Jan 12-19, 2024
Following five days in Ecuador, it was with a sigh of relief that we left the country's conflict 1000 km behind. It felt like we were in another world where abundant wildlife played side by side and were in harmony with humans, rather than seeing us as a threat. The undersea life was phenomenal. We were weightless and timeless while swimming with brilliant colored fish, sea turtles, penguins and sea lions.
The Galapagos Islands are 97% national park. With over 300,000 visitors annually, there are strict restrictions put in place. At all times we had to keep at least 6' distance from all animals. Every day we did three excursions, each no longer than two hours. They kept a constant flow of activities going, with usually two options. There was no sleeping in. Zodiac shore-line tours and nature walks were done close to the hours of dawn and dusk. Which was great for photo ops and observing the animals at their best. It was nice that we also had time for an afternoon nap. Snorkling and kayak trips were done later in the morning. Most of the sailing was done at night, lulling us into a deep sleep with the gentle movements of the boat.
Day 1:
After 5 hours of flying with a 1-hour refueling stop inbetween, we landed on the flat island of Baltra.
We were so excited to a see a sea-lion and pelicans close-by. Little did we know how many of them we'd be seeing in the next week.
After settling into our spacious cabins, we had lunch while the Petrel set sail for the tiny nearby North Seymour Island.
The wall reads: Besides love and symfathy, animals exhibit other qualities connected with the social instincts which in us would be called moral. Darwin
A tricky landing on a rough sea.
A land iguana. Apparently they taste like chicken. They grow up to 3' long and can weigh up to 25 lbs.
Land iguanas main staple is prickly pear cactus. Their mouths are very leathery so they can eat the cactus pad whole, spikes and all.
Frigates are the pirates of the sea. They steal food from gulls and terns because their preening glands are so small, they're not able to secrete enough oils to waterproof their feathers. So they cannot dive underwater to catch their prey. The males have gular red pouchs in their neck that can inflate to the size of a football. Apparently the females find this attractive.
Booby birds come to land only for one reason: to nest. They can dive into the water from as high as 300'! Females begin breeding from one to six years. Both parents care for them, using their large feet to keep the chicks warm.
Sea lions were the most commonly seen mammals. There's an estimated 30 to 50,000 of them in the Galapagos Islands. They rarely swim more than a few kilometers from shore to avoid being preyed upon by sharks and whales.
The love between a mother and her child.
Sandpiper
The night involved sailing for 12 hours on rough seas, to the west side of Isabela Island. This is the largest of the islands and is shaped like a seahorse. We stopped at Vicente Roca point, on the chin of the seahorse. This was the first of 5 points we'd be stopping at along the west coast of Isabela. Here the seas were more calm, being protected by Fernandina Island to the west.
Day 2:
Did an early morning panga (zodiac) ride and after that some snorkling by the cave.
Gulls.
The marine iguanas feast on intertidal seaweed & algea during low tide. Because of this high sodium diet, they excrete the salt crystals by sneezing. Their skulls are like helmets, able to withstand the beating of the waves which are pushing & pulling them to & away from the rock.
Boobie birds.
The males iguanas are larger and more colorful.
Flightless cormorants are endemic to the islands and are the only species out of 29 that are not able to fly.
Fur seals are not seen as often but their populations are similar to the sea lions. They're the smallest species of eared-seal in the world and like to avoid the sun because their thicker fur keeps them warmer.
This is the only time we saw the Nazca Boobie bird. They're the largest of the species and like to nest on cliff tops to help them out when taking off.
I didn't have an underwater camera so I took these photos off of the internet to show you what I saw. 1) Redshoulder Wrasse 2) Damsel fish 3) Snapper fish 4) Vagabond fish
1) Cabrilla fish 2) Parrot fish 3) Spotted Eagle ray 4) Long-spined sea urchin
1)Mexican Hog fish 2) Angel fish 3) Beak fish 4) Trumpet fish
Pentaceraster Cumingi starfish Chocolate Chip starfish
Wow! An orcha so close to our other boat.
Lunch time. The food was great!
A late afternoon walk on Fernandina Island, from Espinoza Point.
The skeleton of a young Bryden whale.
La Cumbre volcano in the background.
1)Lava lizards are the most abundant reptile on the island. They're only about 5-6 inches long and have the ability to drop their tails as a method of defense. The tail keeps moving and attracting predators. Eventully the lizards frow new ones.. They can also change color if they're threatened or if there's a change in temperature. 2) Oyster Catchers
The average rainfall on the island is only 4-12" annually. This Lava Catus absorbs the moisture in the air and makes life possible for fresh water mammals like the Rice rat and bats.
The Brown Pelican is about 4' long with a wingspan of 6.5'. They nest year-round.
This island had the highest concentration of Marine Iguanas. They're the only sea-going lizards in the world. They come ashore often to warm up.
A small racer snake.
A sea urshin.
This pup looked like it had just been born.
It was fun watching the sea lions surfing.
Just hanging around.
Flightless cormorants.
We saw many Sally Lightfoot crabs on the rocky beaches on all the islands.
Rather cuddly creatures.
At night the Petrel sailed back across the channel to Caleta Tagus Point on Isabela Island.
Day 3:
We started the day with a "power walk" before breakfast. Only four of us went, following Luis at a brisk pace. Some of the graffiti here dates back to the 1800s when pirates and whalers carved their ship names into the rock.
Darwin's lagoon.
A vocanic tuff cone.
Darwin's finches.
A finch nest.
A Bryden whale!
We went kayaking later in the morning. And after that, snorkling.
This is an internet photo. We lost track of how many sea turtles we saw while snorkling. It was always exciting. The female is twice the size of the male. They mate in the sea so when he pushes her under water while doing the deed, she's more able to get herself back up again.
Lunchtime on the top deck.
Some playful penguins.
During our naps, they sailed south along the coast to Bahia Urbina.
An older land iguana. Geiger
We gave this Giant turtoise a wide berth.
Captive Galapagos turtoises can live up to 177 years! Most adults weight 500-600 lbs.
Mangrove Warbler
Hawks
Many (about 3000) of the giant turtoises live in the hugh caldera of the Alcedo Volcano (3691'). On the sandy bank is a nesting ground for sea turtles. Once they lay their eggs, they cover them with sand and then abandon them.
Flycatcher Hermit crab
Sally Light-foot crab.
Happy hour back on board.
Day 4:
Come morn, we were parked in Elizabeth Bay.
We were drifting in the panga while listening and watching, as instructed. A male sea lion was bellowing in the bush now and then. These three penguins were looking up at the Brown Pelican.
Red & black mangrove bushes are ideal habitat for sea turtles. They also help prevent erosion.
Spotted Eagle rays.
