Las Tintoreras Isabella Island

In the afternoon we went on a tour to Las Tintoreras with our snorkelling gear. The island was amazing and the water wasn't too cold for snorkelling. On arrival we could see penguins and sea lions on the shore. How incredible to think that penguins can actually live on the equator! We marvelled at them diving into the water and swimming at high speed in front of the tour boats. Ian and I snorkelled over to the penguins and managed to get photos of them out of the water. On the way back to the boat a young sea lion dived into the water and started playing with Ian. By the time I arrived it took off and teased us by diving in and out of the water around us. We all got back in the tour boat thinking it was all over when the driver dropped us off with a group of 3 sea lions. They played with the group and were very curious diving underwater to get a closer look at the humans. At one stage a large marble ray appeared and the sea lions checked that out to play with before thinking better of it and swimming away. After the encounter we were dropped off on Las Tintoreras with Wilmer the guide. We visited the shark channel where white tip sharks rested on the sandy bottom. Huge iquanas sun baked on the island and huddled together to keep warm. As we walked along the trail a curious sea lions came along the sand to inspect the group. We were able to get very close to it and take photos. As the sun set over the island we were sad to get back into the boat. What an incredible day. The next day we got up early and relaxed on the wild beach that ran parallel to the main street. We met some other cruisers who suggested we have a snorkel at Concha Perla. There were 2 big saltwater pools teaming with life including penguins, fish, huge sea stars, rays, turtles and marine iguanas. We were fortunate enough to watch the marine iguanas diving into the water to feed and we had the chance to swim with them as well which was an unforgettable experience. You can see Ian posing with a large marine iguana in the background.