Allen and Mary's Great Adventure in Ecuador: April 2014

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Tuesday (March 18) -- Santa Cruz Island -- all giant tortoises

Today was all about the giant tortoises of the Galapagos, in different contexts. This morning found us anchored outside of Puerto Ayora, a small port on the coast of Santa Cruz Island. Santa Cruz is one of the more mature (older) islands, and is lush in the interior, with large trees in places.

We took pangas to the town wharf, then went up to the Charles Darwin Research Station, a fascinating place that works to save and expand the populations of tortoises in the Galapagos Islands. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin_Research_Station. Here's some of their creatures in captivity --

We spent some time walking through the areas that are protecting and growing young tortoises, then walked into town for lunch, a few pina colladas too many, then lunch at a luxury hotel operated by Metropolitan Touring Company (our tour operator). Then we boarded a bus for a short ride up the slopes of the old volcano to the lush interior highlands of Santa Cruz, which may have been the highlight of our trip.

Photos from Charles Darwin Research Center

Raising baby tortoises -- very cool

Look closely, but they are moving about -- in cages to protect from predators

Another playpen for little ones

Larger babies in the shade

Adult saddleback tortoise in protected habitat

Unusual cacti in research center

Walk to town of Puerto Ayora and local wharf, and luxury hotel

Cemetery on the way to town

Fresh seafood on the dock -- pelicans waiting for treats

Wharf - very busy and warm

Harbor at Puerto Ayora

Luxury hotel for lunch -- right on the beach

Highlands of Santa Cruz -- giant tortoises in the wild

The bus ride from the port to the highlands of the island was interesting in its own right. The terrain climbed and got wetter and more lush by the minute. We got to a small restaurant on a large farming area, and walked around from there to look for giant tortoises migrating from the highlands to the coast to lay eggs. A trip that takes a year to complete. What an afternoon we had!

Walkway to bathrooms - need and lush

We're off to find the big guys

Big trees, similar to mahogany, all over -- majestic

First big one, at base of big tree

Another striking tree

Mary with friend

Found this guy by myself, and sat down, relaxed, and waited for him to come closer to me

Closer...

Closer still...having his moving lunch

Our group found this one

On the way down to the port, I saw something interesting and unusual out the window -- sticks stuck into the ground to make fence posts, that started growing to form living fences! Photos below --

New fence posts

Living fence posts

Living posts

Monday (March 17) Red Beach or Rabida (Jervis Island) -- hiking, snorkel problems, injury, glass bottom boat

This was not one of my better days, and I have no photos, yet. I'm at a loss as to what happened, other than I might have left my camera in the ship when we embarked.

We had a wet landing (meaning it was one of the few times we stepped right onto the beach with possible wet feet). The entire island was red, due to the high iron content of he rocks. We walked (Gabriel was guide) along the beach, then climbed to high ground with great views of the island and the ocean. On the walk we saw plenty of marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers, finches (and Darwin's finches), and unusual cacti.

When we finished the hike, we snorkeled from the rocky beach, and I had problems with snorkel gear, got battered by the waves (cutting my foot in several places), and learned that my snorkel mask was broken beyond repair. I got stung by a jellyfish, but not before I saw some beautiful fish, manta rays, and had a close encounter with a pelican. Mary swam instead of snorkeling, due to foot problems.

Carolyn and Ashley did the glass bottom boat, and saw loads of sharks and starfish -- said that it was almost as good as snorkeling.

Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) (Santa Cruz Island) more details coming

rough water embarcation

tough climb over lava rocks

mockingbirds

yellow land iguanas

flamingos

artic migrant

unusual cacti

I dealt with office conflict issues -- all day on email -- when I could get back to the ship. Not fun.

Sunday (March 16) -- Afternoon -- Tagus Cove (Isabela Island)

After lunch we relocated up the coast of Isabela Island to Tagus Cove. I have no photos of this excursion, unfortunately, but hope to have some from Ashley soon. Our two couples split up, with Carolyn and I snorkeling along a rocky coast, and Mary and Ashley kayaking. Afterwards, Carolyn and Ashley took a strenuous but beautiful hike across a lava field to a beautiful cater, while Mary and I chilled aboard the ship.

My snorkeling was a beautiful show, even with a mask that continued to leak. As before, I swam among many schools of beautiful fish including some big puffers, but this time more non-fish wildlife showed up -- a new and exciting experience for me. First, I was buzzed by some neat Galapagos penguins, looking like they were flying fast underwater. I had just recovered from that when a big sea lion came right at me head on at high speed. It was real enough that I ducked, and he dove under me at the last minute. Scary. He swam very deep and came up again ahead of me, then came at me again with the same move. I then realized that he was just curious and was playing with me, but I suspect that my blood pressure spiked for a little while. Very neat.

Kayaking -- Mary and Ashley will comment

Hike to the crater -- Carolyn and Ashley will comment.

Photos coming soon!

Sunday (March 16) -- Morning -- Urbina Bay (Isabela Island) -- first giant tortoises, great snorkeling

Overnight our floating home moved across the strait and down the coast of Isabela Island to Urbina Bay, below Alcedo Volcano. Isabela Island is really 5 major volcanoes that have become fused together over millions of years as they have migrated to the southeast. We spent the morning walking in low woods behind the beach, and snorkeling from pangas. In the afternoon we got back on La Pinta and headed back up the Isabela coast to Tagus Cove, where we snorkeled, went kayaking, and hiking.

Urbina Bay is a small bay with a pretty beach, with woods behind the dunes. These were some to the first trees we saw in the Galapagos Islands. After we walked in the woods (details below), we went snorkeling along the rocks to the right of the first picture below.

This was my first snorkeling experience in many years, since our times in the Caribbean -- and it was memorable for me. My wet suit worked well, but my snorkel mask from home had developed a slow leak. I saw loads of beautiful fish, including a zebra eel. Midway through the snorkel, a huge pacific green sea turtle, who must have been swimming along below me, decided to surface -- coming up directly into my chest! Neither of us saw the other until the collision. I recovered my wits, and saw 6 more turtles around me (probably 4 different turtles), all of which let me touch the top of their shells.

While Mary was swimming, she was surrounded by sea lions.

What a morning! On to Tagus Cove!

Urbina Bay, with La Pinta on the horizon

Beginning the woods walk

Just as we entered the woods, we had our first encounter with a giant tortoise. Then we saw several.

Heading for his breakfast

Close up

Into the bushes

In the bushes -- different guy

Another one, well hidden

Big iguana

We rounded a bend and spotted a fairly rare occurrence -- the Galapagos hawk -- at the top of a tree. Most of the trees are Poison Trees -- don't touch!

Bird-watching prize -- Galapagos hawk!

On the way back we came across the empty shell of an unfortunate tortoise

Gone to tortoise heaven

And a healthy looking land iguana.

Iguana near burrow

Saturday (March 15) -- afternoon -- Punta Espinosa (Fernandina Island) - the newest island of all

Fernandina Island is brand new as islands go, and is still erupting in recent times -- 2009 was the last serious eruption -- and it is the most pristine of all of the Galapagos islands. It is very close to Isabela Island -- that's Isabela in the upper right corner of the photo. If you notice the faint blue-green spot at about the 1 o'clock position on this photo of the island -- that's Punta Espinosa, our next landing site this afternoon.

Fernandina Island (or the little we saw of it) is a remarkable place. The ground is pretty much entirely one great lava flow, now cooled and slowly eroding, and a harsh place for plants and animals to get established. For some remarkable photos, find this island on Google Earth, and plan to spend more than an hour looking.

Pablo was our naturalist guide for this expedition. The island is a paradox -- pristine yet full of life.

We disembarked into a mangrove forest, using a trail that is above or below water depending upon the tide. But the tide wasn't a real obstacle -- we waded -- but the marine iguanas were. They owned the place where we landed.

Approaching mangrove forest where we hit the trail -- that's the volcano in the background

Through the mangrove to landing

The first thing that greeted us was a mass of iguanas -- marine iguanas, that is.

Not a place to be if you don't like reptiles

Watch your step -- that's my foot

Pablo explained to us the whale skeleton that is being researched and assembled here.

The land is solid rock -- cooled lava

Pablo at his best

Skeleton

Mary was all ears.

Mary, with Isabela in the distance across the strait

Fernandina volcano looming

Toes together, a custom we started in Patagonia with Princeton

This part of the island is a study in pioneer plant species getting established -- mangrove is one, and this cactus is another, starting colonies on bare rock.