GALAPAGOS #1: A Living Laboratory

It’s reassuring to know some places don’t change with time...the Galapagos Islands are one of those places. The islands were discovered in the mid-1500s and named after its famed inhabitants, the giant tortoises. The word galapagos, in Spanish, means saddle, and refers to the carapace, or shell of these huge reptiles. The islands belong to Ecuador, and in 1934, were officially declared a wildlife sanctuary. In 1959 the islands became a national park in order to preserve the unusual fauna and flora of the islands.

Six-thirty a.m. wake-up call. It became a regular part of our routine. In the dining room I could hear the excitement and the anticipation of the day’s adventure. During the “evening briefing” the previous night (that also became a regular part of our routine), Billy, the ship’s expedition leader, gave us information on the following day’s activities. It would be a “dry landing” (we would disembark from our zodiac onto a pier or a deck, not into water.)

The difficulty level was high due to a rocky, uneven trail; the hike would last two and a half hours and we could expect to see waved albatross, Blue-footed Boobies, sea lions, marine iguanas, Tropic Birds, Galapagos Doves, Mockingbirds and three different species of finches.

We divided into groups of 16 (the number allowed in the zodiac) and off we went. As we walked ashore on Espanola Island in the middle of a sea lion colony, I felt we had entered another world, that we had regressed many thousands of years into primeval existence…. Marine iguanas basked lazily on the rocks, seemingly not aware or not bothered by our presence; Mockingbirds and Ground Finches pecked around our feet with no more fear than chickens in a barnyard. At one point, a fellow hiker, Teresa Kennedy, uncapped her water bottle and before she was able to take a drink, a Mockingbird landed on her hand, also wanting a drink. Apparently, fresh water is scarce and mockingbirds have learned that tourists, with water bottles, are a new source of fresh water.

Everywhere we looked there was wildlife. It didn’t take long to find our first Blue-footed Booby. Where the name booby came from I have no idea, nor did our naturalist guide, but the blue feet are obvious. We saw several nesting along the trail, and often had to walk off the trail so as not to step on the nest. The Boobies watched as we passed, I think they were wondering why we didn’t have blue feet.

Also nesting on the island is the Nazca Masked Booby, no blue feet or blue bill, but a unique looking bird with black rings around its eyes, which, as the name implies, resemble a mask. Our naturalist guide, Walter, explained about the three different types of boobies: the Blue-footed Booby, the Nazca Masked Booby and a Red-footed Booby that nests on another island.

Not being scientifically oriented, I found it fascinating that each booby adapts to its own surroundings: the blue-footed boobys nest on the ground, inland; the Masked Boobies on the cliff’s edge; and the red-footed boobys nest in trees. Before the question was even asked, we were told there are no purple-footed boobys--they are all distinct species and do not inter-breed. Apparently, the courtship dance of the Blue-footed Booby with all the honking, sky pointing and frantic dance movements is not a turn on for the Red-footed Booby.

Before taking my first trip to the Galapagos in 1997, I knew very little about birds, other than Crows are real pests and make lots of noise. Once our naturalist guide started putting names to the different species of birds, and telling us about their habits and their role in the evolutionary chain, birds took on a whole new significance. It was even better this trip because my nephew, Robert Hewitt, an ornithologist, who teaches at Humbolt State University, was along on the trip. Between Robert and Walter, we became very well versed on the habits and sex-life of the different bird species (Bill Handel wanted to know how they “shtuped.”) I now enjoy bird watching far more than I did, and have a great pair of binoculars that helps tremendously, but I’m not ready to join the Audubon Society.

As we hiked back to the zodiac, our guide gave us a brief history of the islands and what it was like when Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835. That visit inspired Darwin to write his book, Origin of the Species, which shaped evolutionary science forever, and confirmed his innovative concept of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Galapagos Islands.

As we had lunch and did a bit of “bird-watching” from the observation deck, the ship sailed from Espanola Island to Santa Cruz Island, the home of the Charles Darwin Research Center.

As we disembarked (a dry landing) and walked to the center, I was shocked at how much the center had grown. For a moment I felt I was at Disneyland or the San Diego Zoo. The hatcheries, the laboratories and the small museum paying homage to Charles Darwin and his evolutionary theories were somewhat the same, but the pens where the giant tortoises are kept were modernized and beautified … like an exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. Even Lonesome George had a new, large “home” with plenty of space to wander. (Lonesome George is a giant tortoise that is the last of his species. He has lots of “girlfriends,” but to date, no offspring. Scientist are looking far and wide, but still have not found a mate for Lonesome George.)

Even though I had said there were no changes in the Galapagos, I should have said, natural changes, because there were lots of man-made changes on Santa Cruise Island. In 1997, there were two or three tourist type shops selling souvenirs. Now there must be 20 shops selling t-shirts, jewelry, art work and other souvenirs plus several restaurants. I was shocked. I think they call it progress. Actually, it is due to the increase in tourism over the years. In 1997 there were 55,000 tourists allowed on the islands. Today, that number has increased to 85,000 tourists and growing.

It had been a full day. The kids, full of energy, shot up to the main lounge for the Karaoke machine. Some of the adults found the piano player in the upstairs lounge and even had the energy to dance. My daughter, Heather, and a few other hearty souls stayed in town and had dinner at one of the local restaurants. After dinner and our briefing, I was definitely ready for bed.