Santa Cruz & North Seymour – Galapagos Series – Chapter VI

After my friend dropped off two pieces of bread for my breakfast, I decided I could not miss out on the day’s activities and forced myself to eat it and get dressed. This was the day I was looking forward to the most – and again, I was in the G-A-L-A-P-A-G-O-S! No upset stomach was going to keep the Traveling Bard from an adventure.

charles darwin research station on santa cruz island

The zodiac pulled up to a pier on Santa Cruz island and we unloaded. After Isabella, Santa Cruz is the second-largest island in the Galapagos and has the largest population located in its capital, Puerto Ayora. Before landing here, we had been hopping around uninhabited islands where the animals reigned. On Santa Cruz, however, it was an urban development with a bustling city center.

Once we regrouped, Tour Guide George started leading us along the road to the Charles Darwin Research Station, which has been in operation since 1964. Scientists and researchers work on projects to help conserve the Galapagos Islands and it’s animals, while learning more about the archipelago. Along the way, we stopped to watch a man sort through a fresh batch of caught lobsters where we happened to spot a Lava Gull, which is apparently very rare because there are only 400 left. We continued on and passed a small, green road sign that had an arrow pointing in the direction we were heading that read, “Estacion Ch. Darwin”.

At the park entrance building we were able to get our passports stamped. Another amazing souvenir that will compliment the equator stamp nicely. Eventually we passed the sign that let us know we had made it and entered a room that was dedicated to educating people on The Restoration of the Tortoise Dynasty. Tour Guide George explained the different species that are found on each island and their current predicament. I learned that the Galapagos Tortoise is the largest tortoise species in the world, and that the National Park and Research Station are trying to eradicate the dogs, pigs, donkeys and rats that hinder their populations.

lonesome george - the last of his species of galapagos tortoise

We walked to an area where we could watch the baby tortoises wandering around and climbing all over each other. The baby tortoises weren’t always placed behind bars, according to Tour Guide George. Apparently, travelers would be caught at the airport on their way back to Ecuador trying to sneak out tortoises they picked up. I couldn’t believe anyone would even think of doing something like that – or think they had any chance of successfully getting away with it. Moving on, we went to visit the two celebrities of the Charles Darwin Research Station: Lonesome George and Diego.

Lonesome George is named because he is the last known Pinta Island tortoise in the entire Galapagos archipelago. Goats had destroyed the species and he was moved to the research station for protection. Restless searches have not turned up any others of his kind. He is kept in an environment with two females in the hopes that he would mate with them to produce offspring. George has produced batches of eggs with the females, but all have unfortunately become inviable. When he dies in a hundred, or so years, his conservation status will become: extinct.

the galapagos tortoise - stretching the long neck

On a brighter note, one tortoise has been able to help repopulate the entire Española island with his offspring. His name is Diego and he was returned to the Galapagos after spending a large part of his life in the San Diego Zoo, which is where he got his name. His species was in decline due to the goats that were harming the vegetation that the tortoises relied upon. There were only 12 females and 2 males left when he returned and produced more than 1,400 babies that are now back in their natural environment, helping maintain their population on Española. Even at more than 100 years of age, Diego continues to mate with the females at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

After visiting the tortoises and iguanas, we met up with our bus that would be taking us to the highlands. We had decided to spend the entire day on Santa Cruz instead of just the morning, and then sailing on over to an island to snorkel and see more of the animals we already had on the other islands. The highlands offered us a chance to get up-close-and-personal with the giant Galapagos tortoises in their natural environment at the Highlands National Park Tortoise Reserve. It was a quick ride and our chefs from the catamaran brought all the food for lunch in a nice buffet-style setting for us to enjoy in the park. As we gradually finished eating, one by one, people from the group began to disappear and explore the tortoise landscape.

in the highlands with the large tortoises

The giant tortoises, which can weight more than 650 pounds and live up to 200 years, were scattered all throughout the green landscape. Most could be found in the shade of trees in order to stay out of the afternoon heat. We were able to get inches away from the endemic animals and pose for multiple pictures. In the park, the tortoises have the luxury to roam wherever they like, whether that be across the roads or into the deep forest of trees on the reserve. A few were lounging in the muddy waters of one of the ponds. At one point, we were lucky enough to see the beginnings of a possible mating – the male was trying to crawl onto the back of a female, but the female began to take off with the male following closely behind. Eventually, the female was able to seek refuge in a large bush, which made it difficult for the male to crawl on top again due to all the branches in the way.

Some of the group went back to the lunch area while the rest of us followed Tour Guide George on a trail through the trees. Ever so often I could spot the shell of a tortoise in the distance. The lush vegetation of Santa Cruz provides a suitable environment for the tortoises and the reserve protects them from invasive species – although I did spot two kittens hiding beneath branches and leaves at one point during our hike. We also spotted fruit growing in bushes and trees with the help of Tour Guide George. He wrangled a papaya down and fed it to one of the tortoises who devoured it and made quite a mess. I guess the others got worried about us being gone for so long because one of them somehow found us even though I had no idea where we even were in the forest.

inside looking out of the lava tunnel on santa cruz island

We hopped back on the bus for a five minute drive to our next stop. A dirt path led us to a small set of stairs where we walked down into the opening of a lava tunnel. It reminded me very much of Mammoth Caves, which I just visited in Kentucky in the summer before leaving for Ecuador. Lava from a volcanic eruption flowed and eventually hollowed out, creating the tunnel we were walking through. We could only go so far because  of boulders that blocked our path, so that was our turning point. The string of lights didn’t help much. It was still dark enough that my clumsy self would trip over some of the rocks in the path but I eventually made it safely back up the stairs and to the bus with no broken bones. The group went back to the city center where we were given a bit of time to look around. My Norwegian friend, the friend I came with and I went for some coffee and ice cream before venturing back to the meeting point. We boarded the zodiacs, but had to wait for the other zodiac to arrive with the life-jackets before we eventually got back on the catamaran.

It was our last night aboard the Nina. Throughout the duration of the entire voyage, the group had become very much like a family. At dinner that night, the two tables were pushed together and we ate like a family, complete with random side conversations. In the morning, we woke bright and early with the sight of giant waves crashing ashore on North Seymour – the final island we would explore. The waves made getting out of the zodiac incredibly hard but everyone made it safely on land where we were greeted my numerous bird sightings. We walked the rocky trail and saw blue-footed boobies – a mom and her babies. In the trees we noticed two male Magnificent Frigate birds with their red pouches puffed up to attract a female.

male magnificent frigate bird with red pouch

With only an hour of time to enjoy the island, the group quickly made it’s way to the coast where the waves crashed upon the rocky shore. Here we saw more sea lions and iguanas basking in the sun that was growing stronger in the waking morning. After slipping and sliding our way back into the zodiacs, we all looked back for one last glimpse of the Galapagos before we hopped back on the catamaran to say our final farewells to the crew as it took us to the drop-off point where buses were waiting.

At the airport, the group remained intact. On the flight, the group remained intact until we lost an Australian couple at the first stop in Guayaquil. The rest remained together until we said our goodbyes at the baggage claim in the Quito airport and went our separate ways,. However, we all still had the memories of Darwin’s Land intact.

soaring over the sea lion on north seymour island

zodiac heading to shore on north seymour island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

tortoise chowing down at the charles darwin research station on santa cruz island

a sea lion and her pup on north seymour island

Española Island – Galapagos Scrolls – Chapter II

sunrise in española - galapagos islands

I woke with the rising sun. Its orange and yellow shades sifted through the window blinds of the room my friend and I shared on Nina, the luxury catamaran that sat anchored at our second stop of the voyage. After breakfast, the passengers and crew congregated at the back of the boat on the second-floor where we would put on our life-jackets and board the zodiacs. In the previous night’s briefing, tour guide George went over the day’s itinerary and gave all of us one very important decision to make. Apparently, there was another boat that would be visiting Española that same morning and George wanted to ensure that we had the opportunity to be the first to step foot on the island and explore it without having to worry about others sneaking into our photos or obscuring our wildlife-watching.

At 5 a.m. the wake-up call – or soft music I should say – began drifting out of the overhead speaker in all of our rooms. We had agreed to sacrifice a few extra hours of sleep to be the first to experience Española, which is known to be one of the most beautiful of the 15 main islands and 3 smaller islands that make up the Galapagos. We boarded the zodiacs with full stomachs and sleepy eyes to make our way through the turquoise, clear blue ocean water to the dry-landing dock at Suarez Point where the sea lions made their first appearance swimming around the small bay.

the dry-landing dock at suarez point on española island

As soon as my sneaker hit the granite steps, I had entered a world of wildlife. Adult and baby sea lions were zipping through the water playfully, while others were sun-bathing in the crevices of the volcanic boulders. Brightly-colored Sally Lightfoot crabs were crawling from rock to rock. Their vibrant red, orange and yellow colors bursting boldly underneath the morning sun. I noticed the iguanas perched on the rocks as well – only distinguishable from their surroundings by the red-green coloration on the sides of their scaly body. I learned that these marine reptiles were known as the Christmas iguanas.

The sea lions were calling out to each other in noises equivalent to honking. On the sandy shore were pairs and groups of three or more that would be cuddling side-by-side, occasionally flapping their flippers and shaking their heads to get rid of bothersome flies. Right near the edge of a hedge of bushes was a collection of Christmas Iguanas all sprawled out. Their arms firmly on the ground but their heads raised high with closed eyes, embracing the warmth of the rays.

the christmas iguanas sun-bathing on española island

We walked on the marked path, spotting birds along the way. The Galapagos National Park is doing an incredibly marvelous job of ensuring that all visitors know the rules. Tour guide George made sure we followed them. If a sign said “stop” we stopped and went no further, despite our strong urges to do so. The Galapagos Islands have only recently been taken off UNESCO’s endangered list after environmental threats and so much tourism had withered away the islands’ conditions, resulting in a halt to any visitation. Today, the main goal is to keep it off the list and protect the animals, and their environment.

Iguanas were sun-bathing on almost every surface. I had to carefully check each spot before I put my foot down so that I wouldn’t happen to step on a tail. Overhead, birds were catching the wind currents and soaring gracefully above the crashing ocean waves. Others could be seen on the ground pecking around for their breakfast. When I caught up to the group, I heard their fingers feverishly clicking the buttons on their cameras. I looked down and noticed the blue feet. The infamous blue-footed boobies were less than a yard from our own feet.

the blue-footed booby doing the mating dance on española island

We quietly watched as they performed their mating dance, which goes a bit like: left foot up, left foot down, right foot up, right foot down, ruffle the feathers and wings, and look at the female you are trying to impress with hopeful eyes. Every now and then they would puff up their chest and let out a whistle sound. Even though I’m not a scientist, I could not help but be fascinated by the blue-footed boobies and their mannerisms. The group stayed for nearly 15 minutes watching nature’s act play out live right before our eyes.

Eventually, we had to reluctantly move on to the ushering of tour guide George who wanted to show us a lookout spot known for its blowhole. Some boulders became our resting spot as we impatiently waited for the rumored 65-foot high spurt of water that was known to shoot up iguanas that had accidentally stayed too long in the area. However, we were not lucky to see such an event but the view of the cliffside and deep blue ocean were just as good.

a nazca booby and its egg on española island

Just down the path and down a rocky hillside was the iguana-filled land. I learned that the soft-sand area to the left was the only place on Española island where the iguanas crawl up the terrain to nest. This was a forbidden area to step so as not to disturb their breeding grounds. Instead, we walked around it to the other side and back up the hill, noticing two Nazca Boobies that were keeping their baby eggs warm. An area of birds had turned a bit hostile while we were there. They were fighting others that kept meandering into their territory. It was just one more great moment of nature to witness before we made our way on the rocky path back to the bay area to watch the sea lions play and Sally Light-Foot Crabs crawl. The Christmas iguanas had disappeared from their sun-bathing area since it was now covered in shade. When the group became a group again we took our zodiacs back to the catamaran, which turned on the engine and sailed on over to Gardner Bay, which is known for its sun-bathing sea lion colonies.

a sea lion standing proper in the española bay

baby sea lion climbs onto rock in española bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a sally lightfoot crab on española island

sun-bathing christmas iguana on española island

A Voyage to Darwin’s Land: the Galapagos Islands

I’m off to the Galapagos Islands! Yes, I AM! My friend over at TravelsWTavel was able to find the most amazing last-minute deal and I simply could not pass it up.

the galapagos islands located roughly 525 miles west of Ecuador

The best way to find an affordable trip to the Galapagos is by endless searching and searching, phone calls and e-mails to find last-minute deals. Otherwise, it is nearly impossible to fit in a trip to Darwin’s Land on a budget. It is not hard to find a last-minute deal, because not all the ships fill up each week. However, the tricky part is finding one that gives you the most bang for your buck. When I say my friend and I were lucky, I mean it.  It is nearly unheard of  to get a 5 day – 4 night trip on a luxury catamaran for the price we’re paying. Trust me, we’re reminded that by everyone we talk to about it.

The voyage begins tomorrow and we will be on the luxury-catamaran Nina, which is said to be the best ship sailing the islands right now. Our journey is 5 days – 4 nights and our itinerary includes:

Tuesday: San Cristobal Island /La Galapaguera

pm: La Galapaguera or Interpretation Center:
The Galapaguera allows you to see the Giant Tortoises in their natural environment. Marvel at the tiny babies, or the gentle giants, which, at four-foot, are probably as long as some of your friends are tall. Given the right conditions, the option to visit the Interpretation Center in San Cristobal is available

Wednesday: Española Island

am: Suárez Point:
Often listed as a Galapagos ‘favorite visitor site’, this is a great place to see Blue-Footed Boobies and the Waved Albatross. Like most Galapagos wildlife, the Boobies are so accustomed to life without predators, that they will hardly note your existence. Be prepared for an up-close look at their families, and marvel at the elegance with which they glide through the air. You can also see the famous blowhole, which spurts water sixty-five feet (twenty meters) high. Bring your camera.

pm: Gardner Bay:
Española Island is where nearly all of the world’s twelve-thousand pairs of waved albatrosses nest and breed. Gardner Bay includes a beautiful, white sand beach where you can nap near a sea lion colony. This is a prime spot for snorkeling or relaxing on the picturesque beach as the clouds float by.

Thursday: Floreana Island

am: Champion & Cormorant Point:
Our trail will take us along a beach where the sea lions bask in the sun. We’ll make our way behind white and black mangroves, and come upon a brackish water lagoon where the vivid pink flamingos pose. Then we’ll head up to a remarkable look-out point before taking in the white sand beach where the sea turtles nest. The nearby Champion Islet is widely considered to be one of the best snorkeling and diving sites in the Galapagos.

pm: Post Office Bay:
At Post Office Bay, eighteenth century whalers used a barrel as an unofficial mail drop. In those times ships were often away from home for two or more years at a time. Ships on their outward journeys would leave letters and ships returning home would pick them up and bring them to their homeland. Many Galapagos visitors continue the custom, and you may leave, or retrieve, a letter as well. No postage required.

Friday: Santa Cruz Island

am: Charles Darwin Research Station :
At the Charles Darwin Research Station, you will get to meet what the Guiness Book of World’s Records has dubbed ‘The Rarest Living Creature’, Lonesome George is the last of the Pinta Giant Turtles. In the walk-in enclosure, you can mingle with the adult Giant Tortoises, while the baby tortoise house will allow you to meet little giants, aged four years and younger. Scientists are available to share how they work to keep Galapagos thriving. Afterwards you will have an opportunity to look around Puerto Ayora for souvenirs.

pm: Isla Plaza :
This island is a very special place in the Galapagos; you will find a big colony of Sea Lions, Land Iguanas, and a variety of different bird species. There is a fantastic, cliff-side view of the ocean, and the fascinating Opuntia Cacti forest.

Saturday: North Seymour

am: North Seymour: is a low-lying island with a very large population of Blue-Footed Boobies. It is also home to the largest colony of the magnificent Frigate Birds, whose male representative boasts an amusing red pouch. The first half of our trail is sandy, but as a testament to the diversity of the islands, the second half is rocky (be sure to bring appropriate shoes). As this point, we’ll head back to the airport for your flight to the mainland.

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It shall be any interesting voyage to say the least. Exotic animals and locations. Lots of hiking and snorkeling. And loads of learning! My friend believes in evolution whereas I do not. I have asked her if she would like to make a guest-post from her point-of-view and she said she would love to write one. So  you can hopefully look forward to that at some point in the future.

I will be taking notes during our guided hikes and plenty of pictures. Stay tuned for a video as well.

the infamous blue-footed boobie in the galapagos islands

the infamous giant galapagos tortoise

What animals are we looking forward to the most?

Friend : Blue-Footed Boobies!

Me : The Giant Tortoises!

 

More than anything, I am looking forward to visiting a land that I’ve read about only in books. That is my favorite type of travel. To bring the images and words into reality. The Galapagos Island have recently been taken off Unesco’s endangered list for environmental issues and overuse of visitors since the Ecuadorian government made much progress in conserving the land that led to Darwin’s theories of evolution. To be able to visit it is truly a gift and I hope to share it with you once I return. Bon Voyage!