Snorkelling, sharks and a glorious sunset

Part 4 of my trip to Ecuador/Galápagos

28/4/24

“Feel the fear and do it anyway”

So the saying goes.

I don’t have many of them, thankfully, but the one I’ve always had, is a fear of sharks.

Perhaps it’s because I watched ‘Jaws’ as a young child, I don’t know. With the 3D glasses that came free on the Shredded Wheat box back in the day, it looked particularly terrifying.

But it’s not held me back generally in life - going about my business, I don’t tend to run into any - of the marine variety at least…….

But it has held me back when travelling.

I’ve always wanted to go snorkelling or diving. To be privy to an underwater world, to gaze upon coloured corals and cartoonish fish, is for me, the stuff of dreams. As a little girl, I would watch Jacques Cousteau, I’d read about shipwrecks……..I have Venus in Pisces and thus it makes sense that part of my heart is there, submerged as a mermaid looking for her treasure.

So, today, I’ve decided ‘no more’. This afternoon I have booked myself on a boat excursion to ‘Isla Lobos’.  The itinerary includes snorkelling, as well as a hike to see Frigatebirds and Blue Footed Boobies. I am fifty years old and surely ready to deal with this, to transcend!

To say I’ve caught the sun over the last couple of days is an understatement.  As I board the vessel, I feel as if I’m playing a character ‘Brit abroad’. You know, the fair skinned fool who pops up on reality shows looking like a tin of speckled spam. You dick, I tell myself. If I were an apple, I’d be a pink lady. You really should know better……

Fate is particularly cruel today as I discover I’ve been added to a party of 12 or so Italian tourists. Yes, Italians - you know, the ones whose skin tones tend to range from a suave caramel to sophisticated coffee.

“Where are you from?”

A chic lady in a sensible wide brimmed hat asks me as she scans me up and down.

Come off it…….you know…..you bloody well know, that’s why you asked in English……

There is no safety debriefing as is usual in the UK. Maybe they had it before I arrived. Still, I can see the life jackets stored above so *gulp* I think it’s alright……

The journey to the island is pleasant. How I’ve missed being on a boat. There’s something glorious about the wind whipping through your hair, moving visibly away from something and towards something else. The dips seem to mimic the heartbeat of the planet, slow and rhythmic, or sometimes faster, like the ocean is falling in love with a dazzling sun beam or a wild whistling wind.

As we disembark to explore the terrain where the bird life is, one of the Italian ladies decides to tell me;

“Your shoulders are sunburnt”

Grrr…..Don’t you think I can bloody well FEEL it? Not a problem YOU ever have, right? You lucky olive skinned……I think to myself but of course I smile sweetly and say;

“Yes, too much sun! It’s very hot here, isn’t it? Takes some getting used to!”

Incredibly politely.

It’s a picturesque spot and a pelican presides over the aquamarine water where sealions play.

The volcanic rock is tricky to navigate and many of the Italians (who seem to have ten years on me) use walking sticks. It is worth it to see the Blue Footed Boobies. They are nesting and we take care to keep a 2 metre distance from them.

A little further on and we see several Frigatebirds. The males with their inflated red chested display are a sight to behold.

The sound and movement of them is also impressive. They swirl and swoop as though they are guarding the island. In the video below, you can hear their call. It’s quite unique.

With the bird tour done, it’s on to the snorkelling. I am nervous, mainly about using the snorkel and mouth piece, getting it right, but as for the water, I don’t feel frightened at all because the visibility is so good. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get into this……

The conditions are perfect for a first timer. I haven’t mastered the mouth piece sadly and keep getting mouthfuls of saltwater, but because the sea is calm and I feel confident, it’s literally all I have to concentrate on. The depth is not so deep I cannot see to the bottom, and because the water is so clear it feels reassuring.

The sealions are keen to play and curiously inspect me and my fellow boat trippers. It’s a joy to see them in their element, looping, turning and chasing each other. There are brightly coloured fish too, but for me, the sea turtles we meet are really something special. I have never before seen them and they are phenomenal creatures. Under the water they appear grey and khaki green but as they surface side on, they change in shade, their green taking on hues of emerald, parts of them becoming antique gold. As the sun traces them, they become metallic platters dripping with jewels.

As I return to the boat, I feel very pleased with myself for having made a good start…… because, this is the warm up gig.

Tomorrow I will be meeting my fear head on when I hopefully swim with sharks!

29/4/24

As I see the snorkelling site in the distance- ie a rock in the middle of nowhere - this suddenly feels like a different deal to yesterday’s calm bay. ‘Kicker Rock’ kicks arse. MY arse. The water is a deep cobalt blue, and it is apparent as we approach it, that I definitely won’t be able to see to the bottom of it.

Shit.

On yesterday’s trip there was a beach, you know - somewhere to swim to if the boat left me, a ‘safe harbour’.

The absence of a shoreline makes me feel vulnerable. I contemplate backing out but one of my internal devils gives me a stern talking to, in his usual mocking voice.

“Remember Hawaii - all those amazing creatures that YOU didn’t see cause YOU were SCARED. Remember when you saw the dolphin pods in New Zealand with the mothers and babies and YOU just sat in the boat like a loser? How many more things do you intend missing out on? Stop being so fucking pathetic. You’re fifty now. Time you grew up and got over yourself!”

I know, I know…..

And……I do! I nervously climb down the metal ladder that leads into the endless vat of blue. Alejandro the guide is wearing a bright red cap so it makes it easy to stay close to him and follow his lead. I wear a life jacket to guard against the waves which are a little stronger than yesterday.

And…….I LOVE it.

The best way to describe snorkelling in a shallow(ish) bay compared to very deep water, is that it’s like contrasting a bungalow with a block of flats.

In really deep water, there are several ‘floors’ beneath you. You look down and see more than one ‘level’. You see all the storeys in one snapshot. Every species seems to have a ‘floor’ and that’s pretty cool like Oh! That’s the floor where the striped fish live and that’s the floor where the seals live…..

One marvellous marine neighbourhood, just everyone doing their watery thing.

It’s out of this world, amazing.

I see huge spotted eagle rays that tilt like live floppy hats. I see puffer fish and seals, but the thing that really takes my breath away is when I come just a couple of metres away from adult hammerhead sharks! First, I see two swimming together and then another lone one. Just incredible! I have always loved the way their faces look so unusual, almost alien. The encounter isn’t frightening at all. I am a star in my very own nature documentary! They are serene and all I notice is their beauty, all I feel is appreciation.

I return to the boat, my heart full of wonder and gratitude. So pleased I didn’t let my fear get the better of me. Who knows what I will see in the future now I’ve put this fear to bed.

We snorkel other sites that afternoon where young white tipped sharks lie dormant by the rocks. We find more sea turtles, this time the size of suitcases. How old must they be, goodness! We swim in a warm pea green lagoon edged by cacti and rocks that teem with blue and red Sally Lightfoot crabs. But the highlight for me, remains the encounter with the hammerhead sharks.

I return to the hostel, a strange mix of tired yet rejuvenated. Sometimes, two opposite desires pull at you like a couple of horses each wanting to take you in a different direction. Tomorrow, I fly back to Quito so I let the enlivened horse triumph. I shower and go out on the town for last night cocktails!

The sunset takes my breath away with its vibrancy. It’s a vivid paintbox of amber, russet and ruby mirrored in the lapping ocean. The whole picture sways and waves. When sunsets meet water, they have you wondering where tangible boundaries really lie. It feels like an elemental tug of war, as air, fire, earth and water all assert their power. Together, they flirt as one quivering canvas, kissing you all over until you too feel yourself merging with the tangerine dream.

After something to eat, a couple of cocktails and a good stroll of the harbour, I decide to call it a night and stumble contentedly into bed. As I do, I spy what *might* be a cockroach crawl underneath. Usually I go crazy over stuff like this, I’d be switching on lights and looking for glasses to catch them in. I climb cautiously into the other bed (there are two) but then decide that was the old me. I’m done with being frightened of anything.

The new me, swims with sharks.