Our first sighting was after a short climb to what is called the guardhouse. The city (the estate of an Inca emperor) was revealed below.
The site was voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
The temple of the sun.
The building at the top is the guardhouse from where we first saw Machu Picchu.
The Galapagos is made up of 19 large and several smaller islands. Each that we visited had hundreds of sea lions both in and out of the water.
A couple of very young sea lion pups - one wet, one dry!
During a walk with our guide, at the top of one island with our ship and others from our group below.
These marine iguana with red markings are only found on this specific island - and there were hundreds of them!
A land iguana on another island.
A sea lion and a couple of pelicans watching the catch of the day being processed at the market in one of the few small towns on the islands.
This is probably the symbol of the Galapagos - the giant tortoise. These ones weigh about 500 pounds but some are over 800 pounds.
One of the many blue footed boobies on the islands. There were also red footed boobies and nazca boobies (which are black footed).
A couple of Waved, or Galapagos Albatross, performing their courting dance. That's a newborn Galapagos Albatross in the front.
Debbie snorkeling with a large sea lion!
Aug - Sep 2013