Galapagos still a 21st century wonder

Marine iguana sunning itself on lava rock.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

Giant Galapagos tortoise roam distant highlands. Prehistoric marine iguanas carpet black lava rocks along the shore. Male blue-footed boobies dance to the mating drum and sea lions swim island shores with joyful abandon. In the company of a Galapagos naturalist, I set out each day to explore remarkable island ecosystems, stepping gently around and through a menagerie of wildlife. A visit to this impressive sanctuary is a memorable experience for those who appreciate nature. It wasn’t always this way. Whalers, pirates and explorers almost wiped out the abundance of humpback whales, sea turtles, tortoises and other animal species in the Galapagos more than 180 years ago. The isolation of the islands, however, has allowed life forms to evolve into species found only in the Galapagos and today the archipelago is a well-managed and protected National Park.

In the course of millions of years, continuous eruptions of volcanoes that spurted from the sea floor created the Galapagos archipelago. The oldest islands are 5 million years old, relative newcomers. The last volcanic eruption was in 1998 on Isabella, the largest island in the archipelago.

There is nothing in the world quite like the Galapagos Islands. The archipelago, which inspired Charles Darwin more than 170 years ago, straddles the equator about 600 miles west of Ecuador. Wildlife roam free in this enchanted archipelago, unperturbed by human contact. During our stay aboard the

Ecoventura yacht M/Y Eric, we explored 10 islands, crossing the equator twice. Our guide and naturalist, Harry Jiminez, was an encyclopedia of Galapagos knowledge. Harry is a third generation Jiminez born in the Galapagos. His son is the fourth generation.

Life changed dramatically once aboard the Eric — no phones, no newspapers, no television and no Internet access. I made my first phone call to my wife when we docked at Santa Cruz Island five days into the journey. Santa Cruz, population 10,000, is one of only three islands in the archipelago with human habitation.

Raul Roa, a photographer and friend, and I shared a cabin below deck. Somehow, we managed not to get in each other’s way. I did, however, gain great respect for galley slaves.

During the eight days in the Galapagos, Raul and I would see sea turtle hatchlings instinctively making their life or death dash to the sea; a hawk, less than a slam-dunk above my head, perched unconcerned in a tree for two hours; a female California sea lion hardly stirring as I walked within inches of her pup; a mockingbird inspecting a bare foot in the sand; a male blue-footed booby raising his head to the sky and whistling as part of his mating ritual.

I went up to the sun deck our first afternoon at sea where a flock of great frigatebirds followed the Eric for miles. Frigates are a beautiful sight in flight. These thieves of the bird world can maneuver like helicopters, effortlessly gliding sideways.

Late in the afternoon we hopped aboard our panga (a 10-passenger boat with an outboard motor) for our first wet landing on a white-sand beach in Playa Porte Ochoa on the far side of San Cristobal. The water was cool (about 74 degrees), but bearable. We enjoyed a subtle introduction to the Galapagos as we walked within inches of lazy California sea lions. Pups played in the surf, one posing for pictures.

I walked over the sand dunes in search of marine iguanas sunning themselves on lava rock. Much to my disappointment, none were found. “Not to worry,” Harry said, “you will see thousands in the days ahead.” Harry was right. In the days ahead, marine iguanas covered lava rock like a bumpy carpet.

As the sun set, we cruised around Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido), a vertical tuft cone formation that abruptly juts up almost 500 feet out of the Pacific Ocean. We were headed straight for the equator and Genovesa (Tower), an island north of the equator and one of the most spectacular islands in the Galapagos. We had a rough night at sea. The Eric, running on one engine, rolled the ocean blue.

Wake-up calls came at 7 daily, breakfast at 7:30 and panga boarding at 8. We were scheduled for a dry landing in the morning on Genovesa and a wet landing in the afternoon in Darwin Bay. A short panga ride took us to Prince Philip’s Steps, a lava rock trail up the cliff. A handrail made the steep climb manageable. A vast flatland of small, dry brush and trees greeted us at the top along with a Nasca booby (formally known as a masked booby for its mask-like black around its eyes).

The terrain looked prehistoric. Everywhere I looked, red-footed boobies were nesting in Palo Santo trees. They pretty much ignored our presence. Before we headed back to the Eric for lunch, I had my first encounter with gregarious mockingbirds, saw black marine iguanas, beautiful yellow warblers, Nasca boobies, great frigatebirds and finches. A pair of mockingbirds followed us along the trail and even pecked at Raul’s camera lens. Probably checking out their reflections.

As our group of 10 climbed back down the cliff for our panga ride back to the Eric, we spotted a number of bright orange sally lightfoot crabs crawling along the lava rock.

Turquoise blue water and a white, sandy beach greeted us in Darwin Bay. It was an afternoon of swimming, snorkeling and hanging out with great frigates, Nasca and red-footed boobies, sea lions and sally lightfoot crabs. We spotted a lava gull. It is endemic to the Galapagos. There are only about 400 pairs in the entire archipelago, according to Harry.

Harry led us through a mangrove thicket for a view of the “red tomato fields.” The red tomatoes were actually great frigate males with their distinctive red pouches blown up in an attempt to attract females.

Four other boats were anchored in the bay — one yacht and three sailing vessels, including a sleek private sailing yacht, “The Destination,” sailing under the Canadian flag.

My night at sea was rough. The noise of the engine, smell of gas and the motion of the yacht as we headed south across the equator proved too much for my stomach.

Seventeen of the 20 passengers didn’t make it to dinner. I spent the dinner hour riding the porcelain bus in my cabin. I never get motion sickness, but there is a first time for everything and this was my time. I got to know a little about how Darwin felt on his around-the-world journey aboard the H.M.S. Beagle. In “The Voyage of the Beagle,” Darwin writes about his five-year trip around the world. He said that throwing up and feeling sick were as routine for him as waking in the morning.

I had my sea legs back in time for a wet landing at Playa Las Bachas on Santa Cruz Island. The name of the beach was derived from partly covered World War II barges. The remnants of these U.S. barges are still visible in the sand, looking somewhat like a miniature Stonehenge.

I put on my life jacket and hopped into the now familiar panga, driven by Luis Espinoza. “He’s the best panga driver in the Galapagos,” Harry said. No argument here.

The beach at Playa Las Bachas is pristine. It was here that we saw sea turtle hatchlings scurry down the beach to the ocean. They all made it to the water, but I saw a frigate pick off at least one a few yards from shore. Sea turtle hatchlings have a 10 percent survival rate. Each female turtle lays 80 to 100 eggs.

I also saw flamingos, black marine iguanas and yellow warblers and did a little snorkeling. On North Seymour Island, our afternoon Day 3 stop, I saw hundreds of blue-footed boobies, thousands of marine iguanas sunbathing on lava rock, magnificent frigatebirds and sea lions. The magnificent frigatebirds are distinguished from the great frigates by size and plumage. The magnificent frigates are bigger and the males have purplish plumage on their backs instead of the iridescent green.

North Seymour is a geological uplift with tall cliffs offering spectacular views. The trails lead through “prickly pear cactus” or Opuntia and Sesuvium.

Heading back to complete the circle trail, we ran into some “real” tourists from a larger yacht, all with their Hawaiian shirts, point-and-shoot cameras around their necks and some women wearing dresses and sandals for a hike that called for pants or shorts and hiking boots. All that was missing, according to Raul, was the sweater tied around the male neck and penny loafers, sans socks.

On Day 4, the panga took us for a morning dry landing at Dragon Hill on the northern tip of Santa Cruz. It was here that we searched for the colorful endemic land iguana. Harry said if we saw five land iguanas, it would be a good day. We saw 19. Land iguanas are large and have a yellow-orange color. They are territorial and often fight other males for territory. One moved toward Raul as he crouched low and close for a picture. The iguana moved away only after Raul backed off.

From the top of the hill we enjoyed a majestic view of the bay and two small islands called “Hershey’s Kisses” for their resemblance to the chocolate candy in the silver wrapper.

Once back on the beach, our panga took us to an area called Calleta Tortugas. The shallow waters revealed green sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, some golden rays and a school of spotted eagle rays.

In the afternoon we cruised toward the red-sand beaches of Rabida Island. I was sitting on the sun deck as the Eric swayed back and forth on a Pacific so blue it made my eyes squint. I never saw the Pacific Ocean that blue in Southern California.

Located off Santiago (James) Island, Rabida has the most diversified volcanic rocks of all the islands and is considered the geographic center of the Galapagos.

The red-colored beach is volcanic in origin. The trail leads to a salt-water lagoon where great flamingos were feeding.

A hawk, obviously expecting our arrival, was perched in a tree just above our heads where it stayed for more than two hours.

Farther up the beach a colony of pelicans were nesting. The babies looked like the prehistoric pterodactyl.

Santiago Island and the black-sand beach of Puerto Egas was our destination for a wet landing on the morning of day 5. Santiago is a dramatic island covered with lava flows and arid vegetation. Many animals were introduced here such as feral goats, wild pigs, donkeys and rats. We encountered the fur sea lion, once thought to be on the verge of extinction.

The afternoon wet landing on Bartolome gave us our first glimpse of the Galapagos penguin and the American oystercatcher with its long, red beak. One of the most photographed sites in the Galapagos is Pinnacle rock, an eroded tuft cone.

In the evening, we made the 364-step, 30-minute climb to a summit of a once active volcano. It offered a panoramic view of Sullivan Bay. The view is educational as well as inspiring, featuring lava formations — spatter cones and lava tubes.

Our full day on Santa Cruz was one of the highlights of the trip. We visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, the Highlands in search of the elusive Vermillion flycatcher (it remained elusive). We also searched for the giant tortoises (we found several that were 90 to 100 years old and weighed in at 600 pounds) and enjoyed some free time shopping and calling my wife.

Tortoise Lonesome George hangs out at the Charles Darwin Research Station. He’s about 95 years old and the last male of his species. The station is searching the world for a mate to continue the species, but Lonesome George just isn’t interested. They showed him film on a large screen of the famous stud tortoise Diego (on loan from the San Diego Zoo since 1977 to help increase the tortoise population that was almost extinct), but Lonesome George still doesn’t get it.

In the afternoon, we traveled through all the different vegetation zones found in the Galapagos. It was here that we saw “The Twins,” a pair of humongous pit craters. It also was here in the Highlands that we searched in vain for the red male Vermillion flycatcher.

Day 7 took us on a long boat ride to Gardner Bay in Espanola, the southern-most island in the archipelago. What a day — from the white-sand beach in the morning to whale sightings in the evening.

Our last excursion was to Espanola’s Punta Suarez. It is a gem of a place and a great way to spend our next-to-last day in the Galapagos.

Along its southern shore, steep cliffs rise up from the sea for a spectacular view of soaring birds and the famous blowhole. Harry told us to keep our eyes open for “flying iguanas” at the blowhole. Sometimes the tide takes swimming marine iguanas into the blowhole and they end up airborne. Not on this day, however.

Along the cliffs, we encountered the waved albatross, a multitude of blue-footed boobies, with the males performing their wonderful mating dance, Nasca boobies and beautiful red-billed tropicbirds.

Our last day, we returned to San Cristobal for our flight back to Quito.

There are 60 sites to visit in the Galapagos. We visited 14.

It’s hard to express what a week in the Galapagos does for you. In eight days, I became part sailor, part naturalist, part conservationist and part explorer.

There is no way you can leave the Galapagos unaffected. At the end of eight days, you will smile every time you see a mockingbird. They steal your heart with their curiosity — walking between your legs, at your side and checking out your shoelaces. You will find yourself talking to blue-footed boobies nesting in the middle of a marked path or to a marine iguana in your way as you walk on lava rock — or as you pass within a foot of a sea lion while strolling on the beach.

Once here, a part of you remains forever.

Whether or not you believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution matters little in this wonder of wonders archipelago.

If You Go

Continental Airlines flies from LAX to Houston and on to Quito, Ecuador. Check flights on www.continental.com. American Airlines and LAN Chile also fly to Ecuador, but you have to go from New York or Miami. Aerogal Airlines flies you from Quito to San Cristobal in the Galapagos, with a stop in Guayaquil. You have to fill out customs forms entering Ecuador and entering the Galapagos. There is a $100 national park fee.

Ecoventura offers eight-day excursions aboard a 20-passenger yacht, plus crew. Go online at www.ecoventura.com.

The entire trip should cost you between $3,500 and $5,000 per person, depending on cost of flight, cabin and seasonal specials.

What to bring

A good digital camera of at least seven megapixels, binoculars, an extra pair of glasses, motion-sickness pills, sun block, insect repellent and toiletries.

Don’t forget your medicines and take a copy of your prescription for your medicine and eye glasses/contacts. Ecuador and the Galapagos use American currency, which makes transactions easier. Bring enough cash to purchase souvenir items. If you use a credit card, you will be charged an additional 3 to 8 percent.

What to Wear

Bring a change of underwear and socks for eight days. There is no laundry service on the yacht. Shorts, pants (zip off legs are lightweight and great), swimsuit, T-shirts, short and long-sleeved shirts, light jacket, baseball cap and/or safari-type hat with large brim, all-terrain shoes, hiking boots and water shoes.