Easter Island I

Finally I got these photos up. After 18 day underway, we arrived at Easter Island, the most remote island in the world. We had very good weather the entire way down. This part of the pacific has consistently good weather with very few gales.

I was living the dream for about 10 days in Easter Island. We were anchored about 400 yards from 3 different surf breaks. As normal, when the waves are really good I usually don't get many photos. All the photos of waves were after the swell had dropped. We scored 3 days of 2 meter faces. All the locals in the water were really friendly, but a little intimidating. Almost all of the had hair past their shoulders, crazy polynesian tattoos, and they chanted in the lineup. No joke.

So thats how i spent my days in Easter Island, surfing all morning, work all day, surf all afternoon, with a little spear fishing thrown in here and there.

When can we go Back?

The spearfishing spot thanks to our trust 12 foot rib "The Peanut".

Wild houses outnumber people on Easter Island.

We spent a while heaving huge volcanic rocks off the cliffs.

The only sand beach of Easter Island and the only beach in the world with two UNESCO world heritage sites.

East Coast. Treeless.

Moai (mo-eye) or as we called them "heads".

I read that a archeologist theory was that it would take 200 men 2 years to carve a moai, 200 men another 2 years to transport it, and finally 200 men another year to get it upright.

Someone chopped down all their buddies.

The biggest moai is 21 m tall.

Funny thing happened right before this photo. Apparently

I upset the Gods and almost got in a rumble with a local.

You really should read about the brief and tragic history of Easter Island.

Ranu Raraku Crater. One of 4 volcanos on the island.

This is on Ranu Raraku, which was the quarry where the moai were all carved. You can make out the one that wasn't finished.

Joe and Chris after the storm.

Another partially finished moai.

There are a lot of heads, and even more that are knocked over.

The islands south side has big surf that the locals tow at.

Easter Cowboy

Joey.

Kelly Slater surfed this wave when he came to the island.

Try to spot the fisherman on the cliffs.

We called this wave sucky rocks.

This was the better right that we surfed every day.

port.

Tortuga Bay

We have a new anchor watch system on the boat where you do a 10pm to 7am anchor watch, then you have the next day off. I am not sure how I feel about it, but it allowed me to get away and take this little hike so you won't hear me complaining.

Galapagos has 8 cactus species that are endemic.

The animals of the the islands are not afraid of humans. They have been protected for generations.

These would of been a fine specimen for the cactus garden.

Not even the pelicans care to fly when approached. I love me some brown pelican. These birds bring back so many memories from home and surfing in mexico.

The trail to the beach. The equator cuts through the island chain. Humid.

Snapped this shot of a local surfer. We surfed this wave the day before. Its a fun beach break and its all we scored while in the islands.

Marine iguanas might be the most chillen animals on the planet. They are very entertaining to watch as they all seem to have different little personalities. They sit on the beach and sneeze all day which helps get the saltwater out of their systems.

Grandpa iguana would be this guys scientific name. Marine iguanas leave the beach on the outgoing tide and can swim down to depths of 60 ft.

How man iguanas do you see?

Galapagos Easter Sunday

I didn't make it to church on Easter morning, but I still joined God's creatures for a early morning underwater service. We woke up early this morning to go on a dive before work and see the famous hammerheads schooling around Gordon's Rock. We had a excellent dive and saw around 10 big hammerheads along with snapper, rays, white tips, and galapagos sharks. After the dive we stopped on the backside of the rock where a sea lion colony lived. Not a bad day in God's country.