ISLA DE LA PLATA,  ECUADOR

Isla de la Plata (Silver Island) is known as “the poor man’s Galapagos” and is an hour off-shore between Manta and Puerto Lopez, and north of Guayaquil.  Once privately owned it is now  Parque Nacional Machalilla.  It is usual and customary to go to Puerto Lopez and take a tour boat to get there or pay and get a permit to visit.  We play ignorant and pull in and pick up the solo mooring ball.  This island, much like the Galapagos, is known for blue/red-footed, and masqued boobies, frigates, albatross, and  sea lions.  We are no longer in equatorial climates as temperature is influenced by the Humboldt current and we bring out the down comforter..  We anchor and sleep well.   Next day the park ranger approaches informing us we need a permit.  After much disjointed conversation we learn it is the rangers birthday and invite him and 3 volunteers aboard.  Needless to say, after many rum punches and appetizers we no longer need the permit and they invite us to visit the island the next day after the day-tours boats have left.  As we are lingering on the bow with our drinks and shining a light into the water seeing hundreds of trumpet fish we see little turtles swimming toward the boat.  We were present on one of the two nights a year when the sea turtle eggs hatch and all of a sudden we are surrounded by baby sea turtles learning how to swim.
 Now picture this.  The baby sea turtle, in pitch black darkness, cracks open its shell, figures out which way is up, digs its way to the surface of the sand, figures out which way is the sea and than waddles down to it, and without a second thought, plunks itself into the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, after leaving the warmth and security of its egg.  It than must instantly learn how to swim and stick its head above water to breath.

Now I have to ask you what other species do you know that can do this without parental guidance, Ivy League education and/or Outward Bound Training?  The specie I’m familiar with often has its young around home for almost a quarter of its life and the young are still learning how to swim.

Pati kayaks over to the beach and takes a long, and much needed walk and returns to feed the numerous tortugas that call this cove their home. We have learned they love fruit peels of banana and papaya.  Late in the afternoon  we head in to hike for 3 hours with the 2 women who are volunteer/tourism students and see all the birds except the Albatross.  We intend to do another hike the next day but find ourselves drifting.  The mooring ball has broken loose, which means it’s a good time to head out.  Peru here we come!!!!!

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