Puerto Egas, Again

Lots of videos of the playful and precious Galapagos fur seals - actually just a smaller variety of sea lion, and some interesting bird behaviors as well!

Please enjoy the striped heron giving some serious thought to a snake snack before opting for a painted locust instead, the oyster catcher defending its "nest" from two other striped herons, and brown noddies harassing pelicans trying to eat their breakfast in peace!

Return to Tagus Cove

 We wish! However, finishing the video edits has been a great chance to be newly amazed at the spectacular landscape, unbelievably rich colors, and the extraordinary flora and fauna of the Galapagos. Even in a place made of superlatives, Tagus Cove stands out. The view from the top of the spatter cone is only rivalled by the breathtaking beauty of the view from Darwin Lake out over the cove. 

The views were as marvelous under the water!

Back to Urbina Bay

This is where we were initiated into the mysteries of land iguana real estate; males dig as many and as large burrows as they can and then wait for females to (hopefully) occupy the burrows. We saw several stationed out in front of the openings. 

We also have a bit of video of the ground finches, the Galapagos giant tortoise we saw, and some butterflies.

Punta Espinoza.2

Glad to re-share this fantastic location with the videos of marine iguanas and sea turtles feeding on algae. The snorkel was fantastic as we knew it would be the minute we passed through the gap in two arms of volcanic material encircling the sheltered area. The rough, black rock poking above the waves was absolutely frosted in marine iguanas, They were everywhere!

We shared lots of still images from our land visit in our previous Punta Espinoza post (July 6th), but loved revisiting through the videos. Our first bullhead shark, some golden rays, giant piles of marine iguanas warming themselves and each other on the black rocks, and the tiniest baby sea lion!

Vicente Roca Redux

 It was an incredible snorkel and zodiac around the bird/ crab/ fur seal infested cliffs, but our photography skills weren't quite up to the challenge of the very choppy water so there aren't really a lot of better pictures than the ones already posted. 

We did get some good video of sea turtles, fur seals, and lots of birds and are embedding the playlist here:

I did get a ton of the students penguin and fur seal questions answered here as well and was happy to finally find and semi-organize those videos for their use!

Mosquera Revisited

We wish! But seriously, we have finally completed reviewing and editing all the several hundred images from the 3 cameras we took to this enchanted, sea lion carpeted islet.

The sea lions were amazingly curious and playful. They loved chasing people and nipping at their flippers!

Here is the playlist of videos:

and a few pictures from the underwater camera 

and a bonus video shot by our naturalist guide, Roberto:

Today on KPFT's Open Journal!

We are thrilled to be joining KPFT's Duane Bradley and Stephanie Coleman today (8/4/21) at noon CDT on Open Journal to discuss our Fund For Teachers Galapagos Fellowship and its impact on our Nat Geo Education GeoInquiry projects at Piney Point ES and Sinclair ES!

You can join us today at FM 90.1 in Houston or stream here: https://kpft.org/listen/ 

San Cristobal

We were up and out for our speed boat ride to San Cristobal Island. This is the easternmost island in the archipelago. Our speed boat took us on a drive by of Santa Fe Island which was nice since we could not fit a stop there into the schedule.

Pro tip - always sit on the back row of the speed boat, not on the side benches. Your spine will thank you.

Today we learned how lucky we have been with our guides.  Our first stop was the interpretation center, which had displays covering the natural and human history of the Galapagos. Our guide had nothing to say aside from reading the titles of each panel. Outside we walked through the palo santo forest to a platform overlooking the coast; from here we could see that San Cristobal is a significantly different environment from the other islands we have visited. There were more wild flowers and other plants we had not seen elsewhere. We asked about several of these but our guide did not know what any of them were. In fact, he seemed wholly disinterested in sharing any information about anything as he frequently walked ahead of us checking his phone.

From the overlook, we walked down to La Loberia, a beach completely awash in sea lions. Our guide pointed out a great blue heron - informing us, erroneously, it was a lava heron. Here we also saw a group of 5 hermit crabs engaged in a wrestling match of some kind with a 6th crab. It appeared that they were trying to pry it out of its shell. We asked about this behavior, but once again, our guide did not know. 

After lunch we went to Playa Mann, another sea lion beach. We were supposed to snorkel here, but we discovered that there was no place to change and time was short, so we decided to skip it and just enjoy watching the sea lions. A large male was vocalizing in the surf and one female was telling another to back off while her baby was nursing. The surf was crashing dramatically on the black rocks that shelter the beach. We saw a few small ground finches and yellow warblers. There were marine iguanas posed attractively on the rocks. Our guide sat in the shade of the life guard hut rather than providing any information.

We got dropped off at the pier and went for coffee and ice cream. While enjoying these treats in a gazebo by the water, one of Darwin's finches came along to put on a show of using his specially evolved beak. He picked a seed pod off of a plant growing around the base of the gazebo, flew up to the railing not 2 feet from us, crushed the pod open with his beak, and then picked the tiny seeds out of it. This process was repeated 3 times while we watched.

After a bone rattling speed boat ride back to Puerto Ayora (we did NOT get the back row) we went for dinner and finished our day with an ice cream sundae creation called the Cookie Monster. 

Then we returned to the hotel to complete the arduous task of packing.

North Seymour & Bachas Beach

Another early bus ride to Itabaca Channel today, this time to catch a boat to North Seymour. We were picked up by the day's naturalist guide, Luis, and found that the tour was us and a group of students and their professor from Florida Tech. They were in the Galapagos for an ecology course. It's only about 45 minutes from Baltra and is adjacent to Mosquera. North Seymour is a nesting site for frigate birds (magnificent and great) and blue footed boobies. Even before we landed we were treated to seeing a frigate bird with its big, red neck balloon inflated. On shore we immediately found ourselves face to face with a frigate bird nest with white floofballs starting at us. Nests like these were everywhere. Frigate birds nest in trees (a word which on North Seymour means a scrubby tangle roughly 2-3 feet from the ground) while while boobies nest in a shallow depression on the ground - this is how we were told to distinguish which floof we were looking at. 

The first part of the hike was mostly frigate bird nests balanced in palo santo trees and collections of males showing off their neck balloons. We observed a few smacking their balloons with their beaks making a sound like a kick ball bounced on a gym floor. The trail wound back to the coast where the blue footed boobies were nesting. Most of the chicks we saw were almost the size of their parents, but still covered in white fuzz. We saw a few that were quite recently hatched and at least one pair still tending an egg.

Most fun fact about the boobie feet: the more teal, the more desirable. Older males may take a year off from mating to replenish their carotenoids and restore their feet to a more competitive hue. 

North Seymour is also home to a large population of land iguanas. We saw several of these lounging on the rocks and a couple enjoying a meal of prickly pear. We also saw a couple of baby iguanas which we recognized thanks to our trip around Cerro Dragon with Roberto. 

Back on the boat we had a quick turn around to prepare to snorkel. This side of the island has cliffs rising straight out of the water. Beneath the surface it is a steep jumble of rocks going down 20 to 30 feet to a sandy sea floor. The usual suspect fishes were all here along with several that we had not seen before. We saw both the trumpet and coronet fish. There was a fine spotted moray eel slithering between rocky hiding spots. We spotted a huge and remarkably beautiful blunthead triggerfish that we have never seen before. It was easily 2 feet long, striped lavender and electric blue, and eating pencil urchins. This also turned out to be the sharkiest snorkel of the trip. We saw no fewer than 6 individual white tips resting and swimming along the base of the rocks.

After our shark-tastic snorkel, we landed at Bacha Beach. This is another picture postcard beach with perfect powdery sand bracketed by basalt and mangroves. There was a lagoon behind the beach with a solitary flamingo and a couple of whimbrels. We walked up and down the sugar-white sand watching the pelicans and brown noddies. The basalt outcroppings were generously covered with Sally Lightfoot crabs. There were a few marine iguanas around and a sea lion playing in the waves. This is another of what our guides refer to as an "organic beach". This is composed entirely of powdered coral, bones, and shells. Due to its composition it doesn't hold heat making it much more comfortable for walking or lounging.

Back in Puerto Ayora we made our way to Chocolapagos, an artisanal chocolatier. The place smelled like heaven and we found a few of the college students from our tour there as well. Many treats were had and many more purchased for the road home.

Ecuadorian chocolate represents our 3 largest expense on this trip. Seriously, we only spent more on the island visits and tips for our guides and boat crews. Worth every penny!

Bartolome & Sullivan Bay

A very early start - 5:50! But we had to take a bus to the Itabaca Channel to catch our boat to the island. En route we cruised along the coast of Daphne Major, an islet inhabited by large numbers of marine birds. We finally saw the red-billed tropic bird! Also scores of: sooty terns, Nazca & blue-footed boobies, pelicans, storm petrels, swallowtail gulls, frigate birds, and Galapagos petrels.

Bartolome is an islet next to Santiago. It is littered with volcanic craters. Some are at sea level and mostly submerged while others are scattered across the dry surface. Very little grows on Bartolome. This is because it sits in the rain shadow of Santiago. We saw lava cacti which should give some indication of how arid the climate is here. There is a boardwalk from the shore all the way to the summit 114 meters above. With no plants to stabilize the soil, the boardwalk prevents erosion of the softer, ashy parts of the island. In addition to the volcanic cones, there are lava bombs, sticky looking scoria globs, and a few little lava tubes. The view from the summit is one of the postcard shots from the Galapagos. Looking towards Santiago Island one can see Sullivan Bay with Pinnacle Rock looming at a slightly alarming angle over it like a crudely formed obelisk. 

We climbed down to the landing and were greeted by a group of 11 penguins swimming just off shore. This was the largest assemblage of penguins were had seen on this trip. We had a brief snack and then jumped into the panga to be taken to the snorkel site on Sullivan Bay. 

The water clarity here was excellent. There were sea lions, but they were less interested in playing than others we have met. There were large schools of cardinal fish and some curiously pale blue chin parrotfish. We saw several pufferfish and a moray eel as well. The best thing however was a large white tip reef shark on the move rather than snoozing like most of the others we have seen. It was 6 feet or more and beautiful to see. We actually saw it twice and the second time was perhaps the best thing of the whole trip. The white tip was swimming about a foot below the surface along the rocks. I followed it a little ways and saw 3 sea lions going the other direction. All 3 turned and followed the shark,  appearing to nip at its tail as they did.

Our naturalist guide, Johan, was excellent! So enthusiastic and well informed on the human and natural history of the islands. He was very passionate about his calling as an advocate for the conservation of the islands through education.

Black Turtle Cove & Tortuga Bay

We were so sad to leave the Fragata - the whole crew was wonderful and our naturalist guide, Roberto, was exceptional. Our last outing with them was to Black Turtle Cove. 

This is an inlet on the northwest shore of Santa Cruz, not far from Baltra harbor. We went out at 6 just as the sun was rising. As we entered the cove we saw a large diamond ray resting on the bottom. Pelicans and blue footed boobies flew overhead. The water in the cove we absolutely still. Mangroves lined the shore and even formed islands. One of these was frosted in white egrets just waking up and taking to the sky. 

Our first big wildlife excitement was spotting a golden ray cruising at the edge of the mangroves. It was extremely hard to photograph in the early morning light. I tried the underwater camera but that too was a challenge as it required kneeling on the floor of the panga and dropping my arm over the side. It was completely impossible to see what the camera was seeing. The result is a lot of video of water and just occasionally some sea life - and those bits are of dubious quality. 

Black turtle cove may be even more aptly named than Playa Roja. For the entire tour we were able to see at least one sea turtle at all times. Often we could see a half dozen or more. Deeper into the cove the light improved and the water was a little clearer. This gave us amazing views of tiny baby black tip sharks. We saw striped herons feeding perched on the mangrove roots and yellow warblers flitting through the branches. We encountered another golden ray who was a bit more cooperative about being filmed. Deep into the cove was a shallow area with about a dozen turtles hanging out. On our way out we crossed paths with a 3 foot white tip shark. Near the exit to the cove a school of spotted eagle rays flapped along at the surface showing their wingtips. The rocks in the bay outside the cove were now covered in blue footed boobies posing attractively. 

We couldn't manage another week aboard to get to the central/ eastern islands so we stayed in Puerto Ayora and arranged to make day trips to Bartolome, North Seymour, and San Cristobal. We started this new chapter with a hike out to Tortuga Bay. There are two parts to Tortuga Bay. First one comes to the side facing the open ocean. It is a place where one can really see and feel just how poorly named the Pacific Ocean is. The waves crashing on the shore were 10 to 12 feet tall. Our guide Jonathan unnecessarily told us that this was not a good place to swim. The other part of Tortuga Bay is sheltered from the Pacific's violence by a long, narrow peninsula of basalt. This side is perfectly calm, but to our chagrin, quite cloudy and no good for snorkeling. We were in the water before we realized this and so had a refreshing swim after our long hike. As we walked along the shore drying off an baby black tip shark came cruising along the shore. It made its way to patch of mangrove roots and hunted for the little fish hiding there. 

Rather than walk back to town, we opted for the speed boat. This was a tremendously exciting experience as the boat raced up and down the 10 foot swells. We treated our mangled spines with Tylenol and turned in early to be ready for our 6 am start for Bartolome!

Rabida & Cerro Dragon

Every day has been the best day, but Rabida was truly special. After a relatively smooth overnight sail, we woke up to stunning views of the red sea cliffs of Rabida. A lot of the volcanic rock we have seen on the islands has been reddish, but these cliffs were Vermilion Cliffs National Monument red. 

We landed on the aptly named Playa Roja, with its sand the color of wet rust. There were several sea lions there to greet us and they looked genuinely disappointed when we walked into the palo santo forest rather than into the surf. First we passed a small lagoon with a couple of whimbrels, but no flamingos. Then we climbed up onto the peninsula separating the bay where the Fragata was anchored from the red beach. There were finches and mockingbirds all around. We also saw the endemic Galapagos dove. Lava lizards perched on the trailside rocks. At the top we enjoyed a glorious, albeit breezy view. 

Back on the beach we donned our snorkel gear for another early morning plunge.  First we went parallel to the beach away from the peninsula. We got a brief glimpse of an octopus before it wedged itself under a rock. The best thing was the Galapagos garden eels. They dig a burrow in the sandy bottom and then extend their bodies out of it to feed. They tend to live in groups and resemble a field of grasses waving in the current.

We doubled back and worked our way along the rocky shore of the peninsula. Here there were clouds of cardinal fish and black striped selema, by far the densest accumulation we had seen so far. All the parrotfish were here as were all the urchins. We saw some new species as well including the flag cabrillo and the magnificently camouflaged stone scorpion fish. Our sea lion friends came over to play. Many of the sea lions we have encountered have a practice of swimming upside down towards people at eye level and diving at the last second. One of the sea lions here had its own take on this which was opening its mouth just before the dive. Not to anthropomorphize, but I cannot help but think this individual got a thrill out of startling people like that. 

This was already our best snorkel to date given the wealth of species present. It got better still when we swam around the end of the peninsula. The water was rougher here, but still clear. The sandy bottom was covered with the big red spotted sea stars. Under a little rock ledge were 2 white tipped reef sharks taking a nap. One was perhaps 6 feet long, the other about 4. We were so excited to finally see some big sharks!

....................................................

Cerro Dragon is a hill on Santa Cruz. It is named for the large numbers of land iguanas living there. We landed in the late afternoon and while we saw many burrows, most of the iguanas were hiding from the fierce equatorial sun. What we did see that was new and interesting were baby land iguanas. These look quite a bit different from their adult counterparts. The body color and patterning looks more like a lava lizard. It is only when you look closely at the face that you can discern that you are seeing an iguana. The other distinguishing characteristic we observed was that they climbed up and perched on the dry scrub. This is something we have not seen the lava lizards do. The baby iguanas climb up there and wait to make a meal of passing insects. 

Near the beach where we landed for our hike around Cerro Dragon was another lagoon. This too was sadly bereft of flamingos, but did host a whimbrel and a couple of ducks. It was too rough here for a second snorkel, so we admired the marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs and the infinite shades of blue in the sky and on the water.

Tintoreras, Isabella Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, & Concha de Perla

Tintoreras means white tipped and refers to the type of sharks that most regularly frequent the volcanic channel here. This was one of those days where our first activities were before breakfast. We landed on Tintoreras which is essentially a jumble of black uplifted rocks a few feet above sea level. 

The pending winds in the Galapagos are from the southeast. On Tintoreras this fact creates an interesting visual in which the southeast side of the rocks are frosted in a white lichen while the northwest sides are the naked volcanic reddish black. We saw great blue herons and yellow warblers along with small ground finches. Marine iguanas nest here and we came across many of those waiting to be warmed by the morning sun. Sea turtles popped their heads up in the calm waters of this rocky maze. On a stretch of sand near the end of our hike we met a few dozen sea lions sleeping. A few were camped out on the trail and we were obligated to go around them. We did not see any sharks in the channels because the tide was out making these passages quite shallow. 

Following our walk we had about 20 minutes to gear up for snorkeling. We flopped out of the panga and into the chilly water and mostly drifted with the current. The main species here was the blue chin parrotfish but there were great numbers of yellow tail damselfish and sargent major as well. We saw a large marbled ray and several chocolate chip sea stars. We also saw a blue sea star and a couple of the highly decorative hieroglyphic hawkfish. 

After earning our breakfast we visited the Isabella Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. This facility specializes in safeguarding the two giant tortoise species of southern Isabela Island. Isabela is home to 5 distinct tortoise species, one for each of its volcanos. 

The species are kept apart by ancient lava flows that the tortoises cannot cross. The two species found at the Isabela being center are from Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul. The set up if the facility is much like what we saw at the Charles Darwin Research Station. The hatchlings are in small protective enclosures and as they grow, they are graduated into larger pens. The best thing about our visit here was that it was feeding day. The tortoises are fed 3 times a week on the leaves of a plant that grows in the highlands on Isabela. Each pen contained a slow motion feeding frenzy of tortoises munching their way through the crisp leaves. This sight was especially adorable in the 1 year old pens. These babies were practically buried in leaves but made short work of their meal.

We left the breeding center on foot along a trail that led to a series of hypersalinic lagoons. These are popular feeding spots for flamingos and other wading birds. The first part of the path went through an arid forest of prickly pear trees and stunted palo verde. The lagoons were bordered by red, white, and button mangroves. We were fortunate to see 8 flamingos along with feeding black neck stilts and white cheek painted ducks.

After lunch we went out to the beach. We walked to a lava tube that leads to the ocean and fills with water at high tide. At La Playita and Playa del Amor we saw large piles of marine iguanas resting under the mangroves. 

We ended the day with a snorkel through another volcanic channel, this time at Concha de Perla. This sheltered cove surrounded by mangroves is home to some very playful sea lions. Many of the larger fish we have seen on our snorkels were absent like the parrotfish and king angelfish. We saw mostly the yellowtail damselfish and sea urchins, green and pencil, were everywhere. The highlight of this spot was undoubtedly watching one of the sea lions who has been playing with us take a break from that to harass a marine iguana who was swimming by. The sea lion followed the iguana nipping at its tail.

Santa Cruz: Charles Darwin Research Station, Los Gemelos, Racho Primacias

 A day full of amazing things! We started with a walk through Puerto Ayora to the Charles Darwin Research Station. This facility operates breeding programs for most of the species of Galapagos tortoises. We learned about the process of collecting eggs from nests in the wild and how they are cared for until they hatch. Once a tortoise egg begins to develop, it must be kept with the same end up or the embryo will die. Scientists have also learned that if the eggs are kept at 28 degrees Celsius the entire clutch will be females. At 29.5 degrees Celsius they will all be male. This knowledge helps scientists maintain a gender balance which is especially important for those species with few breeding adults. The tortoises do not reach sexual maturity until the age of 25. 

Once the tortoises hatch they are numbered on their shells. The numberings are color coded by island so scientists can tell which species is which. For the first 2 years of their lives, the baby tortoises are kept in small enclosures with a fine mesh covering to keep out invasive predators like rats. From 2 to 5 the babies are moved to large pens with a mix of species (another reason the color coding is important). Once they are 6, the tortoises can be released into the wild on their home island. 

There is another mixed species enclosure at the research station containing males from various species. It is interesting to see the diversity of shell and body shapes side by side. The dome shelled species have short legs and necks and evolved on islands with wetter climates and more vegetation close to the ground. The saddleback varieties have long necks and legs. They come from the drier islands where it is necessary to reach up in order to get enough food. Perhaps the most striking thing about this pen is the realization that every tortoise in it is well over 100 years old.

....................................................

Next we traveled to the Bosque to view Los Gemelos. This was our first trip into the Highlands. The coastal areas of the islands are all fairly dry, but the higher elevations have a much wetter climate. It was interesting to watch the vegetation change as we drove. Los Gemelos, or the Twins, are a pair of collapsed magma chambers. At some point in the distant past, magma pushed up through the Earth's crust, but did not reach the surface. When the volcanic activity waned the chambers emptied. Without the pressure of the magma underneath, the roosf of these chambers collapsed. These are found at the highest elevations on Santa Cruz in the scalesia forest. The scalesia look like trees and can grow to a height of 20 feet or more, but they are actually in the daisy family.

After visiting the Twins we took a walk/crawl through a 400 meter lava tube. Lava tubes gotten when the outside of a lava flow hardens while the lava inside continues moving. When the eruption ends and the lava in the tube has flowed away, the tunnel remains. This particular lava tube was in some places 30 feet from to to bottom. In one place though it was only about 24 inches high and we had to crawl through the gap. 

The day ended with a stop at Rancho Primacias. This is a working cattle ranch that also functions as a giant tortoise preserve. The ranch borders the national park and several years ago the owners decided to embrace the tortoises rather than work to keep them out. They loosened the bottom wire in the fences which allows the tortoises to come and go as they please but still keeps the cattle where they are supposed to be. There is a visitor center and a large park where people can wander among the tortoises. This is not a zoo, or breeding center, the tortoises here are wild. Rancho Primacias shows that it is possible for human and natural communities to coexist. 

This type of harmonious coexistence is on display all around the Galapagos (although they have their problems as well) and should serve as a model for how humans can - with commitment and thoughtful, science-backed planning - live alongside the animals we are too often just displacing.

Puerto Egas & Sombrero Chino

We started out with a very early morning hike on Santiago Island at Puerto Egas. This is the site of a former salt mining operation by the Egas family. They abandoned the site in the 1960s leaving a few ruined buildings behind. 

We landed on a beach with a couple sets of tracks showing where sea turtles had come ashore to lay eggs in the night. In the calm waters of James Bay blue footed boobies and pelicans hunted by hovering and then dive bombing the schools of fish below. Here we saw an interesting behavior of the brown noddies. When a pelican would dive and make a catch, it was swarmed by noddies trying to steal a bite. the noddies were all trying to land on the pelicans head.

The trail wound along the rocky coast where we encountered lava herons and striped herons stalking the tide pools for breakfast. There were the ubiquitous Sally Lightfoot crabs decoratively placed on the black rocks. We met an American oyster catcher defending its nest from a couple of herons. Nest here means a sandy depression on the ground holding a cream colored egg with black and gray speckles. At the end of the trail we came to a colony of Galapagos fur seals. We saw a few from a distance on Isabela, but here they we resting on the rocks a few feet away and perfectly unconcerned by our presence. Despite the name, these are not seals, but a species of sea lion. They are quite a bit smaller than the sea lions we have been seeing with a shorter snout and impossibly precious whiskers. We spent a long time watching them play in the natural channel cut into the basaltic shoreline. 

........................................................

Sombrero Chino was another extraordinary experience! Its name means Chinese hat and it is an eroded volcanic cone just off the coast of Santiago Island. Our snorkel took us through a narrow passage between Sombrero Chino and Santiago. The water was wonderfully clear and we had excellent views of our favorite fishes. There were playful sea lions rocketing through the water around us. At one cleft in the rocks several Galapagos penguins were perched watching us. Some were in the water with us, no doubt laughing at our ungainly swimming compared to their grace. 

After our snorkel and lunch we went for a hike around the shore of Sombrero Chino. Sea lions basked on the rocks and lava lizards scurried across the path. There were a few marine iguanas, but not the large piles we had seen on Fernandina. On the seaward side of the islet waves thundered against the rocks throwing spray high into the air. Another perfect day in these extraordinary isles.

Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove

 Another great day on land and sea. We landed on the black volcanic sand beach at Urbina Bay to find sea turtle tracks leading to a freshly dug nest. There was a marine iguana basking on the sand to welcome us ashore. We walked past the beach into the palo santo forest beyond. The forest is a relatively recent addition to the island, the result of an uplift event in 1954 that raised the sea floor several meters. We saw rocks with the shells of sea creatures stuck to them hundreds of yards inland. The forest did not start growing until the 1980s because it took that long for enough soil to be deposited and for the salt to be washed away. Roberto explained the various ocean currents around the Galapagos and how they affect the climate. We encountered a numbered of large land iguanas. Finches, yellow warblers, and Galapagos mockingbirds chirped and twittered all around us. 

On our way back to the beach we saw our first Galapagos giant tortoise. He was estimated to be about 12 years old and was the size of a beach ball. There are 5 tortoise sub-species on Isabela, one for each volcano. They are separated by ancient lava flows that the tortoises cannot cross. Urbina Bay is by Volcan Alcedo so this tortoise was the vandenbughi  sub-species. 

The day's second stop was Tagus Cove in the shadow of Volcan Darwin. This narrow inlet has steep sides currently being used by the brown pelicans as a nesting site. At the dock we met some sea lions having a nap. A Galapagos penguin rocketed by in the water faster than anyone could raise their camera. 

We climbed up to and then along a ridge to and overlook where we could see Lake Darwin and the ocean beyond. This former caldera was once connected to the ocean via filtration through the porous volcanic rocks. Millennia of sediments eroding into the cone sealed the connection and now it is a hypersalinic (saltier than the ocean) lake slightly higher than sea level. From the we climbed higher to the remains of two spatter cones composed of jagged black and red rocks. This vantage point offered us magnificent views of the summit of Darwin Volcano as well as Fernandina Island.

We wrapped up this stop with a snorkel in the bay's clear water. We found the usual abundance of parrotfish, urchins, and damselfish. There were also large schools of red cardinal fish and silvery black-striped salema. These seemed to attract the attention of swift moving predators like the pelican barracuda, flightless cormorant, and Galapagos penguin. We gave ourselves whiplash trying to follow the penguins in particular. This was a great place to see the red sea stars which are stunningly beautiful and a foot across.

Punta Vicente Roca & Punta Espinoza

Vincente Roca Point is at the north end of Isabela Island in the shadow of Ecuador Volcano. The bay is bounded by step cliffs where blue footed boobies and brown noddies were perched. The nesting area at the top of the cliff offered a perfect stage to watch (with binoculars) the mating rituals - males "dance" - a slow-motion Cossack-style and the females show acceptance with an arched back and spreading of the wings. The courtship can play out over a week or more. At the water's edge Galapagos fur seals played and flightless cormorants dried their stubby wings. 

We have never seen such an abundance of sea turtles! You'll have to take our word for it as the choppiness of the water made for poor visibility and the underwater camera just wasn't up for the task. The Galapagos green sea turtle (also called the black sea turtle) was immense. We learned that males have long tails and females shorter tails. As if tons of turtles and frolicking sea lions weren't enough, we also spotted our first Galapagos penguins. These are the only penguins found in the tropics. The adults develop a black stripe that runs from their face down the length of their body.

The afternoon saw us at Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island. We started our visit with a snorkel starring tons of marine iguanas and green sea turtles feeding on algae. There were an abundance of really beautiful, endemic green sea urchins. A more complete list of sightings is on the first page of the slideshow.

Next we landed to explore the island on foot. This extraordinary landscape was primarily comprised of pahoehoe and aa lava interspersed with white sand. Marine iguanas basked on the rocky surfaces. There was evidence everywhere of the dramatic geologic uplift in the 1990s. The cracks in the surface created a playground for Sally Lightfoot crabs and pools for sea lions and small red sea stars. Impressive arrays of lava cactus and red and white mangroves provide for finches, mockingbirds, and the endemic western Galapagos racer.

Learning takeaways: we had been savagely pruning the pictures each evening. It has been a dreadful slog as we have a phone, an underwater camera, and a camera with a telephoto lens all in use at every site. We take approximately 600-700 pictures/videos at each location, so you can imagine what it is like trying to get it down to 25! Finally we realized that doing that was actually deleting the data the students will use for their own projects - we aren't shooting National Geographic covers, we are compiling resources for students to view, organize, and categorize for their own needs. This isn't just some elaborate justification to get out of picture deleting - we are still getting the files down under 150 images/ videos, but it did make things much easier!

The students did a great job creating the interview questions. The other people in our small group have commented on how much they are learning from them!

Mosquera Island

We were picked up from the hotel in Quito at 5:00 in the morning, wandered our way to the airport for our flight to Baltra! We were collected their whisked away to our ocean home, the Fragata, for lunch and then off to Mosquera Island! 

This micro spit of land is a spectacular white sand beach, speckled with black, volcanic rocks and populated by millions of Sally Lightfoot crabs and the world's friendliest sea lions! We are assiduous about maintaining a respectful distance between ourselves and wildlife but the wildlife in the Galapagos has apparently not read the guidelines and they will chase you down. Check out the slideshow for a complete list of our sightings. 

Learning takeaways: 

Have a photo/video plan. Start with a list of essential images that you need to tell your story. Obviously this does not preclude capturing those serendipitous moments, but it might prevent pulling an all-nighter as you attempt to sort 50 million pictures! 

Be disciplined - yes, every rock IS special and unique, but try to keep yourself from missing the actual experience as you strive to capture the absolute essence of each rock.

Quintessence of Quito (according to us)

Up early - because we cannot learn it is pointless to be out in a Latin American city before 9:30 - I mean great unimpeded photos of everything because you have the place to yourself, but you can't get in anywhere as everyone is still home having breakfast and getting to work. 

View from the hotel - still gorgeous in daylight!

Wandering the lovely city streets is it's own highlight, but here are a few of the locations visited:

Cacao & Cacao

Republica de Cacao

Bocana Chocolatera & Cafe

Yumbo's Chocolate

We also visited places that were not artisanal chocolatiers such as:

The Plaza Grande, Palacio de Gobierno, and cathedral all almost shimmering in the morning sun. The square is picturesquely overlooked by Pichincha.

La Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus - photography wasn't allowed inside but then the guard called me over and said, "Lady you can stand in the door and take one picture." Loved the twisted columns outside and as for the interior... It is allegedly Quito's most ornate church - which is really saying something. Your eyes have to adjust to the golden glow the gilded baroque effusions cast over everything before you can even begin to take in the incredible detail. We were heartbroken to not find a postcard of the most extraordinary picture of hell just inside the doorway to the right. Also the confessionals were spectacular.

The Plaza San Francisco + Iglesia y Convento San Francisco - another lovely plaza, this one dominated by the twin white towers of the church. The church was under construction within a week of the foundation of the city. It took 70 years to complete, but the prevalence of original elements proves it was time well spent. The cupola, altarpiece, the marvelous paintings in the arches, original tilework and fresco remains in the chapels, and the pulpit and sounding board were all uniquely lovely.

The Plaza Santo Domingo - Another plaza ringed by beautiful pastel colonial buildings.

The Basilica National del Voto - This gothic style church features beautiful stained glass windows. Outside, instead of traditional gargoyles, the building is decorated with animals native to South America including llamas, armadillos, and anteaters.

Iglesia de  El Sagrario - Upon entering through the super ornate portal (a tangle of figures in a jungle of red and gilt foliage) you see the shining gold altar. The glow completely obscures your ability to identify individual components. As you move up the nave, each exquisite element comes into focus. The cupola paintings are breathtaking.

TeleferiQo we rode the cable car to an elevation of more than 13,000 feet. We had a fantastic view of Quito and its environs.

We also wandered the La Ronda and Mariscal districts admiring the artisan wares and steep, twisted streets lined with pastel buildings and their wrought iron flower decked balconies.

On Our Way

Arrival Update!

After a visually dramatic and much delayed flight, we arrived in Quito!

 

As you can see, el mirador desde la azotea del hotel es increíble!

 You'd think a 1:30 am arrival after hours of Miami tarmac time would cause us to regard this capitol city with a jaundiced eye - not possible. Quito was the very first city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its gorgeous physical location ringed by lush mountains, ridiculously charming side streets and plazas are transformed into even more sublime loveliness at night. The dramatic lighting of already pretty dramatic colonial facades immediately enchanted us.

The hotel is located in the heart of the centro historico and is known for a remarkable roof-top view. Despite the lateness of our arrival, the night porter undertook to introduce us to el mirador as soon as we dropped our luggage at the door. 

*long exposition here - as a lifelong sea-level dweller, I struggle with altitude. It hit me like a ton of bricks when deplaning! The walk up the flight ramp felt like summiting Everest. So, the hotel room is on the second floor - okay. We climb another flight to another precious patio area - I admire the view of the neighborhood. No, another flight - a little wheezy now. This view is lovelier and more extensive looking down onto a jumble of tiled roofs, and over the mountains. No, another flight - the headache is getting worse and I am really slow. It is worth it, even though we set off the neighbors' dogs because this 5th floor view is gorgeous, but no. 6th floor and I am hoisting myself up the steps using the handrail like it was guide ropes up Ranier. Dear God, there is another flight - black spots in my eyes and I want to ask for an oxygen tank. I know I am being a baby, but Quito IS at 9,000 feet. We arrive at the summit and it is incredible - a 360 of church spires, looming volcanic peaks, clay tiled roofs, and floating above it all El Panecillo's Virgin of Quito.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bradley & Kimberly (@tortoise_finch)

Equatorial Expedition

 With the possible exception of the equator, everything begins somewhere.

- C. S. Lewis

For us the equator marks the beginning of a splendid learning adventure. Thanks to a Fund For Teachers Fellowship, we will be putting our Nat Geo Educator certification into practice creating a Geo-Inquiry in partnership with our Piney Point and Sinclair Elementary students.

We started by sharing news of our Fellowship award and asking students to research the islands and identify places, things, and animals they wanted us to see. They had to justify their choices by explaining what it was, where it was, and why it was special or unique to that location. 

Next we built an itinerary honoring as many of their choices as we could and gave them the projected timeline. Their next task was to generate the interview questions for our naturalist and biologist guides. What did they want to know about the natural history of each of the islands? 

We will gather as much information as we possibly can: interviews, video, audio, photographs, maps, and print materials from the museums, national parks, and conservation centers. And bring it back for students to collate, categorize, and synthesize into their personal projects.