Roger's Web Site | Galapagos 2016

ROGER'S WEB SITE | GALAPAGOS 2016

On Thursday, Nov 24th (Thanksgiving Day), we flew to Quito to begin an 11 day excursion in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin's old haunt. The flights (in both directions) were the worst part of the trip. We left home at 9:00 a.m. and flew via Houston on United, arriving in Quito at midnight. By the time we got to our hotel it was almost 3 a.m. In the next room, a pair of sex maniacs were enjoying themselves loudly, clearly audible through the adjoining door. They seemed to have an unlimited appetite for it, day and night. Thus we slept not, missed breakfast and only managed a bus and walking tour of old Quito in the early evening. One great surprise was that Rick, Barb's nephew, who survived an even more arduous journey from Vienna, was at the hotel already. We had expected to meet him in the Galapagos. We were very pleased to see him and enjoyed a fine meal together at Urko after the tour. Here follows many photos and a minimum of chit-chat:

View of Quito from the Basilica (Rick) All Photos by Roger unless noted (thus) CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE	The Basilica (Rick)	Plaza de la Independencia (Rick)	The Basilica and City (Rick)
Rick and Barb in Urko The restaurant serves small plates (see right) > We ordered two plates each.		Leaving Quito	First Look at our Ship, the Silver Galapagos (Rick) CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE

On Saturday, Nov 26th, we flew from Quito to Baltra, Galapagos where our ship, Silversea Expedition's Silver Galapagos, awaited us offshore. A small ship by cruise standards with only 100 passengers, it is the largest ship permitted to sail the islands. There were only about 70 on our cruise, the week after Thanksgiving. There are two more ships this size and many Ecuadorian boats carrying 16-30 passengers. The islands and the surrounding ocean form a huge national park and there are many regulations designed to protect the pristine environment. Licensed guides accompany tourists everywhere except in the few small towns. Our baggage was searched incoming and outgoing to make sure we did not bring anything in or take anything out. Any kind of discharge from the ship is prohibited. Touching or approaching the animals is not allowed unless it cannot be helped. The end result is a Garden of Eden where animals thrive and are totally unafraid of humans. The cold Humboldt and Cromwell currents surge up from the Pacific floor as they hit the archipelago, bringing plankton, algae and other tiny life forms that nurture the abundant food chain. At other times of the year, the currents are dominated by warm waters from Central America which are not so rich, so starvation and mass extinctions can occur on the islands if the warm currents predominate too long.

The Galapagos straddle the equator. We crossed it at least twice on our week's cruise. The climate is mild, though, cooled by the ocean waters. Temperatures were in the 70's (20's C) while we were there. However, the sun beats down vertically and heavy-duty sun protection is a must.

Map of the Galapagos, Our Route is in Red Nov 27th found us moored off Bartolome Island where Rick hiked to the summit of Bartolome volcano while Barb and I went boating in a Zodiac. In the afternoon the ship moved on to Santiago Island and we all went on a Zodiac tour. Sea Lion Greets Rick on Bartolome >> CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE		Silver Galapagos Anchored off Bartolome (Rick) Zodiac Boats (RIBs) Ferry Us Around	Pinnacle Rock, Bartolome (Rick) View from Bartolome Summit (Rick)
Pinnacle Rock	Great Blue Heron	Pelican	Galapagos Hawk
Playa Bartolome (Rick & I snorkeled here)	Sea Lion and Sally Lightfoot Crabs	Pelican Feeding its Offspring	Sunset off Playa Espumilla, Santiago Island (Our afternoon destination)

Overnight, we moved on to Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela where we explored the coastline of Ecuador volcano while Rick went snorkeling in deep water. The ship's photographer Jorge took wondrous underwater photos here and elsewhere but I am not allowed to publish them here. I can use them in the upcoming video of the trip, however. In the afternoon, we moved on to Punta Espinoza, Fernandina, where we hiked over newly minted black lava and sand at the foot of a volcano for 2 1/2 hours and saw hundreds of iguanas, crabs and sea lions.

Anchored at Punta Vicente Roca	Sea Cave, Ecuador Volcano CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE	Rare Sighting of a Mola Mola (Ocean Sunfish) Largest vertebrate fish in the world	The Iconic Blue-Footed Booby (Rowan)
Marine Iguana Clan	Marine Iguanas. Silver Galapagos Beyond	A Face Only a Mother Could Love	A Face Anyone Could Love
Sally Lightfoot Crab	Iguana Corpse	Lava Cactus The first plant to grow on a new island	Sunbathing on the Beach CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE
Right Whale Skeleton	Barb and Rick Aboard a Zodiac	Evening at The Grill	Steak and Lobster in The Grill

Today was the first time we were really able to see the staggering variety and abundance of life on the islands. Even on the young island of Fernandina, where plants have yet to take hold, the land, sea and air are teeming with animals.

The Galapagos Islands are formed one at a time by the welling up of molten lava from a 'hot spot' (weakness) in the Earth's crust. Shield volcanoes push up thousands of feet from the ocean floor until they emerge above the water as islands. At the same time, the tectonic plate below is gradually moving towards the south-east. Consequentially, the newer islands are in the west and north and still have active volcanoes over the hot spot. They are places of black lava and dust, populated by very few plants such as the lava cactus (see above). As the new island moves south-east off the hot spot, the volcanoes die and the land becomes lush with vegetation. The higher the land, the more rainfall it generates and the lusher it becomes. At the same time the tectonic plate is also sinking to the east as it slips under the South American plate. So the older islands gradually sink once more below the sea in an inexorable conveyor belt of life and death.

Next day, Nov 29th, we returned to Isabela at Caleta Targus. After a 'dry' landing (no wet feet!) by Zodiac, we hiked up 330 feet in 1 mile to a point above Darwin Lake. This lake is way above sea level but is filled with salt water, much to the chagrin of early seafarers who looked here in vain for a source of fresh water. How did this happen? There are two main theories. One is that the lake used to be at sea level, but the whole island was uplifted taking the lake with it. The other is that a tsunami filled the lake. Although it sits in an area of low rainfall and so should be dry, the water is extremely saline and resists evaporation.

Boarding a Zodiac for the Trip Ashore	We Waited as a Sea Lion Slid Past (Carmen)	Still About 20 ft to Slide Down to the Sea	Hikers at Darwin Lake (Anon)
Darwin's Finch, as in "The Origin of Species" CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE (except Lake Panorama, top, and Badge, right)	Galapagos Penguin (Rowan) Endemic to the Galapagos, it is the only penguin living north of the equator.		Our guides all proudly wore the official badge (left) of the Park Service. They are a fine bunch of young Galapagos enthusiasts and all are women (except one). All are experts and are greatly responsible for the preservation of this amazing natural reserve. Late Morning Peaceful Paddle

Pelicans in the Mangroves (Rick)

In the afternoon we sailed to Bahia Elisabeth, still on Isabela. As we cruised, we were treated to a lecture on "Darwin in the Galapagos" by our naturalist, Gilda Gonzalez. I had read The Voyage of the Beagle in preparation for this trip and had become fascinated by the travels of the young 26 year-old Darwin. I gleaned from his book that he was a very likable fellow - friendly, outgoing, inquisitive and adventurous. I could imagine myself chatting with Charlie over a beer and a meal of giant tortoise and thoroughly enjoying the encounter, if not the tortoise. What does not come across in the book is that he was horribly seasick most of the time. Gilda filled in that snippet, and many other insights. Had he not been so sick he would not have pleaded to go ashore so much. He covered most of South America on foot or on horseback, collecting specimens as he traveled. Never has a case of seasickness had such an effect on the course of history. Incidentally, Barb suffers from motion sickness but this time she wore a 'acupressure wrist band' and had no problem at all.

In the late afternoon we embarked on a fascinating Zodiac tour of the mangroves on Bahia Elizabeth. These salt-resistant trees grow up to 70ft high in the shallow brackish inlets of the island. We cruised around, silently at times, and saw numerous Pacific Green Sea Turtles just below the surface, a Galapagos Hawk, Brown Noddy Terns, and many pelicans.

Sunset at Bahia Elisabeth

We sailed overnight to Post Office Bay, Floreana. Here is the old post box in a barrel where sailors used to mail letters home. They were sometimes years away from home with no contact with their families or loved ones. (The voyage of the Beagle took over 5 years). Sailors on the return route home would pick up letters from the barrel and deliver them when they got home. The tradition continues today but with postcards. No stamp required! We sent one card and picked up two to deliver in Flagstaff and Nottingham.

The Old Post Office Barrel

Pelican on the Beach at Post Office Bay

In the afternoon we moved on to Punta
Cormorant, Floreana and went for a Nature
Walk.

Yellow Warbler at Punta Cormorant

Leaving Punta Cormorant

Sally Lightfoot Crab

CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE

Next day, Dec 1st, we were anchored off Galapaguera Cerro Colorado, San Cristobel where we rode ashore to visit a giant tortoise breeding center and refuge. Giant tortoises are endemic to San Cristobel. They were almost wiped out in the 19th Century as they were a prized source of food for sailors starved of meat. Giant tortoises can live for months without water so they would be stacked alive in the holds of ships until they were killed and eaten. The breeding center incubates the eggs and nurtures the baby tortoises in safety until they are about 5-10 years old and big enough to survive in the wild. When fully grown they have no natural predators, though young tortoises can be taken by hawks and snakes.

Baby Tortoises	Giant Tortoise	Giant Tortoise	Lava Lizard
Sea Lion in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (They hang out all over town!)	Beached Wreck at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno After the Breeding Center, we wandered round this friendly port for a while before returning to the ship.	House in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno	Rough Kayak Ride in Cerro Brujo In the late afternoon, Rick went to the beach while Barb and I went kayaking but the sea was rough and we gave up early.

In the evening we had a last dinner at The Grill (left), an open-air restaurant on the back of the ship. Meat and fish is served partly cooked on hot lava rock slabs and finished by the diner to their liking. On the right is Rowan, an Australian lady we befriended aboard. I will be forever in her debt (see photography footnote). There is another larger restaurant below decks also.

Silver Galapagos is one of three Silversea Expedition ships which are smaller than the regular Silversea Cruise Line ships. She was built in 1990 as the Galapagos Explorer II and bought, renamed and refurbished by Silversea in 2013. The cabins (which they call 'suites') are larger than most and have a convertible couch in addition to a full size double bed and a separate bathroom. Most rooms have verandas. In spite of the refit, the cabin design is very dated with no underbed storage for cases and poorly designed storage elsewhere. The water pressure failed on two occasions and the air conditioning had a mind of its own. The Ecuadorian staff are friendly and competent and the food was mostly excellent, if sometimes served lukewarm. All shore excursions, food, drinks and activities are included in the cost.

On our last full day aboard, Dec 2nd, Barb, Rowan and Rick visited the Los Gemelos Ecological Reserve in the muddy highlands of Santa Cruz (Right, photo by Rowan). I flunked out because of a bad knee and stayed on the ship. Rick's camera had died after day 2, so I have no other photos of this 4 hour bus ride and hike.

We had a last lunch in The Grill (below) while the ship sailed to Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. We disembarked to visit the Fausto Llarena Breeding Center which is jointly run by the Charles Darwin Research Foundation and the Galapagos Conservancy. The highlights here are the Giant Saddleback tortoises and land Iguanas. It is also the last resting place of Lonesome George, who died here in 2012 aged about 100, the last of his subspecies of Giant Tortoise. After that we had free time in Puerto Ayora before boarding the ship for the last time.

The Grill Lunch Menu (does not enlarge)	The Grill at Lunch, Dec 2nd Roast Suckling Pig Special	Desserts Alfredo, Silver Galapagos' Sole Entertainer CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE	Barb Leads the Way at Puerto Ayora (Rowan)
Giant Saddleback Tortoise	Angelica, One of Our Guides	Land Iguana	Charles Darwin Mosaic (Made of tiny photos of Galapagos wildlife)
Plaque Commemorating a Falmouth University Visit to the Darwin Center	Puerto Ayora Cemetary	Cotton Tree in the Cemetary	Ice Cream Vendor, Puerto Ayora

And so our Galapagos Gallop was over. As you know, I am not subject to irrational exuberance, or any kind of exuberance actually, but this was truly a Trip of a Lifetime. It was action packed and we were tired a lot of the time, but it was well worth it.

Photography notes: Thanks to Rowan for the shots of the Blue-Footed Booby and the Galapagos Penguin. She also saved my bacon when I failed to operate my video camera properly while shooting an unusual tortoise mating scene (right), which was followed by an attack by a second male on the mating male. This unprecedented scene was filmed by Rowan who kindly gave me the video for my upcoming DVD. Rick and Rowan also contributed more photos and notes after the first draft of this journal, for which I am very grateful.

Tortoises Mating (Rick)

On Dec 3rd, we departed the ship at 9:30 a.m. for the 24 hour series of flights back from Baltra via Guayaquil and Miami to Phoenix. The less said about that the better.

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