There is not a lot to tell about the Clipper today. I gave myself a day off to see the Galapagos, so I will tell you something about that. I was dropped along with 15 others on a local ship to go snorkeling at Isla Santa Fé, a small island southeast of Isla Santa Cruz.
Before we arrived at the snorkeling ground, we sailed slowly along the style coastline to see the fauna. We stopped by every interesting animal that we saw. Interest was not shared, none of the animals noted us.
The most striking animal was the “blue footed boobie”, as the guide told us. The bird took his name serious because his feet are so blue, that you expect him rather in the Donald Duck then in real life. Snorkeling was as spectacular. Besides all the aquarium fishes, we saw ray’s, sea turtles and sharks.
A diving mask has the same effect as blinkers, so it happens that when you are diving with a group that there is a collusion risk. At a moment I turned towards my snorkeling partner and when I turned I looked straight in the drowsy eyes of a sea lion not worried about a collusion so he staid where he was. I had to swim around him.

In the afternoon I decided, with Bert the head – engineer, to withdraw from the second dive, so we could do something on land. After being astonished about the iguanes on the street and the size of the turtles, we only had time for dinner before we must went back to the ship. We found a beautiful location with view on the bay and… the Clipper.
“Aah, the generators are still working” Bert noted when the lights of the ship turned on.
I caught myself when I was checking, from the terrace, if the anchor was set right.
So not at all a carefree holiday, but a beautiful ‘unemployed’ day.

Richard Slootweg
Captain Clipper Stad Amsterdam