The Galápagos Islands - Day 2 (North Seymour Island)

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We had an early start this morning for our excursion to North Seymour Island. Felipe was our National Park Service guide today. He arrived at 7.00am with a bus and driver to take us back to the other side of Santa Cruz Island to board the boat that would be taking us to North Seymour. On the way Felipe told us that North Seymour Island is located just to the north of Baltra Island and that Baltra Island was actually called South Seymour Island until WWII. It was nicknamed Baltra during the war to confuse the Japanese if they intercepted communications. Since then it has continued to be called Baltra.

At the Itabaca Canal we had to don very elegant red life preservers to be ferried across to the motor launch in an inflatable boat with an outboard motor. Everyone managed to transfer without anyone falling in and no valuables were dropped overboard! It only took about 45 minutes to reach North Seymour Island where our boat tied up at the yellow buoy.

This time our transfers ashore were managed without life preservers. I'm not sure if that was because we were out of sight of any port officials or if it was to spare us having to carry our life preservers all the way around the island?? As we approached the island we could see a magnificent brown pelican perched on the rocks.

As soon as we clambered ashore we were oohing and aahing over the huge orange crabs that were scurrying about all over the rocks. After only a short walk we had also seen a sea lion. A little further along the trail saw us arriving at the frigate birds' rookery. There were male birds (red neck pouch) and female birds (dark grey all over) as well as juveniles (grey with a white head) and chicks (really cute bundles of fluffy white down). We were lucky enough to see a number of the male frigate birds with their red neck pouches inflated to impress the female birds. As we walked along the coastal zone also saw a number of blue-footed boobies and another sea lion.

While we watched the frigate birds resting in the low growing coastal trees and wheeling about over the beach and boobies sitting on rocks Felipe explained details of both birds' reproductive and life cycles. It is a sad fact that around 70% of the birds that hatch will never make it to maturity i.e. it's all about the survival of the fittest.

Next we headed inland to the arid zone where we came upon our first land iguanas. These guys are just about the exact same reddish orange colour as the reddish orange gravel/soil that is found in the arid zone where the cacti grow. Felipe had to point out the first iguana resting at the base of a small cactus tree. I think we all would have trooped strait past it without an expert guide to actually spot it and point it out. Thereafter we were extra observant every time we passed a cactus and, sure enough, there was an iguana or two resting underneath quite a few of the cacti.

After our walk amongst the wildlife on North Seymour Island we returned to the boat where the crew had been busy during our absence preparing lunch. After lunch we sailed around to a beautiful sandy beach on the other side of the island. We were ferried ashore again and had to decide on whether we wanted to go for a walk before swimming or if we would forego the walk and swim. Bernie decided to put his hiking boots on and go for the walk. I remained unclear exactly what we were going walking to see so I decided not to try to put my socks and boots on over my wet, sandy feet and get straight into the water for a swim.

The girls and I were enjoying ourselves immensely in the water when I very hesitantly said to them - 'I haven't got my glasses on, but I think that might be a marine iguana sitting on that rock'. I have been known to mistake rocks for all sorts of birds and animals in the past so I was very relived when our guide, Gina, confirmed that it definitely was an iguana sitting on the rock! Before long this iguana was joined by others returning to the warm sand from the ocean. Because they are reptiles i.e. cold-blooded, they cool down when they enter the ocean to catch their food so they have to sit on the rocks to warm up before they have enough energy to cross the sand and enter the shelter of the coastal undergrowth. While we were swimming we also saw a turtle, several Pelicans, some sand pipers and innumerable giant orange crabs on the rocks. We were hoping that the walkers were also being successful sighting wildlife to make it worth their effort.

The walking group returned to the beach and told us that they had seen a turtle track, but no turtle, a few marine iguanas and some sand pipers. When they reached the lagoon which was, apparently, the objective of the walk, they were lucky enough to see three pink flamingos. Felipe told them that sometimes the flamingos are there, sometimes they are not. Fortunately today they were lucky enough to see some flamingos. Having seen hundreds of flamingos last year in The Camargue National Park in the south of France, I wasn't too disappointed about not seeing the flamingos today.

After the walkers cooled off with a swim it was time to be ferried back to the boat for afternoon tea and the return trip to the dock on Itabaca Canal. When I went to put my sunglasses back on I discovered that one of the arms had come off. It appeared that the screw had popped out, because I could see the tiny silver screw in my sunglasses case. Damn! I very carefully put my dismembered glasses back into the case and zipped it up to keep the screw safe until a tiny screwdriver can be found to put the screw back in!

Back on Santa Cruz Island we were taken by bus back across the island to Puerto Ayora where we washed all the salt water, sunscreen and insect repellent off. Feeling refreshed we went for a walk along Charles Darwin Avenue to check out the souvenir shops. The souvenir shops were much the same as souvenir shops the world over. Of more interest was the fish cleaning station where the fishermen were cleaning their day's catch ... watched avidly by some hopeful pelicans and a sea lion who was just like a dog begging for a kitchen scrap!

Dinner was included again tonight, but we ate at a different restaurant a little further along Charles Darwin Avenue than on Tuesday night. Some members of our group were very relieved to have options other than fish to choose from tonight. After tuna for lunch, dinner and then lunch again in the last couple of days tuna was getting a little bit boring. Tonight's fish option was swordfish with a calamari sauce which Bernie and Meredith tell me was very good. I'm sure it was good, but then so were the char-grilled pork chops that I had with BBQ sauce!



Steps for the day 7,181 (5.29km)

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Comments

[Janet Morrison]

First class wildlife photography
Thanks for sharing those beautiful wildlife images. There is something so special about seeing wildlife in the natural environment. Even without the photos it is a memory to be treasured in your mind's eye. But it is also really wonderful for the armchair travellers to see a little of your once in a lifetime experience!