Sea iguanas are everywhere - it's difficult not to stand on them. Lots of frigate birds flying.

Blue herons are plentiful. A flock of famingos landed just as we were passing this lake, their colour is from their food. Sally Lightfoot crabs are everywhere, named after a dancer /sailor's pinup in the 1900s.

Resting pelican on the shore. The yellow legged grasshopper was about 10cm in size, well camouflaged in the thorn bush. Finches were what Darwin focused on, not tortoises. Black necked stilts and sanderlings were also plentiful along the shore of white coral sand.

Lots of sea lioms and lots of pelicanc. Note the lizard climbing over the head of the sea lion!

These are the only iguanas that swim in the sea. Birds clean the iguanas of insects. The pair on the lower left are mating - note the tail of the female is lifted. The male bottom right is carrying a female off to mate.

The visibility was not that good as the sea was slightly rough. Amazing swimming through shoals of fish though. Self portrait photo ...

Pinacle rock was apparently used for target practice at one time. This is one of the islands filmed for "Master and Commander", for which one of our tour guides was a naturalist. Fortunately it was available for viewing on a plane to Australia.

A bonus on the way back to the Eclipse was a group of 4 orcas (killer whales). Apparently 2 mothers, each with offspring

The land iguanas are bigger than the marine ones, and more brightly coloured. Goats are still on the island and their dung is eaten by the iguanas - food is sparse. They nest in holes in the ground.

Some crabs use snail shells for protection. Lots of little lizards abound. The blue footed boobie certainly has very vibrant blue feet!

Jelly fish, tropical fish and a shark. At times the jelly fish made it look like it was snowing.

The chefs all had smart back hats. The food was very good and very plentiful. Lots of fresh salad and fruit always available too.

Some of the animals were quite creative. Ian has taken pictures to show how to create some of the more recognisable ones - he is planning to use these at the dinner table!

The sea lions object to being moved from their resting platform but Cathy does eventually win the battle with her rucksack and we can walk up. The salt lake was very picturesque in the early morning.

Several turtles with us and lots of shoals of fish. The starfish on the bottom were very bright.

The box fish was about 30cm long and having now spotted the spines, a bit too close for comfort.

The sheer volcanic rock face was home to moulting penguins, birds and sea creatures.

Herons chicks grow very fast. Their nests look a bit precarious. The little Galapagos penguins are on land to moult and get new fur ready for mating.

The mangrove lagoon was very peaceful and full of turtles, crabs and sea lions that climbed up into the trees to rest. Only the tail flippers visible above.

The mangrove lagoon for the panga ride

The cacti, which grow seemingly on nothing, make a cooler resting place for a marine iguana. The female has emerged from the nesting hole we watched her dig to defend it from another female without a hole. Note the lizard on the head of the front iguana.

It's sea lion breeding season. The young males are wrestling with each other in the sea shore and mothers are encouraging their young to take to the water.

The spleen whale carcase was re-assembled from where it was beached on the shore. Evidence of a ship wreck can be seen. The flightless cormorants just flap a bit with their little wings.

The water was lovely and clear and the colours next to the reef were very bright. Sea lions diving in close by are a bit of a shock. The cliff went very deep into the water and it was possible to look down a long way.

The variety of little fish was more than we had seen previously and they were very brightly coloured. The strong sunlight falling on the snorkelling area also helped.

Lonesome George, top left, is apparently not wll mannered - too long on his own? The ladies of the closest genetic type keep a wary lookout for him. Note the saddle back and curved shell differences.

The tortoises of the highlands were wild enough to please the tourists.

The anis and Bermuda ducks were in the ponds with the tortoises. We saw the vermilion flycatcher just as we were leaving the area. Lots of finches in dull colours to interest the serious birdwatchers.

The late afternoon landing of a couple of fish. The pelican ensures that there is no waste. As soon as the fish are prepared, they find a buyer- 10 mins from landing.

It was siesta time on the beautiful white coral sand of Gardener Beach for the sea lions.

The fine coral is very white and the beach is very beautiful.

Iguanas are soaking up the sun and the birds are feeding in the sand and from flowers on the bushes at the back of the beach.

Deep water mating appeared to be much more difficult than in the shallow water. Several males can be interested in one female and as she needs to breathe occasionally, drowning can occur.

Pelicans were the most prevalent bird.

The exit from the cove might look easy, but the tides and underwater rocks make boat helmsman experience necessary.