Go Galapagos Go!

We have arrived!

Sooo... the Galapagos happened! It mayyy have blown the budget, but how could we pass up an opportunity like this? Giant tortoises, sea lions, blue footed boobies, sea iguanas, penguins... well you understand. We booked a last-minute trip with the wonderful Gabby at Ecuador Family Tours that we happened past in Quito on our rainy walking tour day. She was a bubbly sweet lady who helped us negotiate our tour price down a bit with the operator in the island, and was very helpful on recommending what to do and see. Just a flight to book and we were on our way two days later, west-bound to paradise.

One of the giant tortoises of the Santa Cruz highlands

Gabby was wise to suggest we leave a day before our boat left, since sure enough our 9:20 flight was delayed two hours. We arrived at the world's first Ecological airport on Baltra Island, on what looked like a barren wasteland from Mars. Turns out this is the dry season, and there was almost no green to be seen, besides the cactus trees it was all scrubby brown land. Passports were stamped with the Galapagos National Park stamp, and bags were x-rayed for any produce or plants. A short bus ride to the taxi ferry and we were across to Santa Cruz Island! As the single road that crosses the island climbed into the highlands, the brown dry earth gave way to green trees in the hills. We passed two giant craters (these islands are all volcanic of course), and before we knew it, our first celebrities were right there, grazing in the fields as we drove by- giant land tortoises!! Holy cow we were only an hour in to our time here, and there they were plain as day. They really are huge, and ancient looking, and we couldn't wait to see more.

Sea iguana on the move

Feeling fine on Santa Cruz

Locals hanging out downtown Puerto Ayora 

We stayed the night in Puerto Ayora town and wandered about, took a water taxi across the bay to a beach, and then to a swimming place where a river meets the sea in a volcanic rock tunnel. We passed red and pink sea iguanas ('tis mating season) sunning themselves along the path, and couldn't have imagined how many more we were going to see this week. Cactus trees were all around, and we passed some natural salt pools where they harvest salt to dry fish. We enjoyed just being at the pier after dark, where sea lions were lounging on benches- completely unfazed to the tourists all around- and you could spot small reef sharks, rays, and bright red and blue crabs under the glow of the pier's lights. 

Bri was here first, they just flopped over

We were just elated to be in this amazing place!

Our next day we met up with our guide, Fabian, at the pier, and were welcomed aboard the Floreana, our home for the next 5 days. It was a homey little ship, set for 16 people, and 6 crew. We shared a room below deck with a cozy bunk bed and our own bathroom, and had to take some time to get used to the sway of the ship, which was further complicated by an untimely flu bug that made it's way to me after Bri. Sigh! Thankfully it didn't last long.

Big yawn at the Darwin Centre

That day was all about the tortoises, and we had the pleasure of visiting the Charles Darwin Research Centre (www.darwinfoundation.org/en/) where we saw tortoises from all walks of the Galapagos. There were wee hatchlings, born at the centre to be raised up to 4 years old and then released into the wild. There were adults who had been confiscated as pets, or from other zoos around the world- who knows how old some of them really were. Then there was Diego, a male taken back from the San Diego zoo who had had him since sometime in the 1930s. This guy is a pro, and has fathered over 800 offspring with various lady tortoises, and is almost single-handedly responsible for keeping his line of Espanola Island tortoises alive. Although there were once 15 species of tortoises on the various islands, tortoises made for good eating for whalers and pirates in the 18-1900s, who would easily carry these trusting giants off onto their ships. Today 11 species remain, and although numbers for many are low, conservationists here are doing amazing work to repopulate the islands, remove invasive species, and replant the native vegetation they need to thrive. We also had the chance to head up into the highlands to see more tortoises in the wild, and even saw some double-deckers and turtle-lovin' in action. Lava tunnels to hike through here were a bonus!  

We love Boobies

Next stop was Floreana Island on our 2^nd day on the ship. We headed on land in the morning and saw sea-turtle tracks in the sand leading to 3 different nests. Amazing! There was a lagoon here with a solo pink flamingo (make our running total on this trip 9, haha), and along the coast plenty of Blue Footed Boobies. Turns out the brighter the blue the more desirable the mate! It was a real treat as we were headed back to the zodiac there was a pair of little penguinos swimming around on their backs in the water. That afternoon we had a chance to slip on our flippers for the first time, and although the water was a little rough around an outcropping of rock in the deep water, the views below us were unreal. Reef sharks, rays, sea lions, and so many fish!

We stopped off at Post Office Bay, an very old makeshift post office box (barrel) that the sailors used since the 1700s and is continuously used today by tourists. How? Visitors leave their stampless postcards or letters in the barrel, which are later (hopefully) taken in good faith by another tourist who comes and delivers it in person, or posts it for them back home. Brian is on holiday but still finding a way to carry mail- he snagged one for a couple on Ottawa Cres in Toronto! They'll get it eventually.... After a peek in another lava tunnel, we got to splash around the bay in murky waters along the rocks. It was an unforgettable moment laying eyes on those sea turtles for the first time in the water, just swaying with the current as they grazed on algae. Bri and I could hardly believe our eyes that there we were, floating above green sea turtles that were so close we could almost touch them (but we definitely did not ever do that and weren't shy to speak up if we saw others getting too close to any of the wildlife. We saw more than a few examples of ignorant tourists here.) We saw two females there, and a huge male that was bigger than either of us. Pinch me.

Back to the ship! 

Our wee bunk on the Floreana

Through the week we would head to different places by boat that might be a short 1 or 2 hours away in the afternoon, or get going after dinner to sail through the night to our next island. We never fully got used to riding the waves, and the seas could be rough crossing open water through the night- laying down was key to not getting too queasy. Even after walking on land I still felt like the ground was moving, but hey not everyone can be a sailor. Through the days to come we were lucky to visit Isla Espanola, Isla San Cristobal, and Isla Santa Fe, and then Isla Isabella on our own via water taxi. Our days usually started with a short foray on land with some short hikes down marked paths. Although there are a number of ships that tour these islands, tourists are only permitted to visit select sites with the accompaniment of a park guide, and the ships are all monitored with GPS to know they aren't going off-track.  

Frigate bird showing off 

So many highlights to share it's too hard! Walking past piles of sea iguanas basking, nesting blue-footed boobies with their chicks, a young albatross waiting to leave the nest, taking a picture with a giant Darwin statue, seeing handsome frigate birds puff up their red chests, Darwin's finches (the inspiration for his work on the theory of evolution), and scores and scores of sea lions (the little pups almost sound like lambs when they cry!). Gardener's Bay was another highlight, with the whitest sand beach you've ever seen, and no one besides our group of 11 and a beach filled with sea lions. They were none-too-fussed to have us there, and just continued on doing what they do... mostly sleep. Always keep a 2metre distance from wildlife, which can mean moving fast as they scoot past you completely unafraid. The snorkeling too was always unreal, and so different every day. At Lobo Island we swam with young seal lions showing off, at Espanola we swam over a school of bright blue and yellow fish, and at Santa Fe we saw reef sharks, marble rays, and more sea turtles. With so much sea life to admire we are seriously considering our PADI certifications down the road. 

Before we left the boat we were treated to a morning off of Santa Cruz in the mangrove, where the waters were so clear you could see sea turtles and young sharks (and our first and only hammerhead!) swim below the zodiac. Dreamy dreamy dreamy times spent on the Floreana, with our shipmates, crew, and all the critters.

Sassy seals ;) 

The man, the legend

Gardner's Bay

Santa Fe cactus trees 

Morning mangrove friends

 

Adios chicos!

              












Our final days we went on our own to Isabella Island, which meant taking a speed-boat water taxi for nearly two hours that felt like 5. People were sleeping on this boat entirely unfazed to the fact

Wall of Tears

that we were flying and break-neck speeds, smacking the waves hard every 30 seconds as we rose and flew over them, your stomach dropping with each hit. Oh sweet land! We grabbed a hostel here and explored what we could of the island by bike. Of course another visit was in store to the Isabella Island tortoise breeding centre (the ones here were mostly brought into captivity due to a volcanic eruption), visited a pond to see a few more pink flamingos, and biked to yes- another lava tunnel. One sight to see here is a giant 9m Wall of Tears build by convicts in the 1940s and 50s when this was a penal colony. It was a sad sight to see, to imagine stacking lava rocks for absolutely no reason in the scorching heat. Many died here, and there is a memorial to remember them by. We went out for one last snorkel, where we saw many more sea turtles, and then a short hike on land for sea lions and heaps of young iguanas. We were really excited to see penguins again, with 6 little ones standing proud on the rocky shore.

Come Saturday our 8 days were up, and back to the airport we went, bound for Quito.

There isn't enough words can say besides we are in love with these islands, their wildlife, and hope to see tourism remain sustainable and the conservation efforts viable. The world is a beautiful place, especially in this gem in the Pacific.

They're all here- it's the Galapagos