Our Journey Continues
Nov. 7
We rise early for an expedition to North Seymour, a small
island near Baltra where our journey began. The abundance of wildlife able to survive the
harsh conditions on many of the islands is due to the Humboldt Current,
a cold ocean current that carries nutrients and marine life
from the southern tip of Chili north to Ecuador and Peru. (The Galapagos lie 600 miles off the coast of
Ecuador.) For millions of years the
wildlife here has continued to adapt in ways necessary for its survival.
For example, the Marine Iguana has adapted to ocean
life by learning to swim and dive to a depth of 30 feet or more for food. This species of iguana is found nowhere else
in the world. According to Wikipedia: “Although
the Marine Iguana resembles a lizard, it has developed several adaptations that
set it apart. These include blunt noses
for efficiently grazing algae, powerful limbs and claws for climbing and
holding onto rocks, and laterally flattened tails for improved swimming. “ Charles
Darwin described the Marine Iguana as “hideous-looking” and “most disgusting,
clumsy lizards.” An accurate description I would say except when in water they appear graceful and strong and are amazing swimmers thanks to
the adaptation of long, flat tails.
We also encounter two species of Frigatebirds on North Seymour -
the Great Frigatebird and the Magnificent
Frigatebird, sea birds with enormous
wing span that nest on the islands and swoop to snatch fish from the
surface of the ocean. We observe dozens of them perched in brush and on tree
branches, the males tirelessly strutting their stuff as the females look on,
seemingly unimpressed. One of the most
gaudy displays of machismo in the animal world is the male Frigratebird as he
inflates his bright red pouch in order to attract females for mating purposes. There is no particular mating season for
these birds, apparently any day or month will do, although
mid-December through early April is most common.
Brown Pelicans and Land Iguanas are also plentiful. They curiously peer up at us, unperturbed by
our looming presence. The fearless
nature of the animal life is due to the absence of natural predators on many of
the islands. Nature lives in harmony for
the most part, which is an amazing thing to witness. The Land Iguanas are larger and more colorful
than the Marine Iguanas and feed on prickly pear cactus pads. Can't imagine biting into one of those!
After our hike, we return to the ship where we sail on to Sullivan
Bay, Santiago Island.
On Santiago Island we step out of our zodiac onto the beach and walk a
short distance to the spectacular lava fields.
The most recent volcanic eruption on this island was in 1897. The once powerful lava fields display imprints of hot molten lava swirling, looping, and bubbling, now black and hardened, as if frozen in time. Hardly a sign of life except for one small cactus plant and a tiny lava lizard. The terrain is potentially treacherous. However, we keep our heads down so not to lose our balance as we jump over deep fissures, hop scotch across jagged landscapes, and pause to inspect colorful rock striations until the sun begins to set, casting shadows across the barren rock resulting in a beautiful display of light and shadow we attempt to capture with our cameras.
Nov. 8
We’ve almost forgotten it’s election day back home until we
wake to hear the news of our newly elected President. To be quite honest, it’s a relief being far
from civilization and all the political turmoil. Although we hadn’t realized when we planned
this trip that we would be gone over election day, we’re glad it turned out
this way. We voted early, voted our
conscious, and that was that. However,
we have internet on board ship and a television in our room, so we are not
completely out of the loop. I turn my
phone on once a day to post pictures , otherwise we are device free (except for
cameras). Now I remember what the world
was like before smart phones, PC’s,
tablets, and kindles.
Nov. 9
Next morning, we visit a tortoise breeding center on the island of San Cristobal where we
encounter giant tortoises, once near extinction due to sailors long ago
capturing them for their meat and fat in order to survive long ocean voyages.
In the afternoon we encounter rough seas on our zodiac
crossing over to Punta Pitt. Fortunately, our
zodiac driver is experienced in riding out the waves. Our wet landing involves jumping from our
zodiac into shallow water close to the beach.
On the beach, we change from wet shoes into hiking shoes and are ready
to go.
A steep, narrow trail carved
out of copper colored boulders leads us on a strenuous hike into the highlands
where the rugged mountains open to an expansive, breathtaking view of the
turquoise Pacific. We walk until we reach
the cliffs overlooking the ocean. It is
a climb well worth the effort and a spectacular sight to behold with ocean on
one side and mountains on the other. There is not much wildlife except for birds,
beautiful Blue Footed Bobbies, perched on cliffs and in nests made from sticks,
the only suitable organic material available for nest building. They seem unaffected by the winds and crashing
waves below them. As we gaze back at the mountains, the light
reflecting off the jagged rock make them appear golden one minute and grey the
next. We hike back to the beach as the sun begins to dip below the horizon. What a day!
Nov. 10
This morning we kayak along the rocky coastline of Rabida and
Eden Islet, Santa Cruz Island. The sea
is calm and the sky blue. We apply plenty of sun screen to exposed areas of our skin even though most of our body
is covered by hats, long sleeves and pants.
We paddle along the rocky shore line watching the sea turtles swim,
their small reptilian heads poking out of the water as they come up for
air. They are far better swimmers than
one might imagine, in spite of their clumsy looking hard shells. We barely need to paddle due to the currents,
so we lift our oars out of the water, lean back and float downstream as we soak
in the silent beauty all around us.
At one point we spot a young sea lion swimming alongside our
kayak until he sees another sea lion sunning itself on a nearby boulder. He jumps onto the rock and begins sparring
with the other sea lion making loud screeching sounds until they both flop back into
the sea, leaping in and out of the water. We sit back and watch the show only a few
yards from our kayak!
On our afternoon hike we spot the only Predator of the
islands, the Galapagos Hawk, now extinct on five of the islands. It looks rather harmless and subdued perched
high in some brush.
Nov. 11
We follow a nature trail on Plaza Island which follows the
coast line. Giant Galapagos Cactus
sprout up out of the red, rocky terrain as seen in the photo below.
Nov. 12
Our journey is nearly
over and yet it seems we’ve barely skimmed the surface of life on these
islands. My few short paragraphs are
an attempt to capture some of the highlights of our discoveries, but my
story is far from complete. It’s one of
those journeys where the effects will no doubt be felt long after we arrive home.
Being immersed
in nature, on nature’s terms, is awe inspiring to say the least. It brings to light the inherent quality of all
life which is to reach beyond its borders, to grow and evolve. This primal
urge is embedded in its cellular structure and evidenced on these islands where
in spite of harsh surroundings life continues not only to grow and adapt, but
to thrive.
treasure of God’s making is naught but
nonexistence coming into manifestation.” I believe he knew what he was
talking about.
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