Uganda Meets Galapagos and Conservation Results

Anyone following my blog knows how much I love Galapagos: it is my home and my whole life is immersed in its culture. As a naturalist and guide for the Galapagos National Park Service, I am dedicated to preservation of our wonderful environment and to conserving our biodiversity and ecosystem. An important aspect of this is preservation, reuse and recycling of our natural resources. That's why I was really impressed to learn about how our local artists and artisans have started a trend and new movement to incorporate local recyclable materials into their final works of art.

I was a bit surprised, however, to learn that it was not a Galapagos native, but a Ugandan paper beadmaker who is at the forefront of this movement. In 2011, Sarah Akot visited the Galapagos Islands and left a creative legacy for local craftspeople.

Galapagos Islands Marine and Land Iguanas

Recently, a tourist was found attempting to smuggle four iguanas out of the Galapagos Islands in a suitcase. This situation was horrible and thankfully the man was stopped and the iguanas are safe. The story created outrage, but it also reminded me that iguanas are a unique and amazing species. While there are still iguanas throughout the Islands, they have become extinct on several islands and are on the endangered species list.

At first glimpse, you might find these reptiles to be a bit ugly, even repulsive and scary; you wouldn’t want to face down one of these in a dark alley! But, a second look will probably change your mind. In fact, at second blush, it seems that many of these lizards are smiling. Take a look at this one from Sante Fe Island, for example:

You Have to Love Him!

Espanola Island - Gardner Bay

The Greeting Committee at Gardner Bay

Espanola Island is the home to several spectacular visitor sites, one of which is the exquisite white sand beach at Gardner Bay. It's a beach perfect for walking and watching the frolicking and resting sea lions, hundreds of which may be seen here at any given time.

To me, this is always a special place. Always, loud guttural barking is a first indication that we have arrived at Espanola Island’s beautiful Gardner Bay. Be prepared for the amazing welcoming committee made of literally hundreds of sea lions lazing on the beach, playing in the surf and soaking up the sun.

Espanola Island - Suarez Point

Gorgeous Vista at Punta Suarez

Espanola Island, the southernmost and one of the oldest islands in the archipelago, is a treat waiting to be discovered by every Galapagos Island visitor. If possible, there is too much beauty, uniqueness and wonder to conceive of in one small place.  

National Park Service Photo

At Punta Suarez, you have a dry landing – but a very careful one on a rocky ledge – and be sure not to step on the Sea Lions!  You will walk up a trail, through some fascinating flora and fauna and many little lava lizards before arriving at your ultimate destination – the top of a cliff populated by Blue Footed Boobies and Waved Albatross.

Kicker Rock Near San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands

Kicker Rock at Sunset photograph by Aquasurround

One of the most photographed sites in all of the Galapagos Islands is Kicker Rock, also known as Leon Dormido because to some it resembles a sleeping lion. Kicker Rock is an easy trip from San Cristobal’s harbor of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and no excursion to the Galapagos Islands is complete without a visit here. There is no more stunning and majestic site in the Galapagos Islands.

Kicker Rock Daytime photograph by Aquasurround

The two inexorable towering monoliths of Kicker Rock are a constant presence within an environment that is otherwise ever-changing and dynamic. Approaching Kicker Rock, you may at first see only one large rock inexplicably rising from the Pacific. As the boat gets closer, you begin to see that there are, in fact, two high peaks and soon you can discern a space between them.

Visitor Sites on San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands

The Hillside and Center of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
on San Cristobal from the Harbor at Sunrise

The beautiful and versatile San Cristobal Island is one of the most eastern and oldest of the Galapagos Islands. It is moderately-sized, at 195 square miles. But, that land area is filled with some of the most visited and remarkable sites anywhere in the world. This versatility also accounts for the fact that San Cristobal is the second most populated of the Islands; about 8000 people live on San Cristobal. While all of the Galapagos Islands is dedicated to conservancy and maintaining the tenuous ecological balance discovered by Charles Darwin, nowhere is this more true than the Island of San Cristobal itself. It is a forerunner in the quest for renewable energy; at least 60 percent of its energy already is generated by wind and solar power. You will see the wind towers from the harbor and as you drive throughout the island.

Visitor Sites Near San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands

Kicker Rock at Sunset

I’ve written all about the marvelous spots available for traveling on San Cristobal Island itself in my post entitled San Cristobal Island Visitor Sites. Among them are the main town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, La Loberia, The Interpretation Center, Frigatebird Hill, Darwin Bay, La Galapaguera, El Junco and San Joaquin Hill, Puerto Chino, Mann Beach, Punta Carola Beach (sometimes called Cape Horn Beach) and Colorado Hill Lookout. You can learn all about these sites by visiting my earlier post and also on the website for the Galapagos Eco-Lodge.

While the sites on the island itself are all treasures, the beauty and magic of what lies a short boat ride from the harbor is truly dazzling. The first of these sites, and truly an iconic place in all of the Galapagos Islands, is Kicker Rock, sometimes called Leon Dormido. This is such a spectacular location, breathtaking at any time of day, that it warrants an entire post of its own, Kicker Rock.

Bartolome Island - Pinnacle Rock and Beautiful Beaches

Bartolome Island; Pinnacle Rock
Photographed by AquaSurround

Bartholome Island has no human population, but is the home to one of the most recognized and photographed sites in all of the Galapagos Islands: Pinnacle Rock. The Island itself is located in Sullivan Bay to the east of Santiago Island. Because it offers such a spectacular view, most Galapagos travelers will find themselves enjoying the splendors of this island.

Steps on Bartolome with Galapagos Hawk Above
Photograph by AquaSurround

The Galapagos Conservancy has built a 600 meter wooden pathway with more than 300 steps to ensure that visitors are guided to the best spots with as little impact on the surrounding endemic vegetation, animal and birdlife as possible. Look carefully at the rock and lava formations on your way up the climb as you will see very interesting volcanic formations of spatter and tuff cones and lava flows.

Fernandina Islands - Espinosa Point and Mangle Point

Fernandina on the Left; Isabela on the Right
Photograph From WikiCommons

Fernandina's Core Erupting in 2009 from Nasa Image

The youngest of the Galapagos Islands, at just about 1,000,000 years old, Fernandina remains on the hot spot that created all of the islands. It is considered to be an active shield volcano with a large caldera, although the caldera collapsed in 1968. Fernandina is the westernmost and third largest of the Galapagos Islands. It most recently erupted in 2005 and 2009. The Island's landscape is dominated by La Cumbre Volcano.  The volcano's lava fields stretch all the way from the top of the volcano to the sea itself.

The Galapagos Conservancy and National Park are determined to keep Fernandina as pristine and untouched by humans and other non-endemic creatures as possible. So, although the Island is literally teeming with bird and marine life, there is only one approved visitation spot on the Island. But, it is really something special.

Floreana Island Visitor Sites

Sorting the Mail at the Post Office on Floreana Island

Post Office Bay and Floreana Post Office

Evidence of Previous Visitors to the Post Office

Floreana, one of the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, and first settled in 1832, is named after Juan Jose Flores, the first president of Ecuador. Now, it is best known for the post office located at Post Office Bay, a brown sand beach inhabited by the ever-present Galapagos sea lions lounging in the sun. For nearly 2 ½ centuries – since 1793 – this unique Galapagos Island post office has been operating in the same fashion. Bring your mail and drop it off, addressed to go anywhere in the world. (On a cruise, your guide will likely provide you with brightly-colored post cards of indigenous animals for this purpose). Then, it’s your job to take a look through the mail that has been left by earlier visitors. If you come across a letter you are able to hand-deliver or mail to someone from your home town, you become the personal mail carrier. Hopefully, someone else will soon come along to carry your mail to your friend or family in the same way.  It’s as easy as that.

Genovesa Island Visitor Sites

Genovesa Island - Darwin Bay
Photograph from Galapagos National Park Service

Frigate Bird Chic

The remote and isolated island of Genovesa is located on the north-east edge of the Galapagos archipelago. The fact of its remoteness contributes to its remaining among the most pristine of the islands, as well as one of the most coveted. Small, horseshoe shaped and precious in its unique blend of harsh volcanic terrain and natural beauty, it boasts a vast amount of birdlife; literally thousands of birds frequent this remote refuge and rely on it as their nesting site. While birdlife abounds, the island has no native land animals and no reptiles other than a small subspecies of marine iguana. Sea lions do lounge on the beaches. The pelagic birdlife that rely on Genovesa as a nesting site includes Frigatebirds, Red-Footed Boobies, Swallow-Tailed Gulls and Petrels by the thousands.

Penguins on the Equator

One of the most fascinating marine creatures on the archipelago is the Galapagos Penguin. Aren’t penguins those cold-weather tuxedoed outdoorsmen who shield each other from the cold by forming tight groupings so only those on the outside of the circle are hit by the violent elements in Antarctica? Aren’t they the animals that get trapped below the ice?  Don't they waver on the edges of ice flows waiting for the moment to jump into the frigid water to search for food? Yes, some penguins are – but not all.

Our islands are blessed to be the indigenous home of the Galapagos Penguin.  This is the only species of penguin that lives above the Equator. They are able to do so because of the cool water temperatures that result from the Cromwell Currents. There are “warm water” Humboldt penguins along the coasts of continental Ecuador, Chile and Peru, but they do not go north of the Equator.

Galapagos Islands Geography and Geology - Part I - Tectonic Plates and Hot Spots Create Volcanic Islands

The Galapagos Islands
The Newest Islands are the Most Westerly
The Oldest Islands are the Most Easterly

This is the first of three posts about the geography and geology of the Galapagos Islands. Each post will take you on a short journey with the explicit intention of providing basic background information about the natural evolution of the Galapagos Islands. These remote islands, unlike anything else on our planet, have a dramatic and ever-changing morphography.

This article - Part One - focuses on the tectonic plates that lie beneath the sea and under the land. For, without the constant movement of the tectonic plates, their crashing into one another, forcing the hot magma to break through the lithosphere, there would be no Galapagos Islands at all. Part Two will discuss the actual formation of the islands from volcanic action that occurs when tectonic plates collide. Each and every one of the Galapagos Islands, their topography, the sheer cliffs that you see and that have become the nesting sites for birds and animal life found no where else on earth, the beautiful outcroppings, SCUBA sites, black sand beaches, crystalline beaches - all is the result of volcanic activity. Finally, in Part Three, I will talk about the Pacific Ocean currents, particularly how the hot and cold currents impact and define the plant, animal, bird and marine life throughout the Galapagos.

Galapagos Islands Geography and Geology - Part II - Galapagos Volcanoes

Map Showing Galapagos Islands' Volcanoes
from ecuador.us

Shield Volcano, Rugged Lava Rock, Lava Cactus
Photograph taken by Aqua Surround

This is the second of three posts about the geography and geology of the Galapagos Islands. In Part One I talked about the tectonic plates that lie beneath the sea and under the land and explained that without the constant movement of the tectonic plates, their crashing into one another, forcing the hot magma to break through the lithosphere, there would be no Galapagos Islands at all. Here, in Part Two, I discuss the actual formation of the islands from volcanic action that occurs when tectonic plates collide. Each and every one of the Galapagos Islands, their topography, the sheer cliffs that you see and that have become the nesting sites for bird and animal life found no where else on earth, the beautiful outcroppings, marine life, SCUBA sites, black sand beaches, crystalline beaches - all result from volcanic activity. This post should leave you with a clearer understanding of the earth beneath your feet as you stand and examine and feel your environment in the Galapagos Islands. Finally, in Part Three, I will talk about the Pacific Ocean currents, particularly how the hot and cold currents impact and define the plant, animal, bird and marine life throughout the Galapagos.

Galapagos Islands Geography and Geology - Part III -Ocean Currents

San Cristobal Island

This is the final of a three-part series of articles in which I discuss the geology of the Galapagos Islands. In Part One I talked about the tectonic plates that lie beneath the sea and under the land and explained that without the constant movement of the tectonic plates, their crashing into one another, forcing the hot magma to break through the Earth's surface (called the lithosphere), there would be no Galapagos Islands at all. Part Two focused on the actual formation of the islands from volcanic action that occurs when those tectonic plates collide. Each and every one of the Galapagos Islands, their topography, the sheer cliffs that you see and that have become the nesting sites for bird and animal life found no where else on earth, the beautiful outcroppings, marine life, SCUBA sites, black sand beaches, crystalline beaches - all resulted from volcanic activity. Here, in Part Three, I will talk about the Pacific Ocean currents, particularly how the hot and cold currents impact and define the plant, animal, bird and marine life throughout the Galapagos Islands.

Isabela Island Visitor Sites Part I - Sites from Puerto Villamil

Basic Geography and Overview of Isabela Island

Map of Isabela from JunglePhotos.com
Map reproduced with permission from Instituto Geografico Militar del Ecuador

Landscape/Moonscape on Isabela Hiking Up Volcan Sierra Negra
Photograph from CreativeCommons by Michael R. Perry

Isla Isabela, located in the western Galapagos Islands, is one of the newest geological land masses in the archipelago. If you have experienced the eastern islands, heavily eroded over the millennia by wind and waves, you may find the baked lava terrain surrounding the volcanoes on Isabela in stark contrast. It is rugged and challenging. It displays different colors; different minerals catch the light; it is mountainous and stark; it is intriguing at every turn.

Isabela is also unique because it grew not from one volcanic eruption, but by the integration of six separate underwater volcanoes. It is the largest land mass in the island system, accounting for 60% of the total land area. Moreover, due to its size and the fact that it arose from the sea as a result of multiple different natural occurrences and eruptions, its landscape is varied and it has many individually interesting tour sites and attractions.

This is the first of three posts I will write about Isabela Island. Here, I focus on the remarkable visitor sites accessible from the main town of Puerto Villamil. Get ready - you are about to experience everything from blue footed boobies to steps carved into a volcanic hillside, from flamingos to a bustling town. Indeed, each visitor to Isabela will experience this enchanted ground from a difference perspective, and, like the Galapagos Islands themselves, Isabela has something to offer everyone.

Isabela Island Part II - Sites Visited by Boat

Geography of Isabela Island                                                                      

Map of Isabela from JunglePhotos.com
Map reproduced with permission from Instituto Geografico Militar del Ecuador

If you read Part I of my Isabela post about visitor sites on Isla Isabela, you know:

Blue Footed Boobies Mating Dance

• is the largest island in the Galapagos
• comprises a full 60% of the total land mass in the Galapagos National Park and Reserve. 
• is the product of not one, but six integrated separate still-active volcanoes. 
• has a magnificent and diverse landscape with many individually interesting tour sites and attractions. 

If your cruise takes you to the western side of Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, your ship will take you to marvelous inlets, coves, beaches and pools all around Isabela Island. This post will bring you yet another new point of view and opportunity for learning and experiencing, not from the land, as my last post, but from the beautiful, stunning and ever changing Pacific Ocean.

Isabela Island Part III - Hiking the Volcanoes

Introduction to Isabela Island

Map of Isabela from JunglePhotos.com
Which reproduced it with permission from Instituto Geografico Militar del Ecuador

Landscape on Isabela Hiking Up Volcan Sierra Negra
Photograph from CreativeCommons by Michael R. Perry

If you read Parts I and II of my Isabela posts, you know that Isla Isabela:

• is the largest island in the Galapagos comprising a full 60% of the total land mass in the Galapagos National Park and Reserve. 
• is the product of not one, but six integrated separate still-active volcanoes. 
• has a magnificent and diverse landscape and sites and attractions inland and around the entire Island.

In this post  I will take you on a huge adventure: You will experience the diverse landscape, the enormous beauty and the majesty of the Galapagos Island, Isla Isabela, its creatures and their natural habitat by hiking the stunning volcanoes from which the island was created. Have fun on the journey - but be prepared, not all of this walking will be easy.

Another Reason to Come to Galapagos - Our Marvelous Coffee and Plantations

Until now, it’s been at closely kept secret – or, at least I thought it was a secret. San Cristobal Island grows some of the best coffee beans anywhere in the world. Whether you’re waking up and ready for that first burst of flavor for the day or you’ve had a satisfying meal and want something special with your dessert, our coffee is the answer.

And you can visit San Cristobal's historic coffee plantation to see the old growth trees and taste the coffee yourself. This is a very special adventure and shows the diversity of the Galapagos Islands.

As I said, I thought it was a secret. Now, I have discovered that Starbucks – the ubiquitous world wide coffee shop – has discovered this treasure too. In 2010 and again in 2012, it offered San Cristobal special blend coffee beans in limited qualities – all of which are gone now.

Swimming with Sea Lions

As a guide and naturalist certified by the Galapagos National Park Service and the owner of the Galapagos Eco Lodge on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos Islands, one of my great pleasures is taking my hotel guests, cruise ship passengers, tourists and visitors snorkeling with the sea lions. The pleasure I get each time I do this is immeasurable to me and I am sure to my guests as well. As a ubiquitous and playful creature of the Galapagos Islands, the sea lions are sure to bring a smile and joy to everyone who encounters them and has the once-in-a lifetime opportunity to frolic in their natural habitat, the luxurious and pristine Pacific Ocean in which the Galapagos Islands are situated.

While every chance to swim with sea lions makes my heart feel good, there is one day I remember particularly well and with great fondness. And that is the day I share with you in this post. Before I do though, take a look at this glorious video taken that day by AquaSurround:

Though every day in the Galapagos Islands is very special, this was a day I was really looking forward to as I was taking my group to swim with the sea lions near Bartolome Island.

Galapagos Sea Lions - They Definitely Are Not Seals

Sea Lion Basking on a Bench in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Ask any visitor to tell you the highlight of their visit to the Galapagos Islands, and you're as likely as not to hear "The sea lions!" It's true - everyone loves the sea lions. They greet you on every island. They are unafraid. They are entertaining. They are cute. They are noisy. They show up in the most expected - and unexpected - places. They sit on our park benches, taking over. They climb into our boats and pangas if we let them. They lay about the ocean front property - after all, they were here first; they actually do own the beach! They swim and cavort in the water. They don't mind having their picture taken - and are more than willing to pose. So, everyone gets bragging rights to having taken wonderful photos of the sea lions.

Sea Lion Pup

But, there's a lot to learn about them too. For example, Galapagos sea lions are ubiquitous in the Galapagos Islands. They are endemic and exclusive to the archipelago (except for one location on Ecuador's mainland coastline) and can be seen and heard on every island; the total population is about 50,000 sea lions. They are quite large as sea lions go and range in size from mature males of about 1000 pounds to mature females of about 700 pounds. Pups weigh about 13 pounds at birth.

Rabida Island in Galapagos

Approaching Rabida from Boat by Mark Putney

Don’t let its small size mislead you. Though just over 1.9 miles in total area with a maximum altitude of only 1200 feet, Rabida Island is filled with wonders that will captivate you. A veritable rainbow of color, texture, and light, this island hosts abundant flora and fauna, much of it endemic to the island. I don't get to Rabida as often as I get to many of the other Islands, but when I do it is a feast for my eyes, an opportunity for photographers to "go crazy" and a rare and much-loved treat for me.

Rabida is located in the center of the Galapagos Islands. It’s a marvelous area for snorkeling as the water teems with fish, marine iguanas and our beloved sea lions. It also offers a special and unique landscape, including the opportunity to walk on a rocky red sand beach.

Boobies Dive Bombing for Their Dinner

Ask any visitor to the Galapagos Islands what they loved about their trip and they are bound to tell you all about our fabulous Blue Footed Boobies. I mention them in many of my posts because we see them on every Island. Typically when I write about those funny, clown-like and fascinating inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands, I talk about their mating habits and their adorable and irresistible little chicks. Any one lucky enough to experience their mating dance will have a memory to last a lifetime. I show this ritual in my Espanola Post.

I'm often asked why these birds have blue feet. It's a particularly intriguing question because almost every Galapagos animal or bird species blends into the stark volcanic environment with its pallet a range of brown, beige, sepia, and black, interspersed with green scruffy plant life. How then did they end up with bright blue feet - and electrifying color in contrast to the earthy tones? The answer goes right back to the mating ritual. The males strut around displaying their feet to the females who, in turn, are attracted to that azure color. The bluer the better and more magnetic. The Boobies' feet serve the same purpose as the coloration of so many male birds, like cardinals or frigatebirds.

No Two Galapagos Iguanas Are Alike - A Photographic Review

Iguanas are one of the most ubiquitous and interesting characters in the Galapagos Islands. In reading my earlier post, you will have learned that they are the only ones who forage on both the land and in the sea.





But, here’s another very interesting fact: the iguanas on each and every island are different. They have adapted to their environments in coloration and size based on the available food sources as well as the lava rock on which they rest and camouflage themselves. Here, through photographs, are examples of the colors and differences of the iguanas on many of the Galapagos Islands.

Fernandina:

Iguana and Lava Lizard, Espinosa Point, Fernandina

Resting Iguana, Urbina Bay, Fernandina

Marine Iguanas Basking in Fernandina Sunshine

Travel Preparation for the Galapagos Islands

Fernandina Island

You’re traveling to the Galapagos Islands! Be prepared because the Galapagos Islands are unique and special – unlike any other place on Earth.

This post provides you with some of the practical information every traveler to the Galapagos Islands should know: the weather, what to pack, our currency, and other general information that will help you prepare to make your trip as seamless as possible.

 

The Galapagos Islands are Unique - Prepare Yourself For a Once In a Lifetime Experience

 

With the exception of hotel and ship board amenities and delicious food, you are leaving big city life behind. You will travel to places where things are not the same as they are back at home. Here, things are understated, not fancy. They are designed for relaxation and enjoyment.  Nature, not materiality, is the focus of your time in the Galapagos Islands.  Our culture differs from yours in many ways.  Be prepared for some trade offs.  For example, in exchange for maintaining our environment (land, sea and air) in as pristine a way as possible and for protecting our plant, animal and marine life, we limit land use, energy and water consumption and even the number of people and boats. If you find that your hotel room is a little smaller than expected, remember the land use limitations that bind us.  And also, remember that it is because of these regulations that you will marvel at sea lions lounging not only on the beaches, but also on Main Street, Blue Footed Boobies dive bombing into the Pacific Ocean and stunning pure blue skies. 

Let me give you a few facts to keep in mind during your stay here.

• You will be in a National Park where everything is regulated and overseen.  See my post on these regulations here.
• You will be expected to comply with these rules at all times, where ever you are.
• All flora and fauna is protected. 
• The amount of land one may own is limited, building sizes are restricted. 
• Water and electricity are rationed.  You are likely to be asked to be aware of conservation during your stay here.
• Until just a few years ago, there was no internet here.  Though the large cities now have internet service, and even wifi, prepare for it to be erratic.  Our communications systems and technology are not as sophisticated as they are back home.
• Because we are a distant set of islands, everything is expensive as it has to be flown or shipped here.
• Hotels and boats must comply with very strict regulations.  Remember, this is not New York City!
• Most hotels try to give you a sense of our customs and the ambiance of the Galapagos Islands so as to immerse you in our culture.
• Throughout Ecuador you will see dogs, roosters and chickens seemingly on their own.  The National Park Service is working on this, but don't let it be a surprise.

Enjoy your stay in the Galapagos Islands.  When you are here, we want you to experience and become a part of the wonderful Paradise we call our home.  But most of all, allow yourself the luxury of experiencing our culture and special "quirks" and trends.  Your stay will be most enjoyable if you "go with the flow."

The Weather                                                                                                         

Gorgeous Blue Galapagos Sky

You may experience vastly different climates during your visit. While we are located on the equator, often it is not as hot as you might expect it to be. Sometimes the temperatures are unpredictable. In the higher altitudes on the mainland, particularly Quito, it may be 50º F.  At the same time, it may be 100º F in the Galapagos Islands. Plan for both extremes. It is coldest with the heaviest seas in the summer months of June, July and August.  It is warmest with the calmest seas in January, February and March. This is all due to the currents that run throughout the Pacific Ocean. To learn about the currents and how they effect our weather see my earlier post.

Santa Cruz Island Galapagos - Bachas Beach

Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island is the first stop on many cruise itineraries, and a perfect place to introduce you to the Galapagos Islands. Here, from a beautiful white sand beach, you will be exposed to part of the rich human history of the Islands, both land and marine iguanas, nesting Galapagos green sea turtles, endemic flora, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, flamingos and pelagic birds, all to be topped off with a swim in the Pacific Ocean, replete with gorgeous vistas and the Galapagos blue sky. Heaven!

Frigate Birds Fly Above Bachas Beach

So, let’s begin our Bachas Beach journey. From your cruise ship, you will take a panga to a wet landing, meaning your feet dip into the Pacific Ocean for the first (but certainly not the last) time on your visit. You arrive on a pristine white sand beach and feel the warmth of the sand and sun. The walk here is not strenuous, but an opportunity to let the surroundings pull you in, to relax, to feel the uniqueness of the world around you and to put yourself in the moment - a place you will want to be throughout your Galapagos visit.

Santa Cruz Island - Charles Darwin Research Station

Entrace to CDRS by Scott Abelman

The Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island near the town of Puerto Ayora, is one of the best known and most visited sites in all of the Galapagos. The CDRS is a joint effort of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park Service to protect, conserve, keep from extinction and repopulate the many Galapagos Tortoise species that are endemic to the islands.

George and a Female

CDRS was created in 1964 and its tortoise preservation program initiated in 1965. From 1971 until his death in June 2012, CDRS was the home of the biggest celebrity in the Galapagos Islands, Lonesome George. George, who lived at the CDRS for more than 40 years, was the last extant tortoise from Pinta Island and had, for many years, been the focus of concerted efforts to breed him with other similar, but not identical, tortoises. Unfortunately, all efforts failed and when George died, so did the species. For an extensive discussion of Lonesome George and the efforts to reproduce the species see my earlier post written right after his death. 

Santa Cruz Island - Black Turtle Cove

Santa Cruz Island, Black Turtle Cove Panorama from Wiki

Located on the northern shores of Santa Cruz Island, Black Turtle Cove is a very special place; the atmosphere is quiet, contemplative and visual. Galapagos National Park rules require that upon your arrival at Black Turtle Cove via panga, the motor be turned off.  Silence and stillness permeate.  That is until you start to hear the sounds of nature all around you. Listen to the birds, hear the water and waves, listen for the sounds of fish jumping in the still waters, look around and smell the greenness of the mangrove trees that surround this beautiful area. In the panga you will navigate into the cove and then through the mangrove forest, sometimes paddling so as not to disturb the wildlife. The approach to the wildlife in silence assures that the nesting green sea turtles, sharks, herons and rays are allowed to remain peaceful and undisturbed in their natural habitat.

Approach to Black Turtle Cove

The mangroves themselves are beautiful, dense and diverse. Some are old; some new. They are not all alike; in fact, there are three mangrove species at Black Turtle Cove. Their root systems merge directly into the shallow blue saltwater of this cove. Their colors vary and the leaves sparkle where they are hit by the tropical sun.

It's May - Paradise for the Waved Albatross in Galapagos

This is a most exciting time of year for Punta Suarez on Espanola Island.  Though there is never a bad time to visit this island, in springtime, visitors get to see all of the Waved Albatross in the world settle here, engage in their ritual dance, mate, and care for their babies.  I've written about Punta Suarez before.  See that post, here.  And, I'm sure you'll hear more about it again, because it differs from season to season.  Sometimes the blue footed boobies' nursery is the centerpiece.  Now though, in springtime, it's the amazing, wondrous Waved Albatross.


Here's one now - greeting us head on - completely unafraid - posing for the camera.

Mating Area

Mariners have long associated albatross with good luck because when a sailor sees an albatross, land is near.  If you visit Punta Suarez on Espanola Island from the beginning of spring through November, and see these dramatic and unique birds, you’ll believe that they bring good luck too.  Your landing by panga on Espanola will barely hint at the wonder you are about to experience.  The initial path is rocky and dry, typical of the volcanic formation of the Galapagos Islands.  Soon though it opens up to a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean, pounding seas, dramatic blow holes, and, most special of all, the world’s only Waved Albatross mating area.