  How much do you want to spend? I swear, you could spend years just doing research on how to get there and who to go with.

When we first started looking at the Galapagos, I already knew that we wanted a sea-based trip, so we could see more things in a shorter period of time. We also were looking for a small boat (no more than 36 people and preferably less), a focus on wildlife and activity (lots of opportunities for snorkeling, hiking, etc.), a nice ship, with a reputable company. That narrows down the options pretty darn fast.

We settled with a company that we used before–Natural Habitat (they coordinated our recent safari in Kenya, too, though Galapagos is obviously with a group). Even Natural Habitat has a plethora of Galapagos options…three different boats, all catering to different types of travelers. Natural Habitat also partners with the World Wildlife Fund.

Useless side note of the day: World Wildlife Fund has the cutest stuffed animals, including a blue-footed booby! Just in case you needed one for your house…

While the Athala (with its luxurious cabins and hot tub) had me at hello, we ultimately opted for the Nemo III (a new ship), the trip with the fewest people, more snorkeling, and special kayaking permits. The group is limited to a small 14 people and includes an awesome night in a safari-style camp overlooking the giant tortoises! The focus on being active and doing lots of snorkeling is pretty obvious–we love to snorkel, and having at least one opportunity if not more per day to hop in the water sounds amazing (albeit cold).

The kayaking thing is a little bit laughable–apparently you need to know how to right your kayak and have some skill at paddling. While dear husband and I can certainly get from point A to point B (we kayaked quite a bit in Belize), it’s never been in truly open ocean, and we spend a lot of time arguing over direction. Of which I say DH can’t steer (and to which he says I have no sense of direction). They give us some skill lessons at the beginning, so here’s to hoping we aren’t the village kayaking idiots.

I’m excited to see what the Galapagos will bring! As long as I have my motion sickness patch, that is.

Have you been to the Galapagos? What was your favorite experience?

Parrots were always the exception. Penguins are pretty cool too. But all the other bajillion species? Meh.

But then something embarrassing happened on my first safari to Tanzania…I call the Lilac Breasted Roller my gateway bird, because that’s exactly what it was. It was the bird that was pretty enough to make me interested in other birds that didn’t start with a p (parrots and penguins). It was the bird that convinced me that birds deserved another chance. It was the bird that made me stop in the bird section in my Wildlife of East Africa book, and actual look at the photos instead of skipping the pages entirely.

I guess I like birds now? After so many years it’s hard to write. I like birds.

So in an ode to the animals I now find interesting, I decided to post some of my very favorite bird pictures from Kenya. Because these birds are interesting, incredible, intricate, and exciting.  They are all the reasons why I gave birds another chance.

The Crested Crane (Grey Crowned Crane)

We saw so many of these birds in Kenya. They also happen to be the national bird of Uganda. They are almost always found in pairs.

The Egyptian Goose

Regal, and always look much cleaner than the ducks I had when I was growing up.

The African Fish Eagle

One of multiple eagles we were fortunate enough to see–looks quite similar to a bald eagle. And equally large.

The Superb Starling

Superbly common, but no less pretty. This bird evaded any flying picture that dear husband was trying to capture the entire trip. Pretty impressive, for a bird.

The Lilac Breasted Roller

I’d tweet at this bird like Tweety Bird…it’s a pweettyy little bird. Ok, so not funny. But LOOK at this bird!! No wonder it was my gateway bird.

This is but just a part of all the different species; we also spotted a Pygmy Kingfisher, the infamously large Secretary Bird, a vulture (and a dead vulture), an African Darter, a Sacred Ibis, a Black-Winged Kite, and many more. In fact, I may need to do Kenya birds, part 2. Who ever thought I’d be doing multiple blog posts on birds. I certainly would have laughed.

But I still hate binoculars. They make me dizzy. So you can’t call me a birdwatcher just yet….

And when I was making our photo book of Kenya, I had to sort through like 800 lion mating photos. Mostly my husbands. You can draw your own conclusions–maybe he was just so excited during his first safari? Yea, I think so.

We saw two different pairs of lions on two different days mating in the Masai Mara. Lions have extremely peculiar mating patterns. Apparently leopards have similar patterns (but who ever is lucky enough to see mating leopards?!). Lions mate about every 15 minutes (range is between 5-20 minutes typically) for 3-5 days. You can do the math, but this means that lions can mate easily between 300-500 times, depending on how long the male can last. We were told that the males don’t eat while mating, so they become extremely fatigued and eventually have to find something to chow on. Lion mating isn’t always successful (typically 1 in 5 female estrus cycles results in a live cub)–and scientists are still working to better understand the reasons why.

Waiting…

Only 200 Times to Go?

Check Out that Tooth

You Know, I’m Still Hungry

Relaxing…Momentarily

The second pair we saw was definitely interesting–while it is not uncommon for females to mate with more than one male, in this case, there was a young male who was tailing the older male and “his” female. The female was obviously more interested in the younger male, and in addition to mating, the older male was wasting a ton of energy trying to herd off the younger male and control the female. The female wasn’t having much of it, and the older male was getting pretty frustrated. The younger male was staying just close enough to be annoying and be an opportunist, and just far enough to not make the older male lion too mad. We didn’t see her mate with the younger male, but given how tired the older male seemed, I’m guessing that it happened relatively soon. Usually there is no fighting–when one male gets exhausted, he will leave to eat/hunt and the other male swoops in to pick up where the other left off.

The Distinguished (err OLD) Lion

So Amazing

The Young One Keeping an Eye on Things

I Am Tired of Herding You! Can We Go to the Shade??

Though I’ve been to Africa and on safari a number of times, animal behavior just fascinates me and I had never seen mating lions. And this, to me, is one of the most wonderful things about a safari: no matter how many times you’ve been, you always see something fascinating and new. It’s when I fantasize secretly–oh, who am I kidding, I totally fantasize out loud–about moving to Africa and studying animal behavior. Or just going on safari once a month.