Day 1
2nd October
We arrived in the Galapagos and immediately the variety of wildlife was apparent. From the frigate birds circling close overhead to the legions of red and black crabs occupying every part of the shore line, the animals showed no fear. After we'd settled on the boat and after eating it was off to see the giant tortoises. What used to be a six hour horse ride for tourists is now a much shorter truck drive to an area which is just full of giant tortoises. These huge creatures have no natural predators and so there size and shell have developed not for defence but for feeding. There huge size means that they can easily knock over the succulent cactus that provides the best nutrition in the drier parts of the island. Unlike other tortoises where the shell closely hides the body, the front of the giant tortoise shell has opened up in order to allow their reach to extend upwards to feed on the juicier leaves slightly higher up. Unlike in many species of turtles where the females are bigger because they need more resources for egg laying, in the giant turtles the males have evolved to become bigger so that they can defend territories and the best females for breeding. The animals have the free range of the island as it is illegal for farmers to build concrete fences, a bit of barbed wire is obviously nothing to these behemoths. And the animals migrate across the island, although obviously they're hardly olympic sprinters and it can take them 2 months to cover 15 km or so, obviously with a lot of eating along the way.
Back on the boat and we are still surrounded by wildlife. The two small speedboats docked at the back each have their own resident pelican, and in the light shining on the water we can see a small Galapagos shark circling the boat. Anyone for a swim? A hearty meal and its off to bed. We have an early start in the morning, snorkelling, and walking, with Flamingos to be seen.
Day 2 - Floreana
First full day in the Galapagos, and what a day. What wonders have been yielded up. We got up early and at 8 headed for post office bay for some snorkelling - this is where there sailors used to leave letters to be delivered by passers by. On the way we spotted a couple of penguins, a rare site on this island as there are only around 50 pairs, and a blue footed boobie perched on the rocks. From the beach we went snorkelling and straight away I almost bumped into a large green turtle. These animals are so graceful under the water it was hard to leave it. I've never been so close to a turtle before, but more was to come. The whole area was full of turtles and at one point they had me surrounded.
On returning to the beach it was as if the wildlife was coming out to meet us. Everywhere you looked something new appeared, all over the rocks there were crabs, and hidden away a seal. Then flew down a heron and stood in the perfect position for photos. It was as if they were being paid to pose, and none of the animals show any fear, you can approach to within a few feet with ease. This had been sold to us as the beach where we wouldn't see much, so what more could lie in wait for us.
Before lunch we headed to an area called the Devils's crown, a small grouping of rocks. On our way the boat was escorted by a group of frigate birds, gracefully gliding in the air currents, sometimes only a few feet away from our waiting cameras. In the water at the devil's crown, a strong current took us around and we saw another turtle, and clouds of yellow tailed surgeon fish, but more was to come. As we returned to the boat our dingey was surrounded by an enormous pod of bottle nosed dolphins, easily a few hundred individuals. They were swimming and jumping all around us, playing around the boat. To see so many at one time and so close, literally within touching distance, was breath taking. And all this before lunch.
After lunch and a quick snooze, all the excitement is exhausting, we headed off to another part of the island where we landed next to a baby seal and its father, heading back from the beach a bit we came to the edge of a lagoon with its resident population of flamingos. It was almost a bit disappointing that the flamingos weren't closer. We've already come to expect up close and personal encounters. We continued walking past the lagoon to another beach which is famous for turtles nesting, and from the beach you could see turtles, sealions and sharks playing in the water, along with the obligatory herons, frigate birds, and pelicans. On the way back to the boat we spotted a marine iguana catching the last rays of the dying sun on the rocks.
Truly an amazing day. You don't want to close your eyes for a minute for the fear that you will miss some new wondrous site or experience. What more is there to see? Its not often you take over 200 pictures in one day.
Day 3
The Galapagos is better than any zoo you will ever visit. It's like one enormous walk through aviary where the animals don't lurk in the corners, but confront you at every footstep. After a very early start we disembark at the beach and are immediately confronted by groups of baby seals playing everywhere in the sand, in the rocks, and in the sea. Behind the groups of seals on the rocks are large groups of marine iguanas basking in the early morning sun trying to get their body temperatures up. This closeness with the seals may not be just a coincidence because the iguanas rely on bacteria they ingest from the seal poop in order to digest the unpalatable algae that they feed on from the sea. Every step we take we are in danger of stepping on something from a baby seal to a rock lizard to a blue footed boobie which also have littered themselves around the path. Our real aim though is to see some albatross. When I was told we see albatross I was expecting to see a few from afar, maybe circling high above or nesting on a sheer cliff. Our first encounter though is of a baby albatross, all fluffy feathered, sitting smack bang in the middle of the path, and then a bit further on a pair just sat right next to the path. Again they show no fear and do not move as we approach. Moving on a bit further we see an adolescent Galapagos hawk sunning himself on a rock just off the path, and then a snake doing the same. Sunbathing and eating seem to be the prime occupations of the majority of animals here, and certainly they don't have any preoccupation with the human visitors. Eventually we arrive at a cliff top that is covered by nesting albatross. Literally feet away from where we are standing, with more albatross swooping overhead, accompanied by blue footed boobies and more hawks. How truly wonderful a sight it is to see nesting albatross with a rainbow from the sea spray thrown up as a back drop. One couldn't have pictured a more idyllic back drop if one tried.
Back to be boat and after a quick breakfast we go for a snorkel. The highlight of the snorkel is the sealions that we see up close and personal playing with us under the water. They are so graceful under the water propelling themselves at great speed like torpedoes with only a brief flick of their flippers. As they dart through the teaming shoals of fish the fish seem to evaporate and solidify before our very eyes. I could have spent all day watching this merry underwater dance.
The afternoon is a time for a nap as we head of too another island called St Christopher where there is a town and we will head ashore for a few drinks, and reflections over the wonderful sights we have seen so far. My camera is the only thing that is more exhausted than me from the excitement.
Day 4
tbc...
21 °C
