Galápagos Islands - Day 3 (Astrid)

---

Monday started with the excited voice of God announcing over the PA system that there was a whale on the starboard side. Before 6am it’s not always evident which side is the starboard, however we did find it and were treated to the back of a huge whale meters away from the boat. It was really too early to absorb the details of this beast, even what kind of whale it was, however we were assured that it was rare. We saw the elusive Rare Whale.

Having washed and dressed by 8, we went by Zodiac to Punta Espinoza where we walked on huge lava flows that were teeming with the sinister appearing but gentle marine iguanas, as well as sea lions, lava lizards, and flightless cormorants. The experience defies adequate description, at least by me, as these amazing creatures are so fearless that you could, if you were a rule breaker, reach out and touch them. Also the geology is bizarre – black expanses of smoking hot lava, sharp as razor blades. Without appreciating the latter, at one point I had occasion to kneel on the lava to help a woman retrieve her hat and jumped up immediately with multiple lacerations on my knee. The wound is healing but I’m checking it regularly for signs of who knows what kind of infection as everything around this place is decorated with layers of guano and lizard spit.

After lunch Paul and Josh went snorkelling while Adrianne and I tried our hand at an equatorial siesta. She’s better at that than am I. P & J came back to report that while under water a cormorant had taken a liking to Paul, pecking at his chest and generally badgering him. He thought he’d be in trouble for touching the wildlife (he’s so not a rule breaker) but it is obviously okay for the wildlife to touch the tourists. She’s probably back at the nest, Tweeting her friends with stories of Paul’s flailing attempts to get away and her superior lung capacity and ability to swallow fish whole. Paul was delighted but guests say that they were terrified that the same thing might happen to them.

Later in the afternoon we were all asked to go to the bridge to watch the boat hit the equator. The guide explained that we had been following an uphill path as we neared the zero line and that we could expect a huge bump then a swift downward descent immediately on crossing. Some guests actually held on to the rails. The Captain sounded the horn three times to announce the moment and everyone congratulated each other for making it. There was a sense of camaraderie; it was quite fun.

Still later we climbed back into the Zodiacs and toured the shores of Isabela Island while the guides told us about the natural history, multiple volcanic eruptions and plate tectonics that created the landscapes and enabled the wildlife to survive. They explained that the Ecuadorian plate moves at the speed of fingernail growth, 22cm per year, which strikes me as pretty fast. They predict that the islands will be completed subsumed in another 50 million years, which is yet another reason to be glad to have come here now.

---

Photos

Marine Iguana
This endemic iguana has the ability, unique among lizards, to live and forage in the sea.

Galapagos Hawk
A large hawk endemic to the Galapagos Islands perches near the lava - perhaps hoping for a youn iguana to snack upon.

Phallic cactus
This clump of fertile cactus was one of the few signs of plant life on the lava.