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Published: October 17th 2004
Galapagos
Galapagos by night from the Amigo.Ok bods, probably one of the more interesting ones I hope - if you like wildlife and beautiful islands, that is.
So we departed Quito on friday 8th October so this is where I begin.
Friday - getting there Flight to Galapagos Baltra Airport via Guayaquil, uneventful. Guayaquil looks a bit swampy (Ecuador´s largest city - Quito is the capital but a bit smaller), so quite glad we´re not stopping there at any point.
On arrival at Baltra airport we took some cool pictures of the mysterious-looking volcanic island-rocks. Paid the $100 dólar park entrance fee and met our guide, the rather more senior and charismatic than expected "César", to take us to the good ship "Amigo".
We took a bus for 5 minutes to a canal (the bit of sea between Baltra island and Santa Cruz) and got a boat across it.
Then we took a private bus across the main Island of Santa Cruz (for about 20 miles) and watched the parched plants on the north side of the island turn to lush green misty vegetation within a few hundred yards as we reached the peak in the middle of the island. Basically, where the islands
are located the prevailing wind is southerly so the north sides of all the islands are much different than the south sides. Couple this with the many different ocean currents converging on the islands, and the different types of volcanic rocks and you can begin to understand why there are so many different habitats in what is (relatively speaking) a tiny space.
Anyway, we were shown some huge craters where bubbles of gas in the solidifying lava had made massive holes, the tops of which had caved in under their own weight. I mean big bubbles too, the one we saw was maybe 500 metres across. All covered in vegetation now of course, but with a good imagination you can imagine it forming 3ish million years ago.
We saw the ship briefly and were assigned cabins, then went back to the mainland to hire some wetsuits for snorkelling. We also marvelled at the red crabs. Little did we know that there are millions all over the islands.
We set sail overnight to the first island of Rabida, a 6 hour cruise. (or pootle, in the Amigo)
Saturday - Rabida - Sealions and suchlike We woke up
to a beautiful quiet morning, anchored off a beach - with the telltale *insert sealion noise here* of sealions (the male sealion patrolling his territory, we soon found out). We could make out sealions on the beach, and frigatebirds and pelicans were fishing (diving into the sea) for breakfast.
After breakfast we took the dinghy to the beach and encountered our first sealion (see pictures) at remarkably close range (which was, in later days to be reduced to inches in some cases). The sealions really couldn´t have cared less that we were invading their beach Normandy-style, which was cool - they would open one eye to look at you, then close it and carry on sleeping (the favorite passtime of all sealions).
Baby sealions (very cute), and marine iguanas (should be a picture of those little guys). They seem to like getting into groups and lying around too.
Later on we went to the "Sombrero Chino" (chinese hat) island, and went for a walk where our guide pointed out the rather strange flora including the cactii and the "Holy Tree", a white leafless tree that seems to be everywhere but looks totally dead. But apparently they´re not.
We
snorkelled later on, and had a playful sealion, a feeding marine iguana and a turtle to swim with as well as the usual tropical fish and suchlike. Oh, and a shark too but they´re very shy and he didn´t hang around.
In the afternoon we set sail and were accompanied by frigatebirds all the way, and a great sunset.
Sunday - Bartolome and Black Turtle Cove An early start to climb Bartolome island (a big volcano-type structure thing) before the hoards of American tourists from one of the larger boats, the Galapagos Explorer II (90 capacity). Good view from the top of the island.
We then went to a beach at the shore, and saw some sharks in the shallows. Some of the group waded in but we couldn´t be bothered.
We came back to the beach we landed on and it was filled with the whole capacity of the larger boat and was totally ruined - it felt like the south of france all of a sudden. We snorkelled for a bit but the fish were outnumbered by humans.
So, we set sail again and 3 hours later were offshore from Black Turtle Cove, a much more
interesting place. We all piled into the dinghy and motored into the cove, which was surrounded by mangroves - we went further in deeper and deeper into the cove until we could turn off the outboard and César (our esteemed guide) could paddle us right on top of reef shark groups (white-tips) which was amazing, and we also saw loads of turtles swimming about peacefully, popping their heads up for air every now and then. Black/white spotted rays, stingrays, and goldenrays.
That bit was amazing, and we´re really pleased with the pictures - you can see the best ones on this page.
Later on we swam off the boat and dived in off the topdeck (well, bombed really). Fun.
Monday - North Seymour and South Plazas On a 2 hour walk around North Seymour Island we saw the "Great" and the "Magnificent" frigatebirds nesting, really up close, and there were chicks all over the place. Some on the path and they would just look at us - not frightened at all. So tame, all the animals.
We saw lots of boobies too (heheh), a couple of land iguanas, male and female, and more sealions and marine iguanas.
A
On Bartolome Island
A big volcano type thing bit of a snorkel later on, saw another very shy white-tip reef shark and looked for hammerheads but to no avail so we swam and played with the sealions instead.
A 3-hour sail took us to South Plazas Island and on the island we saw Iguanas feeding on some bits of cactus (we have an amazing video) and saw the cliffs on the south side of the island (remember the wind always blows south to north) and hundreds of birds playing, swooping, fishing and nesting on and arond the cliffs.
Getting bored of sealions now.
Tuesday - Kicker Rock and Sealion Island (remember, we´re bored of sealions now, kids) 6am we sailed around a "Rock" and then between a big split in it. When I say "Rock" it differs from an island in that its land area is only small, although it protrudes from the water about 250 metres. So a pretty big rock then. Sailing through the gap was cool, a bit like the panama canal although hugely different.
So we sailed to SeaLion Island (yay!) and saw loads and loads of mother and baby combos. The very young males sealions already practising biting and butting each
Reef Sharks
smimming, not flying other and the rest generally flopping about the rocks and looking cute. Remember, not afraid of humans at all, or bothered by our presence.
The funniest bit of the day (Si, if you get to this bit you must let me know (I know it´s long)) was watching the 2 gay swiss fellas (Dieter and Massimo) snorkelling off the Amigo later in the day. So, the sea-lions decide to play in the usual way (charging at you and turning away at the last minute - frightening the very first time until you realise they´re playing) with the gay swiss blokes. Well, being pretty camp they had been sunbathing all the time and not snorkelling so they thought they were in mortal danger - the screams coming through the snorkelling tubes were the funniest thing i´ve heard in weeks, accompanied by splashes of flailing arms and legs. Not only Swiss, but gay and called Massimo. It was brilliant.
We went into town later and had a few drinks and played jenga with the other Swiss people from the boat.
Wednesday - Esapñola Island and something else Onto the island with a beautiful white sand beach (crushed coral), sealions and
A shy turtle
(let´s omit the jokes about his head) marine iguanas. We saw lots of birds - mockingbirds, Darwin finches, a Galapagos Hawk, Albatroses nesting and suchlike, and a big pile of iguanas, which to cap it all a baby sealion had decided to crawl over. It was quite a sight.
Thursday - Floreana A wet landing on Floreana, to post-office bay where, a long time ago, a sailor put a barrel for post. The tradition goes that you put in your post without stamp, as long as you take something out for somebody who lives where you are going (ish) and you make sure it gets to them. So we put in our postcard and took out a few English and Irish ones which we´ll post when we get back.
We then went into a lava tube with our torches which was quite cool and walked until we hit water. Very cold water.
Another wet landing on Floreana, with Flamingoes and Stingrays to be seen in a lagoon and just off the beach respectively. The stingrays were inches from our feet as we decided to paddle around them. And yes they do have a sting but apparently it only causes swelling for a few days. Lots of
hermit and ghost crabs - a bit elusive the ghost crabs but you can see the 2-inch wide holes they make for themselves in the sand.
Then we motored back to Puerto Ayora (where we started from) and went into town and had drinks with the gang and a couple of the crewmembers.
Friday - Went to the Darwin station Went to see Lonesome George (Google gives good results) and the other species of giant tortoise. And yes, they are pretty big.
Later on, Bus, boat, bus, plane, taxi back to the Secret Garden in Quito
If you made it this far I´ll buy you a beer when I see you next, you deserve a medal but I don´t have any of those.
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Ladyboi
Animal Planet - the Pete and Sarah special
Being the only waster you know with time on my hands at work I recon I am the first person to get all the way through the message. Sounds like your having a blast. Its great to here your enjoying yourselves, and all of us will be experts on obscure animals by the time of your return. Keep the updates coming.