Galápagos Day 2
We woke up early and had breakfast at our hotel, which is fabulous and has a great pool. We’ll be spending our last night in the islands back at the same hotel. From there we walked to the town pier and boarded our ferry for Isabela Island. Upon arriving we checked into our hotel and then headed back to the pier to have a panga (small boat) excursion. Given the state of the tides our local guide had us start by snorkeling. We saw countless sea turtles, star fish, parrot fish, and swimming iguanas, among other things. We then proceeded to go on a boat tour looking for more wildlife. We saw black tipped sharks, white tipped sharks (local), spotted eagle rays, diamond rays, more bigger turtles, pelicans, and countless Galápagos sea lions. Then our boat pulled up to a small island and we went on a hike. We learned about the history of the island, and about how lichen is the first plant to stick to the windward side of the lava rock (due to prevailing winds and moisture). This is the first step in the process of soil and plant development. As we hiked we saw several species of crabs and large frigates. Of course we saw more sea lions. Here we saw a lot of very small pups playing in the water. The photo below is one the students named Bump. He was napping in a small channel just drifting with the current and from time to time he would bump into the lava rock and then give a push back out for more napping until he drifted back into the lava wall again.
After our snorkeling, boating, and hiking we went for lunch. Everyone was hot, tired and full of salt, so we headed back to our hotel to clean up. We had about 1.5 hours to shower, change, and take a power nap before heading out again. Our afternoon trip involved a long hike through several ecosystems. It was truly spectacular. We boarded our bus and headed up the volcano a mile or so to a giant tortoise breeding center. There are several species endemic to the Galápagos and some are thriving, while others suffered a lot during the colonial era when ships would stop here to fill there holds with tortoises (they can live a long time without food or water, so they were perfect). Anyhow, the species endemic to this specific island was one of the ones most endangered. The government has a successful breeding program to help them recover and we had a tour of the facility. The little ones were so cute! They keep them at the center for 5 years to ensure they are strong and hard enough to be safe from predators, so we got to see many of them in all sizes and ages.
From there we headed for a hike back down to the sea. We started in forest, then to dry forest, then to mangroves and finally to the sea/marine environment. It’s amazing how fast the ecosystems change and it’s predominantly just simply due to water, be it fresh or salt. Anyhow, I have no idea how many species of birds we saw on this walk. I’ll post photos when we get back. Here is a flamenco, which are actually quite rare. I have a cool video of them eating, which I’ll post later. We ended up walking the beach and spending some time on a rocky outcrop. We saw more and different types of crabs, iguana nests, turtle nests, and the beautiful sea. From there we hopped on a bus and went to the main beach. Students swam in the ocean, body surfed waves, made sand turtles, etc. at sunset. It was perfect because it was so beautiful and we avoided the mid-day sun.
After swimming we walked back to the hotel, cleaned up, and headed out to dinner. By the time we got back from dinner it was after 9:00, so some went to bed, some read, and others just hung out for a while talking. Tomorrow’s adventure involves a trip up the main volcano to hike, explore, and learn. After lunch they’ll have free time, so that will vary. Given the long day today and then again tomorrow, the students will be sleeping in till 8:00. We are so busy on the trip; they’ll really appreciate the extra rest. On to another exciting day in the Galápagos. I will post again Tuesday night.
