Galapagos trip - Very little astronomy.

[Dave]

Hi Folks,

We just got back from a fantastic trip to The Galapagos Islands. Unfortunately I couldn't do much observing of the southern hemisphere as I would have liked as the clouds seemed to dominate, what with the full Moon as well. But I'm not going to complain at all. I will post some images of the fabulous wildlife we saw as soon as I have woken up properly and gone through them all (over 2,000 images) and found some good ones.

Dave

[Dave Smith]

Now that is somewhere I would love to go! Look forward to the pics.

Dave

[Dave]

Finally got around to sorting one or two images out, so here's a couple of pics from our trip.

A Marine Iguana and a Male Frigate Bird with his expanded throat pouch.

[Dave Smith]

Wonderful. Any more?

Dave

[Dave]

Plenty more, but took over 2,000 pictures.

It is taking a while to sort them out...

[Dave]

For those intrested, the full write up of trip and more images are now here:

Galapagos

Dave

[Dave Smith]

Thanks Dave, they are brilliant. I want to go.

I especially like the flycatcher perched in the lens hood.

Dave

[Dave]

I have now put a compilation video of our images and videos on my write up, for those that are interested.

Galapagos

Dave

[182570]

great video and a thoroughly entertaining account many thanks:icon_salut:

[noah4x4]

You were truly unlucky if the skies were poor. Two years ago I dislocated my shoulder (sixth time!) whilst deep water snorkeling off the Galapagos. Suffered three hours of agony in a small motorboat/jeep before I got proper treatment.  Meanwhile our main boat had sailed on to the next island. But on the return journey, I lay on my back for another five hours in the small boat as we caught up with our main vessel under magnificent, unforgettably stunning dark skies.

Then onto Ecuador and Peru, where the skies above the Andes can also delight. My injury had completely changed our vacation plans (we never did do the Inca Trail), but this experience  rekindled my lost teenage enthusiasm for Astronomy and I quickly bought binoculars and then ultimately telescopes.

Then having acquired a thirst for clear mountain skies, last year, I travelled to Base Camp Everest (Tibet). The skies across China were terrible. But once having crossed the Himalayas and on the road to Kathmandu we enjoyed  truly amazing skies before the misfortune of being close to the epicentre of the tragic earthquake at noon next day. With everybody then sleeping outside due to the aftershocks and with electrical power down, the skies, at least, offered wonderful solace, albeit one night of intermittent rain turned our car park sleeping quarters into a bog.

We were uninjured, but the experience was suffice to discourage us from being too ambitious this year. We hence stayed at low altitude under the soup like skies of an early spring Vietnam, where my wife ended up in hospital having ate something that disagreed with her. I spent a miserable few nights alone on a hotel roof with only a washed out Jupiter to keep me company. We hope to visit the USA next year and particularly the Rockies for the eclipse. But pondering what new vacation misfortune will befall us!

[Jeff-Colorado]

Amazing story about how you got back into astronomy. Some amazing journeys you and Dave have undertaken.

Great photos, Dave. Galapagos would be a dream trip for me some day.