DARWIN’S BAY
The boat trip had given us a view of another bay we hadn’t seen before that wasn’t far from our lodgings. “There must be a path leading there through the bush” says Alexis, clearly scheming up another plan. “I think we should try and get there for a ride, don’t you?” he continues, already getting his gear out. We head off on another adventure, on a little path leading northwards away from the house. We take a rocky track for a while then join a bigger, clearer path that seems to be going in the right direction. The vegetation starts thinning as we advance and we see down below us a beautiful limpid blue creek underneath a huge dark volcanic rock cliff. The scenery still leaves us stunned. We join a little path leading downwards before we come face to face with a big statue of Charles Darwin, with a plaque explaining that this was the bay where he had fist made landfall on the islands. Yet another memorable experience, and Alexis is up for another one, walking quickly to the water’s edge, unpacking his inflatable board and starting to pump it up at top speed. A few minutes of intense effort later the board is ready for action, Melanie’s as impatient as he is to start exploring this amazing spot. The two of them are on the board and away in an instant, paddling over the crystal water not knowing which way to look first. The incredible clarity of the water allows them to study the rocks below, and to see the beautiful big turtle swimming past in this giant aquarium. You can easily imagine that this amazingly well preserved wilderness probably hasn’t changed a bit since big Charles arrived nearly 200 years before. Let’s hope that this sanctuary will survive intact for years to come.
