The Doc was going to give his overall impressions at the end, however he cannot upload photos in the Galapagos Island, so an overall impression of the sea cruise is the topic today.
The Land Tour starts tomorrow. Today is a rest day and an opportunity to write up some reports. There was limited time during the cruise.
The wow factor in Galapagos does not come from one island or one animal but the overall package of animals and islands together. So a sea cruise is a very good way to see the Islands. Looked at in isolation The Doc can see why the initial explorers had a negative view of the Islands. It is the whole system, both geological and biological that must be looked at. That is what is unique, not the dull coloured finches, desolate Islands or limited land based wildlife. There are far more beautiful Islands like Lord Howe Island, but none the same as Galapagos.
The Islands were much dryer than The Doc expected. Dry and dusty, with cactus and dead vegetation being the norm on many Islands at this time of year. An Australian can identify with the landscape from that perspective. The cold Humboldt current rules the sea at the moment in Galapagos and it limits rainfall during the dry season, when it weakens and the warm currents flow in they bring rains and in a few months the green vegetation will return.
Galapagos is a place of contrasts. Penguins swimming in equatorial waters, thanks to the Humboldt current. Giant land tortoises on one Island living in dry dusty surrounds (San Cristobel Island) and on another in lush green foliage (highlands of Santa Cruz Island).
It is the seas that drive much of the wildlife, the waters are rich in fish supporting large colonies of sea lions and sea birds – blue footed boobies, red footed boobies, nazca boobies, lava gulls, herons, pelicans and breeding Waved Albatrosses. The sea birds nest on the ground or maker simple nests on the “predator free” islands. There are almost no land based predators, the land iguanas are vegetarian, the salt spitting marine iguanas eat sea grasses. The finches and lava lizards eats flies, insects, seeds and grasses. The only real predators are a limited number of snakes, Galapagos hawks and owls. The cormorants here are even flightless.
Some feral cats, goats and donkeys threaten parts of the delicate ecosystem. Large scale culling of goats is under way and also donkeys. Our Guide Pato reported fresh donkey do do at our first landing on Day 1.
It is the lack of predators and humans that make the wildlife so easy to approach, they show no fear. Female sea lions would come and play while we snorkelled, the bull males had no time for play as they guarded their patch of beach. You could walk up to pelicans and boobies and take great photos with a point and shoot camera. If you got too close to a land tortoise it would hiss and pull its head in. Frigate birds would land on the boat but more commonly fly on the updraught produced by the boat and follow you around. Finches and lava lizards would scurry around your feet. Dolphins rode the bow wave of our boat.
Outside The Doc’s hotel window right now is a pelican, lava gull and frigate bird. Down next to the pool are marine iguanas sunning themselves. Frigate birds patrol the sky looking for their next meal. A person walks around the balcony of the building next door and a dozen young marine iguanas scamper out of the way. Such is Galapagos.