A Full Morning at Puerto Egas, Santiago

April 14, 2010 A.M.
This morning was a “wet” morning, meaning we put on our swimsuits, our wet landing shoes, grabbed our snorkeling gear (everyone chose fins and masks/snorkels at the beginning of the trip and had their own, numbered mesh bag on the middle deck), and rode the pangas out to Puerto Egas on Santiago Island.

After landing, consisting of swinging your legs around to the outside of the panga and jumping into shallow water, we walked up a volcanic beach and then along intricate lava formations following the shoreline.



Our first wildlife encounter involved watching a Galapagos Sea Lion eating a large fish while a Pelican stole pieces of it. Then a Frigatebird would harass the Pelican, trying to steal the stolen bounty.
Santiago gave me my first encounter with the important, but confounding Darwin’s Finches. As excellent as Fitter, Fitter and Hosking’s guide Wildlife of Galapagos is, I think one needs something much more detailed when trying to differentiate these closely related species. I have yet to find it.

Fatima would help us, though I don’t think she was an expert in the field. Our naturalists, though excellent generalists full of information, admitted the Finches were difficult, even for them. Nevertheless, we worked out most of them as Medium Ground Finches (even though they were in trees) with one, though possibly more, Small Ground Finch.

The Finches were a lot more skittish than I had expected so, even though we were able to see them well through binoculars, we weren’t able to approach them the way we’d been approaching birds such as the Galapagos Hawk.

This was another opportunity to see Lava Herons and appreciate how they’ve developed incredible cryptic coloration on their way to becoming a full-fledged endemic species. The Islands have both Lava and Striated Herons. If you are lucky enough to see both you can begin to appreciate the concept of adaptive radiation.



Some of the lava formations during this walk were spectacular, as was the trail.




To see more (and there is much more), visit our online Galapagos photo album.

After finishing the trail we were given time to snorkel. As usual, Avie and I simply walked along the shallows near rocks with our camera in its underwater case. We didn’t see the variety of life others saw, though we wouldn’t have anyway since we can’t see without our glasses, we got a few good photos.

This is a Bulleseye Puffer:



And this is a species of Hogfish, note the shovel-shaped nose:



After an extremely full morning we rode the pangas back to the Flamingo I, more than ready for lunch. Upon arriving I realized my newish water shoes, which had been great on dry land, had given me a few blisters. Unfortunately, these would be there for the rest of the trip. So always be sure to bring your first aid kit along!

Fernandina Island: Punta Espinoza

April 13, 2010

The rhythm of the day was being set. At 7 a.m. music came over the speaker in our room followed by a gentle wakeup "call" by Fatima. Breakfast was at 7:30 and we were aboard the pangas by 8:15 for our ride over to Fernandina Island's Punta Espinoza. We had a dry landing during low tide and had to scramble over wet rocks slippery with algae.

The trail was mostly over lava since Marine Iguana nests were under the soft sand nearby. As if punctuating that fact, there were large Marine Iguanas lying everywhere and we had to be careful where we stepped. They weren't about to move out of the way and you could easily trip over one if you weren't paying attention to what was at your feet.


The dominant plants along the first part of the walk were Red and White Mangroves, a plant well adapted to growing near salt water. The scenery also offered numerous tide pools with colorful marine life, including a few varieties of sea urchin.


Sally Lightfoot crabs are probably the most incredibly colorful creatures on these Islands, and they were everywhere as well. The young are a cryptic black with small spots to blend in with the lava. The adults are the brightest of oranges and yellows, scrambling over the lava rocks in search of food (and mates?).


At one point a Galapagos Hawk flew in, landing on a Mangrove nearby, with its meal of a smallish Marine Iguana. As we approached the Hawk remained on its perch, totally nonplussed by our presence. It was almost as if he was pleased to have all our attention and cameras focused on him. After a few minutes, though it seemed much longer, it flew off to a snag farther away to enjoy its meal.



We noticed there were large numbers of bones in the various crevices in the lava all along the trail. There’s always visible indications of just how difficult life is for the animals and plants on these islands. Yet ongoing adaptations allow them to continue living here successfully.

Toward the end of our walk we came across a large, virtually intact skeleton of a whale sitting on the lava. The stark contrast of the bones against the dark rock was striking.


We were also able to see quite a few non-endemic bird species, such as Ruddy Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, and even a Striated Heron (a close cousin of the Lava Heron).

Since it was Sea Turtle breeding season, there were several of them visible in the water. I assume we didn’t walk near their nesting sites.

What we didn’t see, though they were there, were any Darwin’s Finches. We were still quite excited about the prospect of their presence and they seemed to be just out of our reach.

We returned to the yacht. Every time we got back our waiter/bartender Jairo had juice and a quick snack available on the middle deck. Then, before lunch, several of us put on our swimsuits and swam a bit in the water off the back of the boat, while the kids on the trip were busy climbing up to the top deck and jumping off.


While we ate lunch, the Captain set sail for nearby Isabela. During our trip we passed a large school of fish being actively chased by Shearwaters and Storm Petrels.

There were three options for the afternoon:
1. Hike up 130 steps at Tagus Cove
2. Deep sea snorkeling off the pangas
3. Using the glass-bottom kayaks

This would be followed by a panga ride along the coastline to see the wildlife and geography of the area.

List of birds (in no particular order):

Flightless Cormorant
Galapagos Hawk
Wandering Tattler
Ruddy Turnstone
Yellow Warbler
Elliot’s Storm Petrel
Brown Noddy
Brown Pelican
Frigatebird (sp.)
Striated Heron

An Afternoon at Prince Philip’s Steps

Genovesa
April 12, 2010
After lunch and a bit of a rest we boarded the pangas for our afternoon, a dry landing at Prince Philip’s Steps followed by more adventures on Genovesa Island.

While on the panga, we passed Fur Sea Lions. This is a second species of sea lions around the islands. Unlike the Galapagos Sea Lions, these are nocturnal hunters, spending their days in the shade of crevices along the ocean.

We landed on the steps, built with Prince Philip’s moneys after he fell off the original landing, which was simply lava rock. I have to admit, it was nice to have an even surface to walk up, even if it’s rough hewn.

We walked through a grove of Palo Santo (Holy Stick) trees. There were no leaves on the trees and the branches were a grey color, supposedly from a lichen. Ivan showed us how these trees survive, in spite of their being leafless for most of the year – their branches are photosynthetic.

As before, there were nesting Red-footed Boobies and Frigatebirds. We also saw our first group of Red-billed Tropicbirds flying along the coastline. They are in impressive bird, with their long tail feather and bright red bills.

A new creature we came across was the Galapagos Flightless Grasshopper. Once again, adaptation had reared its interesting head, changing a previously winged insect into one that no longer needs its wings, so has put its energy into other resources.

The true quest on this island was the one for Short-eared Owls, the top of the food chain in these parts. The Owls mostly feed on Storm-petrels that nest on the cliffs.

We found no Owls. However, we did find evidence of their nesting:

and their meals:


Apparently, the Owl nips the wings off the Storm Petrel before eating it. It seemed to us this was an interrupted meal, since most of the body is intact.

The hunt for the Owls took place on a lava bed with no shade. This was combined with hot afternoon temperatures (up to 102 degrees) and equatorial sun. The large numbers of carcasses and bones added to the atmosphere.


Add to this the fact I didn’t pay attention to my water intake. By the time we were approaching the end of the trail and the pangas people were beginning to comment how sunburned my face was. I knew this couldn’t be true, since I had put on strong sunscreen and was wearing a hat. But my face was feeling very hot. A few minutes later, my body began to feel a bit weak.

We got into the pangas and I drank water. But, by the time we arrived at the yacht I felt like I was going to faint. I rushed to our room, yanked off my boots and jumped into a cold shower, clothing and all.

I cooled down and started to feel a little bit better. But it was fair warning that drinking my water was going to be an important part of our hikes, especially the afternoon ones.

The afternoon bird list (in no particular order):

Red-footed Booby
Nazca Booby
Great Frigatebird
Wedge-tailed Storm Petrel
Red-billed Tropicbird
Galapagos Shearwater
Brown Pelican
Galapagos Mockingbird

Off to the Galapagos Islands

April 11, 2010

We left San Jorge around 6:30 for our flight on AeroGal (Aero Galapagos) which would stop in Guayaquil and then go onto San Cristobal in the Galapagos.

We had very little information except to ask for “Jesse” at counter 3. Since Avi and I were the only people in the group who spoke Spanish, we volunteered to take care of things at the airport. As it turned out, things were taken care of for us.

The company through which the tour was arranged was Ecoventura, and they took charge. First we were sent to have our bags inspected. This involved going to the back of the small terminal’s lobby and having them put through an x-ray machine. We then brought them back to the counter, where they were tagged and checked.

We were each given a packet with our “contract” (mostly everything we were liable for and they weren’t), ID tags with our name and our yacht name -– we were on the Flamingo I – our parks passes, and tags for our luggage. Of course, since our luggage was already checked, we were a bit confused about those. But, oh well!

The flight was great after the initial “straight up” takeoff from Quito. Looking down at the city and almost across at the mountaintops really gave a feel for that part of Ecuador’s extreme geography.

During our short flight to Guayaquil we were given the day’s newspaper, a warm towel to wash our hands, and drink with a muffin. After a 45 minute stop in Guayaquil, during which we stayed on the plane, we were also given breakfast.

During our approach to the Galapagos, the flight attendants went through the plane and opened all the overhead bins. Then, one by one, they sprayed them with some sort of disinfectant, closing them immediately after. Spray, close, spray, close, etc.

Upon our arrival, we deplaned and walked across the tarmack to the terminal. Before entering we had to walk across a disinfectant pad. I assume there was also a process by which our checked luggage was disinfected as well.

The flight had been full and there was quite a line to wait on. However, I was delighted, in spite of it not being its own country, I now have a Galapagos stamp in my passport.

After passing “immigration”, we were met by Ivan, one of our naturalists. He told us not to worry about our luggage, that it would be taken care of. We were put on a bus and taken to the pier where we were met by our panga (dinghy) and given life jackets.

One short panga ride and we were on the Flamingo I, our yacht and home for the next 8 days. Also on our trip:

Joan and Dave (a retired couple)

Karin and Peter (a couple around our age)

Mark and Evan (a father and son)

Scott and Kendra and their children Grant and Claire

John and Rafia with their three children Cyrus, Emil, and Elian (This British family was traveling around the world over 12 months)

We gathered in the commons area (while our luggage was transported from the pier and put in our rooms) for our first “briefing” of the trip. Then we were sent to our rooms to change for our first visit. This one was a wet landing on San Cristobal’s Playa Ochoa for some beach time/snorkeling.

Avie and I weren’t really up for snorkeling, since we wear glasses, didn’t have contact lenses, and were more interested in what the land had to offer. But it was hot, it was later in the day, and the flies on the beach were starting to bite. We decided to give the water a try. It was incredibly refreshing and we were still able to enjoy seeing our first Blue-footed Boobies from that vantage. We also had a few Galapagos Sea Lions come in to check out the new arrivals.

Refreshed, we took the pangas back to the Flamingo I and got ready for dinner. Before dinner we attended the “briefing” for the next day. We would be visiting Genovesa, the morning being spent at Darwin Bay Beach (wet landing) and the afternoon at Prince Philip’s Steps (dry landing).

We were then introduced to Captain Victor and the rest of the crew over cocktails and a welcome toast. Dinner was most welcome, with several courses including an appetizer and a hearty soup.

After dinner a few of us went upstairs to see the sky, since there was no ambient light. It was absolutely incredible – we even found some of the southern constellations, something Avie and I had never seen before. During this time we also watched a Swallow-tailed Gull, a nocturnal hunter, fly beside the yacht, using its light as a tool while it hunted for food attracted to the surface.

Knowing we were being awakened at 7 am, after a day of an early wakeup, travel, beach time, and all kinds of excitement, we went to our room for the night.