Observations on a Cruise

Baltra tarmack

The Galapagos Archipelago is located 1000 km off shore Ecuador at approximately 0 degrees latitude and 90 degrees west longitude. Its about a 2 hour flight from Quito to the Baltra Island airport, originally developed as an airbase by the US in WWII. A modern terminal is under construction in a jack up the paint and slide a new one under process. No doubt it will be a very efficient facility once complete. A 5 minute bus ride takes us to a dock and then a 5 minute

Xpedition

Zodiac ride takes us to the micro cruise ship Celebrity Xpedition that will be home for the next 7 days.

The ship holds 96 passengers and is apparently fully booked year round. Its just after noon and we are soon eating our 3rd meal of the day, after having dual breakfasts at hotel and on the plane. By days end we have had 5 meals, nobody will go hungry on this trip.

Galapagos Archipelago

The obligatory safety drills are executed, snorkel gear handed out and the boat does a short introductory sail around a couple of nearby islands. We are now ready to start a routine repeated every day, where we sail at night to a different island for the next days adventure.

There are more than a dozen volcanic islands that make up the Galapagos Archipelago, over the next week we visit seven, Baltra, Espanola, Floreana, Isabela, Ferandina, South Plaza and Santa Cruz. 

The islands are home to Giant Tortoises, Sea Turtles, Iguanas, Sea Lions and many birds species. The differences in the evolution of some of these creatures from island to island helped Charles Darwin develop his theory of Natural Selection described in On The Origin of Species, a brilliant work that makes me wonder if our species may actually have reached its peak in the 19th century. The wild creatures have little fear of man and can be approached for close observation. Touching the wildlife is discouraged as is riding of turtles, tortoises or sea lions.

Lower Level Stateroom

After a full on breakfast buffet we are fortified to start the day. The daily activities consist of zodiac tours, hiking snorkeling  and of course excessive eating and drinking. A typical day found us boarding a 16 person zodiac powered by a 100 HP Yamaha at 8:30 AM expertly operated by a friendly crew member that quickly took us from the ship to a wet or dry landing where we undertook short hikes to observe the abundant wildlife. On several of the days, snorkeling was also part of the agenda, definitely my favourite activity.

Xpedition Bridge

Old man and the Sea

We were usually back to the ship by 11:00 AM where we were greeted with a pre-lunch snack to help expand our stomachs for the full lunch buffet. One afternoon, one of the ships officers gave us a tour of the bridge, the ship is very modern, built in 2001 and refitted in 2005 for service at Galapogas.

Flightless Cormorants dance, Penguin looks off to future

Galapagos Hawk

Generally beer or other beverages assist in preparing us for a short nap in the afternoon prior to another zodiac trip at 3:15 PM. Again we participated in similar hiking and wildlife observing activity as in the morning.  We arrive back to the ship around 6:30 to cocktail hour, where we catch up on the internet at $30/hour, have some pre-dinner snacks and drinks and have a briefing from the client manager on the next days activities. This works up an appetite for a full menu 4 or 5 course sitdown dinner at 7:30 where we stockpile sufficient calories for the next day and a few additional days just in case supplies run short. I believe I still have stockpiles of calories that will keep me going for over a week.

Serious case of Crabs

After dinner there was an hour or so of entertainment in the lounge where the crew/staff and clients  consumed after dinner beverages and participated in activities such as displays of musical or dancing talent, Karaoke and Equator crossing ceremonies. Participation was generally optional.


The ship sets sail for the next days destination typically at dinner time, this was helpful in minimizing caloric intake for some who were effected by the rocking of the boat as it sailed. Depending on the distance to our next island we might sail for 2 hours or 10.

Blue footed Bobbies Courtship dance

Gulls of some kind with pretty red feet

The ship is equipped with a micro fitness area with a treadmill, elliptical trainer and a few free weights. The equipment was in like new condition not surprisingly. A few of us used the treadmill to assist in ability to load our plates more at the buffets. Was interesting running on a device that swayed fore and aft sometimes and side to side others. There was never a line up for the equipment, in fact I never encountered another person in the room, maybe they were all being polite and not interrupting my training. A spin bike would be a more useful device in this environment.

Nazca Boobie with chick

The short hikes / nature walks were along beaches, across lava beds and on trails where we saw sea lions, sea turtles, Iguanas, Tortoises as well as numerous birds such as Frigate Birds, Nasca and Blue Footed Boobies, Hawks, Gulls, Finches, Flightless Cormorants, Penguins, Flamingos and other less memorable species. Though wild, the creatures have little fear of man and can be closely approached without disturbing them much. We observed mating dances of Blue Fotted Boobies and Flightless Cormorants.

Marine Iguana Bachelor Colony

So cute Sea Lion pup

Galapagos Flamingo

Dominant male Sea Lions were seen chasing rivals from their beach front harem, as well they were observed to herd the young pups in shallow water while the moms sought food, seemingly to protect them from straying away into areas where sharks or killer whales may find them delicious. Similarly male Iguanas jealously guarded their females from other potential suitors shaking their heads to warn them off. The not so lucky to be the dominant male Iguanas bide there time in "bachelor colonies" no doubt working out in hopes of being the next winner. Sea Turtles float in the surf, waiting for evening so they can come ashore and check out the beach for suitable egg laying spots and eventually lay some eggs. It's too hot for them during the day, they need the cool evenings to make the journey.

Small Sharks are seen swimming in  tidal ponds, Pelicans strut on beaches and Penguins stand like statues and sometimes waddle on rock beaches. Red crabs scurry in the thousands on rocky shorelines. A magical place of wondorous and abundant life.

Galapagos Islands are one of two places on earth that are native homes to the Giant Tortoise, the other being the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. Apparently galápago means tortoise in Spanish and hence the archipelago obtained its name. These are amazing reptiles that  grow to 5 feet in diameter, can weigh over 500 pounds and live up to an estimated 200 years, the longest living vertebrate on the planet. As they are apparently also very delicious, one guide mentioned that there is 5 different flavours of meat on these beasts, of course no doubt just hearsay. The Tortoises suffered near extinction from hunting at the hands of whalers and seafarers after discovery of the Islands in the 16th to the early 20th centuries. An estimated 100,000 tortoises were taken for food during this culinary orgy. The beasts are very handy to have with as they were reported to survive for a year or 2 in the hold of a ship without food or water. Very hard to find a comparable method of preserving fresh meat. Their oil was also considered very desirable. Darwin describes it as " a beautifully clear oil is prepared from the fat" in his book The Voyage of The Beagle. Today the Tortoises are protected and a breeding program is managed on Santa Cruz Island at the Charles Darwin Research Center.

Giant Tortoise looking for mate

We first encounter Tortoises on our walk on Isabela Island. They are found lumbering down the trail  toward us, initially we see a small one, a female, maybe 18 " diameter, then a little while later a large male some 4 feet in diameter, fairly magical. We then see a number of others as to almost become common place.

Giant Tortoise......

Later on our return walk, we see the first two off in the bushes making some effort to get it on.... with the differences in size, one of the guides expresses some disgust with the event and asks if there is a term in english for an old man that chases young women (child molester?, cradle robber?) and wonders if someone should call the police.

We later visit the Darwin Research Center in the town of  Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. This was home to the famous Lonesome George until he passed away last June. The guides tell us he is now in New York City getting stuffed so he can continue to be the icon of the Tortoise conservation movement in perpetuity.  I wonder if the New York museum will return him or keep him like they did the Egyptian loot. Anyway given that sometime the creatures only move a metre or two a day, casual observers are unlikely to notice he is no longer alive.

Darwin Center baby tortoise enclosure

The Darwin Center has enclosures with many tortoises of varying age. Breeding stock lounge around and nursery areas are filled with many young reptiles from hatchlings to several years old. They keep them here until they are big enough to fend off the rats and survive in the wild. The breeding program has apparently been very successful and the Tortoise population in on the rise. I asked one of the guides if they were considering farming these reptiles since they keep so well and have legendary meat and oil quality. The response was incredulous, seems they haven't considered that business opportunity yet. I did notice that the enclosures were surrounded by high fences with outward leaning barb wire, unlikely there to keep the tortoises from escaping. Some reports of poaching appear in the media, but the guides claim that it does not occur anymore.

Marine Iguana

There be Dragons

Galapagos is also home to Land and Marine Iguanas. These are curious looking dragonish reptiles that inhabit most of the islands. The Land Iguanas suffered much from competition with feral animals such as rats, cats and dogs. The species became endangered on some islands and extinct on others. Conservation efforts in the last 50 years have seen the

Land Iguana

Land Iguana reintroduced on some islands and populations increased on others. The Marine Iguana on the other hand seemed to be doing very well with numerous creatures basking on rocks in several locales. After a few days guests hardly showed interest when the guides mentioned they might soon be treated with seeing more Iguanas....

Green Sea Turtle

Snorkeling territory

As mentioned snorkeling was my favourite Galapagos activity. The water is warm but not overly, maybe 75-80 oF.
Had a chance to test out the GoPro underwater, a very
cool device notwithstanding the very wide angle it has.

A short video of snorkeling off Isabela Island is at following youtube link

http://youtu.be/2EtJSQWgivk

Some fish very colourful

The wetsuit was very comfortable and appreciated. We had 4 snorkeling event opportunities over the course of the week.

Marine Iguana with the fishes

The equipment was supplied by the cruise ship, after getting the initial set replaced, it worked very well. Time in the water was 20 to 40 minutes per time and we had the delight of swimming with Green Turtles, Marine Iguanas, Sea Lions, Rays and untold fish species. Water was a bit murky in spots but mostly decent visibility, a very satisfying experience.

Puerto Ayora fish market

Sea Lion assisting with cleanup

Our last full day is spent on Santa Cruz Island, as mentioned we explored the Darwin Center in the morning, then had some free time to wander back into the town of Puerto Ayora and check out the shops and the fish market. It was fun to watch a Sea Lion assisting the fish cleaners in disposing of the entrails. The Pelicans were watching closely for any thing the Sea Lion dropped.... See the action sequence at link below ....
http://youtu.be/6wBNyiaoLsM

The town is home to some 12000 residents and is a full service centre. There are lots of shops for souvenirs, clothing, art, carvings, sporting goods.... whatever you may or may not need or want. There are many restaurants and small shops to get snacks, beer and coffee.

Main Drag under Construction Puerto Ayora

There is even a travel agency with signs inviting you in to book a trip to New York! Of interest is the price of fuel, I had seen the prices in Quito of $1.15 for diesel and $1.50 for gasoline, I presumed they were per litre. In Puerto Ayora the price was slightly less, $1.02 for diesel and $1.40 for gasoline, the guide tells me that they are per US gallon.... apparently heavily subsidized.... no wonder Ecuador is first on the list of countries for Canadians to retire to.

Lava Tube

In the afternoon we are bused into the interior of the island of Santa Cruz and are treated to a descent under ground into a lava tube. This is a curious geological formation formed from lava flowing in a subsurface channel. The outer walls cool and the interior lava remains hot and eventually the flow ends leaving a sizeable tube like feature underground. They were supposedly discovered by farmers looking for missing animals, where upon hearing bleats and snorts and moos from underground they located the entrances where their wayward animals were hiding. The one we entered was the size of an NYC subway tunnel complete with electric lights to  allow easy navigation... the entrance was guarded by a stoic barn owl. Very cool both in temperature and indeed.

Tortoise Shell pushups

Size 42 Tortoise turd

Back in the bus we are transported to a working cattle farm that happened to have numerous Giant Tortoises grazing and wallowing around the pasture. They have several unoccupied tortoise shells that adventurous travelers can try on for size. They provided us with rubber boots to tramp amongst the Tortoises without getting too much stuff on us. The Tortoises roam relatively freely on the farms, spending much of the year moving a few metres a day to find better grazing nearby. The bottom strand of barb wire cattle fencing is kept nearly a metre off the turf so the Tortoises may pass freely. During the mating season these creatures turn up the pace and can move up to 700m per day in their 20 km or so journey from the highland to the coastal area to mate. Once that frenzy is over they head back to the highlands for the greener pastures. I am surprised the Churchs in Quito didn't threaten wayward parishioners with a version of hell whereby for certain unspeakable sins they would be sentenced to the life of a tortoise, eating grass, wallowing in mud and rushing to the coast for a once a year orgy.... repeat annually for 200 years....would have frightened even the hardest criminal back to the straight and narrow.....

Whale bones on lava bed

A visit to the Galapagos Islands is a fascinating experience, the guides and naturalists were friendly with excellent local knowledge and insight into the complex ecosystem. An amazing area of lava shaped landscapes and rugged shorelines.

Lava Cactus

Definitely an honour and a privilege to visit these islands. There could have been a bit more snorkeling and I could have had more discipline at the bar and buffet. But hey, its like any event with unlimited food and booze, almost everybody overindulges. A cruise/tour with a cash bar and pay as you go restaurants would be a healthier choice. That said would highly recommend a visit, there are many different boats and even some hotels onshore, no doubt many options to see the sites.