I'd been thinking about a trip to the Galapagos Isles for a while. By the time I reached Quito I'd had my arm twisted by Tamara and made the decision to go. With the current financial crisis, there were lots of last minute deals available and Dave from EOS Ecuador travel found us a cruise on the yacht Angelito I. We chose a five day cruise which would take us on a journey of discovery around the islands to the North.
Situated in the Pacific Ocean around 1,000 km from the the coast of Ecuador, the 19 islands of the Galapagos and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. With three ocean currents converging, the Galapagos are a ‘melting pot’ of marine species. Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands. These processes, together with the extreme isolation of the islands, led to the development of unusual animal life such as the land iguana, the giant tortoise and the many types of finch that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection following his visit in 1835.
The Galapagos Islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. In June 2007 they were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger. This was due to the growing encroachment of invasive species, increasing human immigration, uncontrolled development of tourism, and the failure of various institutions and agencies to deal with these threats.
Invasive species are the greatest direct threat to the unique ecosystems of the Galapagos. People began introducing goats, pigs and cattle to the islands when they were first settled in the early 19th century. These, along with other domestic animals such as cats and dogs, have established wild populations and prey on, or compete aggressively with local species, driving some of them to extinction.
Today, a growing number of introduced plant and insect species, along with micro-organisms which cause disease, pose an increasing risk to Galapagos biodiversity, driving up the cost of managing them by eradication or permanent control. Increasing tourism and population growth in the Galapagos have been closely linked to the difficulty of keeping introduced species out of the islands.
Prince Charles and Camilla recently visited the islands to highlight the problems that exist there. A newspaper cartoon joked about his visit with the caption that no matter how many times he visits no action is taken.
Keeping the environment in mind we arrive early in the morning for the flight from Quito to the Galapagos, landing on the island of Baltra. With the US$100 park entrance fee paid our voyage of discovery would take us to the islands of Seymour Norte, Sombrero Chino, Bartolome, Genovesa, Santiago, Rabida and finally to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz.
A short cruise took us to Seymour Norte where we landed and took a walk around the island. The first thing that is immediately apparent is that the wildlife pays absolutely no attention to humans. They do not see humans as a threat. Unwittingly we had also arrived in the islands at one of the best times of the year, the mating season.
The blue footed boobies moved from foot to foot displaying their wings. The frigate birds puffed up their bright red throat pouch like a balloon and make mooing sounds to the females flying above. Meanwhile the sea lions laid on the beach paying no one any attention.
The next morning we board the landing craft before 8am for our visit to Sombrero Chino Island or China Hat. Crystal clear turquoise water with penguins on the lava crusted shore and sea lions on the beach.
Brightly coloured sally lightfoot crabs on the beach appeared to be quite shy and would scurry away quickly. Lava lizards and iguanas basked in the sunshine.
Without a cloud in the sky the temperatures were soaring, so it was back to the boat to get ready for some snorkeling. Warm clear water teaming with life, all sorts of colourful fish like Moorish Idols and Mexican Hogfish. An underwater camera might be a good idea but sometimes it's best not to look at everything through a lens.
Back on the boat it was time for lunch and then we were steaming for Bartolome Island. Frigate birds flew just above the boat's mast for much of the way.
From the beach to the south we could see black tipped reef sharks and on the beach tracks where turtles had climbed up to lay their eggs. Later when snorkeling on the north Beach we came very close to Galapagos sharks. Quite alarming to see in the water but not dangerous.
We climb up to the summit of an extinct volcano for a fantastic view over the island and the beaches.
After dinner the the crew raised the anchor and set sail for Genovesa Island, in the far North West of the archipelago. The rainy season runs from January to April which means calmer seas and warmer water, ideal for our needs. Rainy season? There wasn't a cloud in the sky but even so there was still a tint of green to the volcanic islands.
6am on he open top deck of the boat and Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island, the sun was just coming up on the tranquil surroundings.
It's always good to see boobies first thing in the morning and it was no exception with the Red Footed and Nazca varieties that were waiting for us near the beach where we landed.
As the day heated up we snorkeled again looking for Hammerhead sharks but unfortunately they were all hunting elsewhere. However snorkeling in the deep water next to the cliffs was an amazing experience.
Back on the island again later in the day, as the sun was going down, the Short- eared owl made an appearance. Coming out of it's nest in the lava to see what all the fuss was about.
The boat slipped out of Darwin Bay under cover of darkness on route for Santiago Island. A peaceful journey sitting out on deck looking at the sky with millions of stars in the darkness and the Milky Way visible from one horizon to the other.
Early mornings were a feature of this trip so it was no surprise to be on the beach at James Bay before my hearty breakfast had time to settle. Walking along the old lava flows that make up the shore line it was hard not to miss the marine iguanas sitting out in the sun warming up.
The snorkeling at James Bay was awesome, with sightings of a Manta Ray and schools of thousands of fish. Pelicans bobbing up and down in the water next to us. In flight they are pre-historic looking and with out too much imagination almost like a pterodactyl.
A brief stop at the Island of Rabida where we were luck to see a Galapagos Hawk and when snorkeling a sea lion swam past. Then another voyage across the ocean to to Santa Cruz Island.
The boat moored at Puerto Ayora, on the final night aboard, a sizable town of 2000 inhabitants. This meant beers ashore!
With sadness we left the boat for the last time to go ashore and visit the Charles Darwin Centre. Home to some Giant Tortoises and complete with a successful breeding program. Maybe 200,000 of these amazing creatures used to live in the Galapagos Islands having evolved into 14 sub-species. Now there are between 15,000 and 17,000. Sailors used to keep them for fresh meet on their boats, with them surviving for months being upturned on their backs.
11 subspecies survive now and this may soon be down to 10 if a mate for Lonesome George is not found. He is the last known tortoise of his sub-species and so far mating with other tortoises with a similar DNA has proved unsuccessful.
A break from the wildlife and a trip out of town to visit some lava tunnels. A series of tunnels 5 to 6 metres in diameter where lava once flowed from the volcano above. We visited this site independently and soon realized this was not where the tours would go. We signed in at the entrance and were given a key for the gate at the other end. The tunnels were pretty unusual and in numerous places the ceiling of the tunnel had collapsed with piles of rock blocking the path. We wondered just how often this happened and how many tourists have perished beneath the rocks...
Escaping unscathed, except for Tamara whose (all terrain) flip flop broke mid tunnel, we went to see more Tortoises at the El Chato Reserve. Walking through woodland seeing these mighty beasts in their natural habitat was one of the most memorable times of the trip. I had thought the reserve was enclosed but we get to the edge of the reserve and the tortoises were free to come and go. These were the only animals that didn't appear to like our presence. So not to alarm them it was good to keep a distance as they would make a hissing sound if we were too close. Evolution has taught them not to trust humans.
We made it to Turtle bay by late afternoon and swam in the sea and sat in the sun. The end of a trip of a life time (within the trip of a lifetime).
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