Kicker Rock: A Sunset Circumnavigation

Friday, 13 July (Part V)

After our beach time at Cerro Brujo (post here), we returned to the Xpedition with a level of excitement that belied the great time we had on our landing.  Why?  Because the ship was heading to nearby Kicker Rock.  Sure, we’d already seen the rock as we sailed by it on our way to Cerro Brujo, but now we were going to do a sunset circumnavigation of this iconic landmark of the Galápagos.

THE ARROW POINTS TO Kicker Rock, the location of our sunset circumnavigation.
[MAP COURTESY OF THE GALAPAGOSISLANDS.COM WEBSITE]

After washing away the salt and sand from our afternoon on the beach, we collected our cameras and headed to the ship’s bow on deck 6 for the circumnavigation.  En route, we enjoyed the company of Nazca boobies in flight.

Often referred to as the Masked Booby, the ones in the Galápagos have recently
been determined to be a separate species now known as the Nazca Booby.
The bird on the left is an adult; the one on the right is a juvenile.

Kicker Rock is a 485-foot (128 m) high tuff cone that was formed when boiling lava encountered the cold ocean and exploded; it has since been eroded into two parts.  At one time, small vessels were allowed to navigate through the small channel between the rocks, but not anymore.  The rock, which is a nesting site for many birds, including the blue-footed and Nazca boobies, and frigatebirds, got its English name from its slight resemblance to the shape of a boot.  I think it’s Spanish name — León Dormido, or sleeping lion — is more fitting.

From the harsh mid-day light to the golden light of sunset.

Sipping our drinks, we chatted with our fellow-passengers as the ship continued its approach to Kicker Rock.  Unlike the sort-of circumnavigation we did of the Daphnes, this time the Xpedition did a full circle around the rock, giving everyone fantastic opportunities to take pictures from every angle.  That Mother Nature cooperated to give us the golden light that photographers crave was a bonus.

It’s this silhouette, which resembles a sleeping lion, that gives Kicker Rock
the Spanish name of León Dormido.

Rather than give you a bunch of static photos, here’s a short clip that Mui put together to show you the different angles of Kicker Rock and how the mood changed as the light changed.

A 30-minute circumnavigation in 56 seconds.

Around 6:45p, as the sun crept lower and lower on the horizon, the Xpedition left Kicker Rock behind and set course for the next and last island we will be visiting before we end the cruise in Baltra on Sunday.

In the golden glow of the sunset, we bid Kicker Rock adios.

We are grateful that Mother Nature cooperated with our plans for the sunset circumnavigation.

The 7:00p briefing was indeed brief and 20 minutes later we were at the dinner table with the Passmans.  I recall the food was good, but what left us with a lasting impression was the delicious Chocolate Crunchy we had for dessert.  This was a “could have had a second helping” moment, but we behaved ourselves ;-)

Our selections from the Day 6 Menu.

The heat and humidity today was quite draining, so we were happy to skip the karaoke in the Discovery Lounge and return to the cabin for a reasonably early bedtime.  One more day of exploring awaits us tomorrow.