Red-footed Boobies, Masked Boobies,
Storm Petrels, and Red-billed Tropic Bird. There is also a large colony of fur sea lions, a relative of the sea lions we saw on Espanola Islands and in San Cristobal, when we boarded the ship.
Our tour began with a zodiac ride along the base of the cliffs. Nests of Red-billed Tropic Bird were visible in every crevice in the shear cliff wall. It was fascinating to watch one Tropic bird after another make a precise landing in their cliffside nests, usually followed by several piratical Frigate Birds in pursuit of breakfast (Frigate Birds are notorious for stealing food from other birds.)
As we motored along the cliffs, I was remembering the climb to the top via a staircase built into the side of the cliff, better known as Prince Phillip’s Steps. The steep, rocky staircase was still there, and now had a handrail that made the climb much easier. The view from the top was worth the hike. Across the flat plateau we could see dozens of Nazca Masked-Boobies nesting with white, fluffy chicks in various stages of development. Storm Petrels and Frigate Birds flew overhead.
As we continued our walk, the terrain began to change and we soon entered a “wooded” area; actually a forest of dwarf palo santo trees where we spotted our first Red-footed Boobies perched in the trees. Red-footed Boobies are the only members of the booby family to nest in trees. Red-footed boobies lay a single egg and both sexes incubate and fend for the young.
Back on the ship, with Bloody Mary in hand, I listened to Billy, our ship’s expedition leader, talk about the “El Nino” phenomenon and its effect on the fauna in the Galapagos. For the afternoon I was looking forward to snorkeling and some beach time in Darwin Bay.
Mid-day, our ship changed locations and sailed to the southern part of Tower Island, entering Darwin Bay, the caldera of an extinct, partially eroded volcano, with the surrounding cliffs forming the inner portion of the rim. After a wet landing on a coral beach, we again divided into groups. The kids were absolutely fascinated with all the sea lions and wanted to stay and play in the water with their newly found friends. I’m not sure who was more vigilant, the parents of the kids or the “beach master” (the male sea lion that watches over his harem and offspring.)
As we walked away from the beach we found a large mangrove area filled with nesting Red-footed Boobies. We spotted several Swallow-tail gulls nesting near and even on the trail, and were careful not to disturb any nests. It still amazes me that the birds were not frightened by our presence.
The trail continued past a beautiful tide pool, to the cliff’s edge with a commanding view of the bay. On our way back to the beach, we spotted our first Galapagos Owl, better known as a short-eared owl, beautifully camouflaged, hiding in a hollow log. Later, when I was going through my pictures, I kept wondering what I had taken a picture of, until I saw the eyes. I’m sure he was patiently waiting to make a sneak attack on some unsuspecting Storm petrel.
Back on the beach several of us donned wet suits and headed off on a zodiac for some deep-water snorkeling. The waters in the Galapagos are cold (around 66 degrees) due to the Humboldt Current that sweeps northward from the Antarctic, which is necessary to keep the Galapagos’s ecosystem in balance. The snorkeling along the cliffs was good and we saw great sea life: my first sea turtle, some Moorish Idols, starfish and a White-banded Angel Fish. One of the snorkelers, in another group, spotted a White-tipped Shark, but I had no such luck.
During the night we sailed back to Santa Cruz Island and after breakfast left for a tour of the Highlands, and a chance to see giant tortoises in the wild. The Highlands are cool and damp, far different from the arid environment along the beach area. We managed to see several tortoises, scouted out by the guide that preceded our group.
While half the group went back to the ship, the other half, the more adventurous group, put on rubber boots and headed for a tour of a lava tube or tunnel, similar to those found in Hawaii. I don’t recommend this excursion if you’re claustrophobic. It was interesting--a trickling of an underground stream “flowed” the length of the tube and like many underground caves, had interesting rock formations. As fascinating as everything was, I was very happy when we climbed out and I took a breath of fresh air.
The afternoon was another beach day and I welcomed the opportunity to sit and watch the sea lions at play.
Our tour began with a zodiac ride along the base of the cliffs. Nests of Red-billed Tropic Bird were visible in every crevice in the shear cliff wall. It was fascinating to watch one Tropic bird after another make a precise landing in their cliffside nests, usually followed by several piratical Frigate Birds in pursuit of breakfast (Frigate Birds are notorious for stealing food from other birds.)
As we motored along the cliffs, I was remembering the climb to the top via a staircase built into the side of the cliff, better known as Prince Phillip’s Steps. The steep, rocky staircase was still there, and now had a handrail that made the climb much easier. The view from the top was worth the hike. Across the flat plateau we could see dozens of Nazca Masked-Boobies nesting with white, fluffy chicks in various stages of development. Storm Petrels and Frigate Birds flew overhead.
As we continued our walk, the terrain began to change and we soon entered a “wooded” area; actually a forest of dwarf palo santo trees where we spotted our first Red-footed Boobies perched in the trees. Red-footed Boobies are the only members of the booby family to nest in trees. Red-footed boobies lay a single egg and both sexes incubate and fend for the young.
Back on the ship, with Bloody Mary in hand, I listened to Billy, our ship’s expedition leader, talk about the “El Nino” phenomenon and its effect on the fauna in the Galapagos. For the afternoon I was looking forward to snorkeling and some beach time in Darwin Bay.
Mid-day, our ship changed locations and sailed to the southern part of Tower Island, entering Darwin Bay, the caldera of an extinct, partially eroded volcano, with the surrounding cliffs forming the inner portion of the rim. After a wet landing on a coral beach, we again divided into groups. The kids were absolutely fascinated with all the sea lions and wanted to stay and play in the water with their newly found friends. I’m not sure who was more vigilant, the parents of the kids or the “beach master” (the male sea lion that watches over his harem and offspring.)
As we walked away from the beach we found a large mangrove area filled with nesting Red-footed Boobies. We spotted several Swallow-tail gulls nesting near and even on the trail, and were careful not to disturb any nests. It still amazes me that the birds were not frightened by our presence.
The trail continued past a beautiful tide pool, to the cliff’s edge with a commanding view of the bay. On our way back to the beach, we spotted our first Galapagos Owl, better known as a short-eared owl, beautifully camouflaged, hiding in a hollow log. Later, when I was going through my pictures, I kept wondering what I had taken a picture of, until I saw the eyes. I’m sure he was patiently waiting to make a sneak attack on some unsuspecting Storm petrel.
Back on the beach several of us donned wet suits and headed off on a zodiac for some deep-water snorkeling. The waters in the Galapagos are cold (around 66 degrees) due to the Humboldt Current that sweeps northward from the Antarctic, which is necessary to keep the Galapagos’s ecosystem in balance. The snorkeling along the cliffs was good and we saw great sea life: my first sea turtle, some Moorish Idols, starfish and a White-banded Angel Fish. One of the snorkelers, in another group, spotted a White-tipped Shark, but I had no such luck.
During the night we sailed back to Santa Cruz Island and after breakfast left for a tour of the Highlands, and a chance to see giant tortoises in the wild. The Highlands are cool and damp, far different from the arid environment along the beach area. We managed to see several tortoises, scouted out by the guide that preceded our group.
While half the group went back to the ship, the other half, the more adventurous group, put on rubber boots and headed for a tour of a lava tube or tunnel, similar to those found in Hawaii. I don’t recommend this excursion if you’re claustrophobic. It was interesting--a trickling of an underground stream “flowed” the length of the tube and like many underground caves, had interesting rock formations. As fascinating as everything was, I was very happy when we climbed out and I took a breath of fresh air.
The afternoon was another beach day and I welcomed the opportunity to sit and watch the sea lions at play.
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