October 10, 2008
GALAPAGOS...
"But when on shore, & wandering in the sublime forests, surrounded by views more gorgeous than even Claude ever imagined, I enjoy a delight which none but those who have experienced it can understand"
-Charles Darwin
Being in what Darwin himself has deemed the "origin" of the Origin of Species has been an experience that is nothing more than a dream come true. Our three week stint in the Galapagos has been absolutely everything I had believed it to be. The truly unique and distinct environment was in all areas as enchanting as those who have visited before have relayed. I can´t think of a similar environment so enriched and diversified and so intoxicatingly captivating.
We started out our island hopping on the Eastern Island of San Cristobal. With only 6,000 inhabitants it had seemed that we were truly at the end of the earth. The streets were eerily bare although an abundance of sea lions and marine iguanas littered the sidewalks and surrounding beaches. The combination of the hot equadorian sun, the emerald sea and seemingly prehistoric landscape gave you a feeling of being transported back in time. Although extraordinarily beautiful from our modern perspective, it is no wonder that the first explorers had deemed this barren land ¨the gateway to hell¨.
Marine Iguana on the beach
A tough life...
After a couple of days basking on the beaches and relaxing on our seaside patio, we left San Cristobal to head West to the much more tourist oriented island of Santa Cruz. For me, stepping foot on the island was a dream come true as the first place we visited was the Charles Darwin Research Center. There, surrounded by copious amounts of evolutionary evidence and information, I finally got to see what I had read about throughout all my years at Uni. We saw finches, tortoises, land iguanas and of course, the legendary Lonesome George, the last known living tortoise from the Island of Pinta. WOW! And the greatest treat for me was the rumour that George had infact helped in producing the first batch of Pinta\Wolfe eggs with one of the female Wolfe tortoises in his enclosure. It looks like Lonesome George may not be so lonesome anymore!! =) I know it may not be so relevant to many of you, but for me it was the perfect accompaniment to an already fabulous experience.
Not so lonesome George..
Although hard to top, we left Santa Cruz to embark on another extrodinary 8 day experience aboard the yacht Golondrina. On Golondrina we were able to visit those islands not accessible without a guide or private certified yacht. Although not cheap, the cruise was necessary as without it we would have not seen the unforgettable flora and fauna of each islands perfectly preserved individual ecosystem. We saw so many mindblowing things that I am sure my words won´t be able to do them justice but here goes.
Our fearless vessel.
Diving\snorkeling--right here is why we came to the Galapagos. With four major currents colliding, we saw the most diverse array of species I have ever seen under water. We saw hundreds of species of fish, sally-lightfoot crabs, eagle rays, sting rays, manta rays, white tip sharks, black tip sharks, galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, sealions, turtles, octopus, moray eels and an abundance of other marine life. Now I know what most of you are thinking, Rebecca...you are terrified of sharks...well yes I am, but the comfort of knowing that there are so many more appealing objects to snack on down there had put me slightly more at ease...slightly.
Ready to battle the seas..
Turtle Power!
A playful sealion
Landscape\in the air--The landscape is ever changing throughout the islands of the Galapagos. Some of the elder islands display lush and rich forest while other ´teenage´ islands are barren for miles with only an abundance of volcanic debris. Likewise, those animals which inhabit the islands are equally as diverse since only those which can adapt to the environment can survive. We´ve seen so many species of birds that it´s hard to keep track of them all. We´ve seen blue-footed, red-footed and nazca boobies as well as dozens of species of Darwin´s finches, flamingos, mockingbirds, frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, red-beaked tropical birds, penguins (yes, I said penguins), owls, doves, gulls and of course, my favorite, the albatross. With a wingspan of nearly 7 feet it is truly a remarkable bird to observe.
Beach on Genovesa
Such is love...
Blue Footed Booby
Flamingo
Red Footed Booby
Cactus
Pelican
Land Animals--Other animals on the islands also show some truly unique characteristics. Although extremely abundant, both marine and land iguanas always seem to amaze us when we see them. In no way do they feel any sense of threat towards humans so they easily will approach you with little or no hesitation--remarkable! The tortoises´ have also been a highlight. Ranging in size from a few inches to two meters long, these graceful giants dominate the landscape with ease. Since they live up to 200 years, a sense of superior insight and profound wisdom is ever present when you gaze into their eyes. Seeing these animals in the wild is a remarkably humbling experience.
Land Iguana
Tortoise
Sally-Lightfooted Crab
And who said three´s a crowd =)
I´m sure, like I said before, my words don´t do justice to the amazing things we´ve seen. The cruise, which we´ve now left behind, allowed us to visit close to a dozen islands which we would have never seen or possibly even heard of. The diversity we observed has left us awestruck, dumbfounded and filled with modesty and respect for our surroundings that is worth more than we could have ever imagined.
And now, we sit on the last of our Galapagos islands called Isabela. The island which is the youngest we have seen so far has proven to be the most unique. We are surrounded by white sand beaches, palm trees, sunshine and beautiful sunsets. The island is also home to 2 active volcanoes and an abundance of trees and wildlife. Yesterday we spent the morning with flamingos in the lagoon, the afternoon with baby turtles at the breeding center and the evening with sleepy-eyed iguanas on the beach. This place is a paradise.
And now we are slowly about to embark on our journey home. We have a few days in Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Brazil before making our way back to Canada. I hope you all have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have in writing it. Possibly it will encourage you all to come and experience for yourself this all that South America has to offer and perhaps offer me insight into those destinations that we still dream to visit.
Posted by bex at October 10, 2008 8:04 AM