Baby tortoises no longer have a chance on most islands. Too many imported things that eat eggs or babies for them to survive. The research station grows them till they are big enough to have a shot -- 2 - 3 years. The species are kept segregated.

Some turtles have been repatriated from various zoos and such around the world. Some are hybrids, or of unknown origin. These are more available for tourist attention. There is some faint hope of finding Lonely George a bride in some zoo.

Clark and Ann Tidwell, and I think Helen and perhaps one other, joined us at this point, due to cancelled flights earlier.

The seas were quite rough, comparatively. I was feeling decidedly iffy in the morning. Judy gave me a patch, which kept me feeling much better in the evening.

9/19/2001

Started with a dry landing on Isla Fernandina on the Northwest part at Ponte Espinoza. What a great site! Saw several California Seal Lions, including some pups. We saw a striated heron. Lots of Sally lightfoots. Lots of sea iguanas lying everywhere. We saw flightless cormorants, and a Galapagos Hawk. We saw lava cactus. In the tide pools we saw an octopus, a large green turtle (maybe 2), and a small and large sea turtle with a yellow back. We saw 7-8 Eagle Rays. And two large baby Great Blue Herons in the nest being fed by mother. Plus sea urchins, anemones, and small fish (yellow-tailed damsels and sergeant majors, among others). We even saw penguins swimming in the distance.