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After all agreeing that it was worth $50 to go to Isla de Plata for our day off, the morning was finally here. This place is known as the “poor man’s Galapagos”. I hoped to glimpse some interesting animals and plants as well as hike to enjoy the scenery. It was about a one and a half hour boat ride to the island. During the voyage I managed to get a little wet and very seasick.
About a half an hour into the boat ride one of our guides spotted a surfacing humpback whale. The two boats stopped to avoid making a disturbance that would scare the whales. This is when I most noticed the rocking of the boat and the churning of my stomach. I was able to glimpse a humpback whale’s tail and fin as it surfaced for air. Unfortunately, due to illness I had to sit down while the rest of the people on the boat continued watching the whales. Needless to say I was happy when the boat picked up speed to head to the island.
One of the first things I noticed when we reached the island was the clear, blue water lapping the shore while frigate birds flew overhead. Also, there were shells and pieces of coral scattered on the beach. As we began the hike around the island I instantly noticed two animals. There were two hummingbirds fluttering around a flowering tree, and offshore a school of dolphins played. I was glad I had brought my binoculars so I could get a closer look at the jumping porpoises. We then started our ascent up the cliffs of the island. On the climb the guide pointed out a fruit on a tree that produced natural glue and another tree that is used as incense. We walked some rather steep paths to beautiful views of the Pacific coast crashing against the rocks.
During the first part of the hike I was skeptical whether or not we would get a good look at the boobies (a type of bird) that the island is known for. I was wrong. At first we did not see the birds but heard the deep-throated and whistle-like call of the female and male blue-footed boobies, respectively. Soon enough the birds were not only in full view but blocking the path we were trying to walk on.
We had a chance to watch their mating dance and listened while the guide taught us about their habits. I thought it was interesting that both males and females take turns sitting on the eggs and mark the area around the nest with excrement. The circle of excrement serves as a guide for foraging birds returning to their nests. Also, besides the calls being different between males and females, the females have larger pupils (in the eye) than males. I used my binoculars to see if I could actually tell the difference, and I could! Further along in the hike we saw masked boobies as well. In addition, we were lucky enough to see large, beautiful albatross and hermit crabs crossing the path. Eventually we started our descent back to the shore where the hike began for our last adventure of the day. The plan was to get back on the boats and snorkel but the question in my mind was if I had the nerve to do it. My intent was to stay dry on the boats and watch others snorkel but it turned out differently. As I watched many others jump overboard I found myself feeling curious. Before I could think, I picked up a mask (no snorkel) and plunged in the water before I had a chance to chicken out. The water was cold but not as cold as I expected. It was an odd feeling to be in such deep water with unknown animals swimming below me.
I put my mask on and dipped my head underwater. There were large tropical fish with bright hues of blue and yellow with stripes and other beautiful patterns. I found myself laughing because I couldn’t believe I was doing this when I didn’t think I could. All of a sudden I felt a stinging sensation. I still do not know what stung me but it happened on a few places on my body. I tried not to think about it or I probably would have gotten out of the water. After about 15-20 minutes I was back in the boat. I was a little disappointed not to see any sting rays or sea turtles but I had a great time.
It was finally time to head home. The boat ride was mostly uneventful. We did not stop to look at whales. As we moved full speed ahead on a rather “bumpy” ocean, I was left only to my thoughts of keeping warm, dry, and reflecting on all the beauty of the day. |
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