She Tales # 4 - Galapagos Archipelago
Sitting in a sun chair on the balcony of our twenty-dollar hotel room, I am looking out over the azure bay of Puerto Ayora, my head resting on a pillow, and I truly know contentment. There are Frigate birds circling overhead, and long tailed tropic birds coasting inches over the water’s surface. As the last colors of pink are fading into night and the lights from the boats begin to dance upon the water, day turns to night. We have been here in the Galapagos for two amazing weeks, face-to-beak with the magnificent birds, nose-to-nose with sea lions, toe-to-claw with land iguanas, tail-to-tail with marine iguanas, swimming with sea turtles, hovering over white tipped sharks, and standing inches from the giant tortoises.

The animals here in the Galapagos Archipelago are as curious about humans as we are about them, with the exception of the very shy giant tortoise. The giant tortoise can live for 200 years and yet they never warm up to humans. They remain shy even in their old age. We did get up close and personal with a few of them, their brownish green faces are full with wrinkles and resemble an old toothless women with a wide smile. Sea lions swim around snorkelers, inviting them to play as they dive beneath and around. They will occasionally bite lightly in a playful way. On occasion while scuba diving with the sea lions, they will come up and grab the regulator hose out of your mouth and attempt to swim away, sort of like a cat playing with a string. We were snorkeling just outside the bay of Puerto Ayora with a large group of sea lions, 12 or so, when the bull got in and started making loud barking noises. The bull made it clear to us that this area of water is his territory. We always try to avoid big bulls, and this bull was coming straight for Christopher. My heart pounded in my chest as the granddaddy passed under Christopher from left to right with only inches to spare, and then swam off.

Shark Alley was next, a thin stretch of water that lies between two black volcanic canyon walls, topped with candelabra cactus, on Isla Santa Cruz. White tipped sharks in this area only grow to about five feet long and do not eat humans. Why would the White Tip bother eating humans when there are an abundance of other fish to eat? We had been snorkeling with plenty of white tipped sharks while snorkeling in James Bay off the Island of Santiago, so we plunged over the side and into the chilly turquoise water. As we headed for the canyon where the sharks hang out, the water visibility became murky, possibly due to the full moon; and the visibility got even worse as we continued down into the canyon. “Sometimes you can see 30 sharks here” our guide told us. “Thirty sharks, oh heck!” I don’t want to go swimming around with thirty sharks in a small lagoon; and technically the sharks could be down there. We were just unable to see them because the current was rushing into the canyon, causing the ocean bottom to mix into the water, making it almost like watery chocolate milk. I swam at warp speed back down the canyon and over to the boat. It sounds crazy, but it is really safe. No one ever gets attacked. These White Tips are accustomed to swimming with humans.

The way most people see Galapagos is to fly in, take a boat trip around the archipelago with a guide, and then go home. I am so fortunate to have had some extra time to experience the Islands, get to know the people and hear some behind-the-scenes stories. It turns out there is a huge problem here with introduced animals. These are animals that are not indigenous to the islands. Early colonizers left the goat here and it is hurting the endemic wildlife, such as the giant tortoise and the land iguana, because it competes for food. Both the Charles Darwin Center and the National Park system are trying to eradicate (kill) the goats. Plans had been brought to the National Park for trained herding dogs to be brought in, corral the goats, then boat them off the island and use them for food in the mainland. It sounds like a good plan. It was free to the park, paid for by the private sector, yet it was rejected and the goats continue to have a devastating effect on the food supply of the endemic animals, because goats eat everything. There are other problems with feral cats that eat the Darwin Finches and other birds. Wild dogs eat the iguana eggs and the iguanas too. Rats eat the seeds of plants and put a halt on most farming in the agricultural zone. There are poachers here that run rampant on the sharks, providing the Asian market boatloads of shark fins. There are 400 kilometers from end-to-end here in the Archipelago, so it is extremely hard to patrol. Local naturalist guides say there is little hope because there is almost no patrol; and when people are caught, they are often let go with no penalty. There is a diesel spill here in the bay nearly every day and pollution now floats in the water of this busy port. Hopefully, the government will crack down on pollution and poaching; but local guides fear it will continue and change the environment forever.

One last thing I would like to mention about island life, you can not take things too seriously. Supplies are short, so you may walk into your favorite restaurant and find that they are simply out of food. The water pressure commonly turns off at night, so do not expect to take a shower after 10:00 pm; and never expect to take a warm shower. The electricity goes out whenever the Island generator runs out of gas. Just take it in stride; and before getting frustrated, remember it is just part of Island life here in the Galapagos.

We truly traded dollars for memories here in the Galapagos archipelago. We spent 8 days on a Luxury yacht named the Heritage. She is 250 feet long, with smooth teak decks and four tall masts rise from her belly. There were only 13 passengers and about 15 crew including the First Mate, Lenin, Captain Christian, and our Naturalist Guide Rodrigo. Each day we woke for breakfast just past dawn, and by 7:30 we were hiking through one of the islands. Hiking in the morning is essential because to hike at noon would melt you. It is hot and humid, the sun scorches the terrain in the summer and the effects can be seen, as most of the islands are arid. Black “pa hoe hoe” lava covers Isla Isabela. Hiking over the lava rock, which covers the island from end-to-end, we came to a tropical setting where flamingos wade and greenery abounds…unexpected and beautiful. The contrast of the hot black lava rock and the lush greenery and pink flamingos was simply breath taking.

Sea lions are all over the Galapagos; but especially on South Plaza Island, where there were hundreds of them. When the boat pulled up to the landing, sea lions were sunning themselves on the footpath and had no intention of moving, even though we were at their side, just a step away. Our guide clapped his hand to get their attention. They sighed and reluctantly plopped into the water to clear the path for us humans. I know this will sound cliché, but they are “SO CUTE”, especially the babies. They are very curious about humans and will waddle over you on their flippers, investigate you and then lay down or waddle off. It is a wonderful sensation to be so close to these animals and have them be unafraid.

Back on the boat, Angel, would be waiting with fresh cold juice and lunch would be served after some relax time. Walter the chef and Walter II, the assistant chef, are artists in the kitchen. At nightfall we were served dinner on the stern patio, with a warm breeze flowing gently past, followed by a briefing given by our naturalist about the next day’s adventures. I have to say, I was about as relaxed as I could get, the slight rocking motion of the boat akin to being in a Mother’s arms. Not one thing to complain about, not that I complain much anyway. Perfection! As I sit here on my balcony on our last day, my heart is happy but I feel sad to leave. Trading dollars for dreams in this way has made my dream of being in the Galapagos a brilliant memory, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Every time I see a sea lion or finch, I hope to temporarily be taken back to this paradise, the Galapagos Archipelago. It was an incredible adventure. Thank you for letting me share it with you.