Final days in the Galapagos

 Thursday February 26 and Friday February 27 

We woke early Thursday morning at the Tortoise Camp after a very windy night.  It is funny how quickly we become acclimated to a new experience. When we first saw giant tortoises on Fernandina we were excited and amazed. At the tortoise camp, you could stand in one spot and count 17 of them all around you… to the point where you almost forgot to notice them, unless one sighed nearby. The sigh is their expelling air to enable them to tuck their heads and legs in under the edge of their shells; not completely the way box turtle does, but enough to protect the more tender parts. 

While others in our group enjoyed a coffee tasting from a local coffee company, we continued our search for the Painted Bill Crake, a small dark marsh dwelling bird. We had gotten glimpses of it Wednesday night but our excellent guide, Jonathan, was determined to enable us to get a photo. We saw the bird one more fleeting time and heard it several times. We have been so lucky that one of the two trip leaders is a professional birding guide! 

After breakfast on Thursday we returned to Puerto Ayora and our ship. The next scheduled stop was a sheltered bay in the east (leeward) side of the island of Santa Fe. Santa Fe counts as one of the “eastern” islands in the archipelago, which means it is older and more eroded than Isabela for example. Our plans called for snorkeling or kayaking followed by a short walk on shore in search of some new endemic species. 

The wind continued to blow from the northeast, a very unusual direction. The two hour cruise to Santa Fe was quite rough. When we arrived, the bay was also very rough as it was in the direct path of the wind (rather than in the lee of the island as with the usual southwesterly wind direction). It was unsafe even to anchor the ship there, let alone snorkel. 

In keeping with the national park rules, we proceeded to our next scheduled stop, the island of San Cristobal. This meant another three hours of rough waters. We spent the time on deck. We were rewarded with a large pod of bottlenose dolphins “bow-running” as well as some large flocks of seabirds. Unfortunately a number of our colleagues did not enjoy the afternoon very much. 

San Cristobal is home to the largest sea lion colony in the Galapagos. We walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed watching mothers and babies interact on the rocks below. On the town sidewalks near the harbor, the sea lions were everywhere, including taking over most of the benches for their own siestas. 

Friday morning was our scheduled departure from the ship, but the captain and trip leaders had a few more treats in store for us. We went on a dawn zodiac ride along the edge of a small island off the coast of San Cristobal. We watched sea lions playing in the water and sleeping on the rocks, and got one more look at great Frigatebirds and Blue-footed Boobies. 

After breakfast and departing the ship for the last time, we had an hour of free time in town before we left for the airport. Jonathan, who lives in San Cristobal and went to university there, took us to a small microbrewery run by a former national park ranger. It was well off the beaten track and a wonderful, warm, and quirky way to end our time in the Galapagos. 

Pictured: Giant Tortoise at the camp, locals sharing a bench, Male Great Frigatebird flying with a fully inflated sac, sea lions climbing over one another at the town pier, blue-footed booby posing, dolphins bow-running, endangered Galápagos Petrel

Tortoise day

 Wednesday February 25

This morning we visited the Charles Darwin Research Center (CDRC) in the town of Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz. The research center was established in 1962, shortly after the Galapagos National park was created. The purpose of the research effort, customized to each island, is to reduce the presence of invasive species and to re-establish iconic species and their necessary habitat. While the research center works with land iguanas, endangered plant species and species of birds, the largest and most visible project is their work with tortoises. 

The CDRC baseline survey in 1964 identified 15 species of tortoise across the islands, of which 3 were already extinct, and a total population of less than 10,000 animals. It is estimated that prior to the whaling era of the 18th and 19th centuries, that the population would have been closer to 200,000. Whaler’s logs document taking over 150,000 tortoises for food. In modern times the tortoises are threatened by habitat loss and the presence of introduced rats, cats, and goats on the islands. 

Tortoises lay 5-20 eggs in a pit dig in the sand near the shoreline. The eggs incubate for 4 months just by the heat of the sun. Once hatched they stay within the nest for about an additional month before they emerge. The baby tortoises are on their own once they hatch. 

The researchers collect eggs from nests on the islands where tortoises are at risk. The eggs are marked to ensure that they stay right side up, and set in a controlled environment to incubate. After the babies hatch they are raised for two years in enclosures with wire screen lids to prevent cats or rats from getting in. Then for another two years they are kept in larger open enclosures with rocks and obstacles so they learn how to navigate in the terrain of their home environment. At age five they are released to the wild. This past week, 185 tortoises were released on Floreana, the first tortoises there in many years. The released tortoises were only 80% Floreana tortoise DNA but they hope that over time as the new population reproduces the percentage will increase. 

Most of the islands have “dome shell” style tortoises; a few have “saddle shell” style. Dome tortoises forage on the ground, while Saddle tortoises have to be able to stretch their neck to reach shrubby food, enabled by the higher neck of the Saddle. The saddle style is the first kind the Europeans saw, so the word “Galapagos” is the world for “saddle” in Spanish. 

In the afternoon we drove up into the highlands to the “Tortoise Camp”. This is a 12 hectare piece of land formerly farmed, that Natural Habitat is permitted to use for conservation and ecotourism. They have already removed most of the introduced/invasive plant species (blackberry and guava in particular) and are starting to work to replant Scalesia, a giant daisy.  As the habitat improves, more tortoises is the property as a corridor for the females to get to and from the ocean shore to lay their eggs. 

Pictured: Dome and Saddle shelled tortoises, baby tortoises, some tortoise closeups, scalesia 

Caldera and finches

 Tuesday February 24

We traveled overnight to Puerta Villamil, a small resort town on the south shore of Isabela and at the foot of the Sierra Negra volcano. The harbor was full of large sailings ships. A round-the-world sailing group is in Puerta Villamil as the last provisioning spot before they head west to the Marquesas and French Polynesia. 

We rode in pickups to the park headquarters at the beginning of the caldera trail. It was nice to ride for the first 3000 feet of elevation change! Then we hiked for two miles and an additional 900 feet to the rim of the caldera, stopping to see a number of new bird species along the way. The Galapagos archipelago is famous for Darwin’s observations about the finches on different islands. It is believed that from a single original species that came from South America, over time the populations on the different islands evolved into 16 different ones: they differ by size, by coloring, by beak shape, by diet, by habitat and by island. Today we saw four new examples. 

The caldera is huge: 5 miles across in one direction and 4 miles across in the other. The sides of the caldera rise 500 feet from the floor. These are “effusive” rather than explosive volcanos; you can see the different ages of lava at different points in the caldera floor. The most recent event was in 2022, but most of the floor dates to 2006. The volcano itself is thought to be 150,000 years old.  Seismologists monitor the caldera floor, as it will start to rise from magma movement in advance of an eruption. 

Thus afternoon’s activities were to go snorkeling at a public swimming lagoon  near the town beach, or to walk along the shoreline from the lighthouse to the town.  As with many of the previous days, a beautiful morning gave way to a misty or rainy afternoon. Kevin and a few other hardy souls went snorkeling in the rain, while the rest of us took the opportunity to nap or read or catch up on work (not all of our colleagues are retired). The boardwalk to access the lagoon was a tunnel cut through the mangroves. As has become typical of our snorkeling outings, a sea lion zoom around the snorkelers, coming straight at them then veering off at the last moment. By dinner time the foothills had reappeared but the volcano was still covered in dense clouds. 

Tonight we transition to Santa Cruz, and tomorrow will be “all about tortoises” including an overnight in tents in the highlands. The blog may not get posted till Thursday. 

Pictured: sea lions dominating the harbor pavilion, Brujo flycatcher (endemic version of a Vermilion Flycatcher), woodpecker finch, warbler finch, Kevin with a snorkeling companion (courtesy of Steve Gardiner)

Western Isabela

Monday February 23

We anchored in Elizabeth Bay, located at the west side of the narrow isthmus that separates Northern and Southern Isabela. Its position and westward orientation means that all the Cromwell Current (which flows west to east across the pacific at the equator) dumps its nutrients into the bay. There are mangrove lined lagoons at the eastern side of the bay, interspersed with lava rocks and cactus. It is the only place in the world that you can see penguins in mangroves— and we did!

We went on a 90 minute zodiac ride into the lagoons. There were immense pelican nurseries and a large number of flightless cormorants. We were amazed by the number of penguins— several flocks of a dozen members each, fishing in the shallow water and swimming around and under our zodiac. We also found sea lions sleeping up on mangrove branches. The mangroves also serve as a nursery for black tip sharks; we saw several young ones as well as golden rays and a few sea turtles. As we returned to deeper water we watched a “feeding frenzy” of Frigatebirds trying to snatch jumping fish from the surface of the water. A Frigatebird cannot get its feathers wet or it will be too heavy to take off again. Then in the midst of the excitement came a full grown black tip shark entered the scene.

The Galapagos are famous for the adaptations of the local species, prompted by the harsh conditions and isolation of the islands. One aspect of those adaptations is for creatures to either become smaller or larger than the original colonizing species. The penguins are an example of the first and the tortoises of the second. 

During lunch we transitioned two hours south to Punta Moreno, located between the Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul volcanos. We had a wonderful snorkeling outing full of sea lions, turtles, diamond stingrays, penguins and beautiful fish. The Galapagos subspecies of Pacific Green Sea Turtles are so dark they are sometimes called Black. After a quick change of clothes we went for a zodiac ride in a nearby mangrove cove that was home to baby black tip sharks, spotted eagle rays and many golden cowrays. Our last stop in the zodiacs was a lava-rock cove which is home to some of the largest marine iguanas as well as penguins. To see penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions and cormorants all crowded together on a single shelf was amazing. 

Pictured: Green (or Black) Sea Turtle,

Hawksbill Turtle, penguins with marine iguanas, golden cowrays, black tip sharks, Galapagos penguins in the mangroves.  

Tagus Cove and Bahia Urbina

Sunday February 22

We spent today at two locations on the central west coast of Isabela. While some of our shipmates went for a brisk hike before breakfast, we opted for a two-hour zodiac ride along the cliffs of Tagus Cove. The hikers went up to the crater lake of the Darwin Volcano, so named because The Darwin visited this spot. The hikers said the views were amazing. On our zodiac cruise we were rewarded with two new bird species, penguins, turtles and cormorants. The first section of cliffs we visited were lined with Brown Pelican nests; we watched a pair of chicks reaching into a parent’s throat pouch to fetch breakfast. 

After our own breakfast we kayaked along the opposite wall of the cove for an hour. And after that we went snorkeling for an hour, joined by sea lions, rays, penguins, turtles, barracudas, and flightless cormorants. It was particularly fun to watch a cormorant scatter a large school of sardine as it chased down a snack. 

Yes—  zodiac ride, kayaking and snorkeling all before noon! 

After a barbecue lunch served on the top deck, we transitioned three hours south to Bahia Urbina. Bahia Urbina lies at the base of the Alcedo volcano. It is one of the parts of Isabela that was filled in by a great uplifting action in 1954. We walked first on sandy trails (courtesy of the uplift) and back on trails with rounded ocean-tumbled rocks, part of the previous shoreline. It was raining as we left the ship, and after yesterday’s deluge we decided to leave the long lenses and binoculars on board. By the time we had disembarked on the beach, the skies were clearing and our hike was in warm sunshine. Fortunately all the species were close enough that our lack of “normal equipment” did not keep us from seeing and enjoying the wildlife. In fact being there right after a rain may account for the high activity level we witnessed. 

Bahia Urbina is home to the largest of the subspecies of Galapagos giant tortoises (the Alcedo tortoise), which can weigh up to 700 pounds. During our short walk we saw 27 tortoises of various sizes; most were females who have come down from the highlands to lay their eggs in the warmer soil at lower elevation. Tortoises do not hear or see all that well but they have excellent senses of smell, and are very sensitive to vibration. If we stood still, in most cases they walked right past us, but if we needed to pass them, they would exhale (to make room inside their carapace) and pull in their head, limbs, and tail. 

One of the most common small tree species is known as “poison apples” with the Latin name “hippomania” or “ crazy horse”. It is poisonous for mammals but not for reptiles. We saw several endemic birds. One little flycatcher was so curious that it nearly landed on the end of Kevin’s camera. We also saw an amazing pollinating moth with a proboscis that was more than twice its body length, and a bright yellow male land iguana. 

We were just getting ready for our pre-dinner briefing when our trip leader came on the PA to say “we have dolphins, come to the stern deck”. Probably a dozen bottlenose dolphins put on a real show for us, and then the sunset took over. Spectacular! 

Pictured: Land Iguana, Bottlenose Dolphin, Alcedo Giant Tortoise, Galapagos Flycatcher, Galapagos Penguin and Marine Iguana, baby Brown Pelicans having breakfast 

A busy wonderful day

Saturday February 21 

Today’s planned activities included: a zodiac ride at Punta Vincente Roca at the NW corner of Isabela; an hour’s snorkeling at the same location; an hour’s snorkeling at Fernandina; and a 1.5 hour hike at Fernandina.

Punta Vincente Roca is the site of Volcan Ecuador one of the string of six volcanos that make up Isabela. In this case half of the crater collapsed into the ocean, creating a bowl of shallow water and a steep cliff to the deeps. Fernandina is the newest (200,000 years old) and westernmost island in the Galapagos. Its volcano, La Cumbra, last erupted in January 2025, creating 15 acres of new land from the lava flow into the ocean. It is also the most pristine, with no human introduced species. 

The morning zodiac ride introduced us to Flightless Cormorants, marine iguanas, Galapagos Penguins, and Galapagos Green Sea Turtles, including a mating pair. Our first snorkeling excursion was described as “just for practice to be sure your equipment works”—- but we saw all of the above species swimming around us. We also saw a ray almost as soon as we got into the water. Seeing a sea turtle up close rather than from the surface was amazing. We watched King Angelfish nibbling little critters off of a turtle’s shell at a  pair of “cleaning station”. 

And the sea lions! Many people talk about how curious and friendly the sea lions are here, but it has to be experienced to be believed. We were warned not to get too close, but the sea lions didn’t get that memo. We each had sea lions bump into us, or surprise us by how close they were. 

The afternoon snorkeling suffered from  reduced visibility due to a lot of phytoplankton in the water. As we returned to the ship, it started to rain. An hour later the rain stopped so we went ashore for a nature walk—- good thing we brought our ponchos as it proceeded to rain (and then pour) throughout the walk. The wildlife didn’t seem to mind. Fernandina is a nesting spot for marine iguanas, and in this season the central sandy plateau is pockmarked with the holes they dig for their eggs. There were iguanas everywhere! We also saw a number of sea lions, shorebirds and a Galapagos Hawk, the only endemic raptor in the archipelago. 

Tonight’s after-dinner visitors were two sea lions that jumped up onto the stern swim deck. 

Pictured:  Galapagos Penguin , Galapagos Hawk and Marine Iguanas in the pouring rain, Flightless Cormorant in a mating ritual, (Galapagos subspecies) Green Sea Turtles mating, tbd fish, and proof of how close the sea lions were 

Arrived in the Galapagos

 Friday February 20

The rules for visiting the Galapagos are strict: no fresh fruits vegetables or meat (and sometimes even processed foods or ground coffee). The bottoms of all shoes must be clean (it’s amazing what gets trapped in Vibram soles!). All checked bags are inspected before being loaded on the plane so our bags were collected at 10:00 pm yesterday. The plane is fumigated for insects before landing. 

The detailed itinerary for any ship is completely controlled by the National Park— where and when the boat can go, the group can snorkel, or the group can kayak. 

We left the hotel in Quito just after breakfast. We flew to Guayaquil and then on to Baltra without excitement. Upon arrival at Baltra (not a town but an airstrip from a WWII US air base) we boarded the Petrel, our 16-passenger catamaran to begin our exploration of the Galápagos Islands.

After lunch, some of the group went ashore on North Seymour to see Great Frigatebirds and Blue-footed Boobies. Most of us went on a zodiac ride to cover more distance and see more species. And we certainly did! Several new bird species, a land iguana, both types of seals/sea lions, cool fish and some great crabs. While we have seen blue-footed boobies in the past, these were by far the bluest feet we’ve ever seen, credited to their local diet of sardines. After dinner we went out onto the stern deck and watched black-tipped sharks and Galapagos sea lions chase flying fish in the lights from the boat. A bit later, we began a 11-hour transit to the NW corner of Isabela, the largest island (and one of the most westerly) of the Galapagos archipelago. 

Pictured: the Petrel, Great Frigatebird— make display being ignored by female, blue-footed booby, lava heron, enormous Sally Lightfoot crab