The Madman’s Expedition To The Galapagos

You haven’t heard from us in a while. It’s not that we haven’t been gardening. We’ve actually been gardening like crazy because of a little trip we took. On top of that, Connecticut’s spring weather has not been behaving and the summer was worse. You know, cold and rainy then hot and dry.

But back to the trip. Actually, it was an expedition, not a trip. Remember when I told you the madman was reading the Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin? Name ring a bell? He was the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle during their round-the-world voyage in 1838. The Beagle spent five weeks in the Galapagos Islands. The madman can’t figure out why only five weeks in these islands – he says if he were the captain, we would probably still be there.

Enchanted Islands

And that was where our expedition took us. Often referred to as the Enchanted Islands, the Galapagos were born out of fire and created by the lava that flowed from underwater volcanoes some 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.

I guess the madman always had a desire to visit the archipelago and experience the wonder of evolution in progress. After lots of research, we picked National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions to host our adventure. With the help of our representative, Jacqueline, we booked passage on the Endeavor II. Such a great idea!

What makes the Galapagos so different from other islands is that these islands didn’t break away from a continent such as places like Madagascar. They formed on their own thanks to volcanic activity millions of years ago.

No Life

At first there was just barren lava rock. No life at all. Then came lichens and the process of evolution began with help from wind and water. Everything on the islands came from someplace else. How it got there is the subject of many a book, but the flora and fauna had lots of time to do what they did.

Thanks to their location, the Galapagos Islands were never seriously colonized by man. Lack of fresh water might have helped keep man away. Even today, development of the islands is minimal thanks much in part to preservation efforts by the Ecuadorian government. On the 100^th year anniversary of Darwin’s Origin of the Species, the government designated 97.5% of the land a national park. The other 2.5% was designated for human uses. Also, it was the first area to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Controlled Access

Access to each island is strictly controlled. In fact, visitors are only allowed to visit 116 sites; 54 on land and 62 in water. To visit these areas, tourists must be accompanied by a licensed guide. Groups are allowed to visit each area only in 2-to-4-hour shifts. The madman says the Ecuadorian National Park Service doesn’t mess around, and they have the right idea.

The Galapagos protects its ecology. We were told to leave behind our harsh chemicals and use only reef-friendly sunscreens and environmentally safe insect repellants. No aerosol sprays are welcome here. We even had special soaps on our ship. These ideas make so much sense. Whatever we wear washes off in the ocean and the ocean is the largest ecosystem on earth.

Exploring the Galapagos

As we tell you about our expedition, remember that everyone’s experience on these islands is different, but the focus of most trips is exploration and preservation. We took only pictures and left only footprints.

Our days started at 6:00 with a light snack and coffee in the ship’s lounge. Then we’d meet at the embarkation area where the zodiacs would take us in small groups to the site of the morning’s prebreakfast activity. We got very familiar with wet landings and dry landings. Fortunately, we knew in advance if drop off was on dry rock or on the beach. By 9:00 we’d be back on board for breakfast. After breakfast, it was time for the next activity which might be hiking, snorkeling or exploring a pristine beach depending on where we were.

Then back on board for lunch followed by an educational presentation by one of the naturalists in the ship’s lounge. With our food digested and our minds full, we were ready for another off-ship activity. The zodiacs would return us to the ship with enough time to change before meeting in the lounge for a recap of the day’s adventure and a schedule for the next day.

Dinner was usually served around 7:00 – all of it fresh, all of it local and all of it excellent.

Entertainment followed. Screenings of National Geographic’s Secrets of the Penguins.  Dancing by local artists. Native songs by Ecuadorian musicians. Stargazing on the observation deck. No time was left for the madman to get into trouble.

Natural Wonders

We won’t bore you with a travelog, but we need to tell you about some of the wonders we experienced. You have probably heard about them; well, we saw them. Creatures like the Galapagos Tortoise, the Blue-footed Booby, the Land Iguana and its smaller relative the Marine Iguana, the Galapagos Penguin and the Darwin Finches (there are 18 species of them!)

And all of these animals live together in an untouched paradise. As visiting humans, we were required to stay 6 ft away from wildlife – something that was difficult at times. The wildlife had no fear of us and no corresponding restrictions. It was mating season and you know what happens in nature during this time. We saw a lot of interesting mating displays.

First Encounter

Our first close encounter with native wildlife was with the Galapagos Sea Lions who seemed to welcome us to the islands. Throughout our expedition, we ran into lots of these guys. We even had to walk over a resting sea lion or two as we left the zodiacs on occasion.

As quiet as they seem, the sea lions are important predators who help maintain a balance in the islands’ ecosystem. To show you how rare mammals are on the Galapagos, this was the only species we saw.

But we saw our share of birds. Remember we told you there are 18 species of Darwin finches? We saw some of them, but not all. Some are endemic to islands we didn’t visit. The finches we did see didn’t have ID tags so we have no idea what they were. To the madman they all looked alike.

Fancy Feet

But the Boobies are a different story. We could tell the difference. The Blue footed boobies have blue feet. The red footed boobies have red feet. And, the Nazca boobies have normal bird feet, are larger than the other two and wear masks.

All three species of boobies feed off-shore on small fish, dive bombing their prey in a matter of seconds. But the madman was most impressed with their eyes which were set in the front of their faces. Although their eyes give them excellent vision for fishing, early Spanish sailors felt the eyes made them appear stupid. Hence their name for the birds, bobo – eventually changed to booby.

Near the end of our expedition, we got lucky and spotted some Galapagos penguins near Pinnacle Rock. These shorebirds nest in the caves and crevices of the coastal lava. One of the rarest species of penguins, the Galapagos penguins prefer the cooler waters of the archipelago.

From Birds To Lizards

Another interesting animal that survives in the sea is the Galapagos Marine Iguana. This is the only lizard in the world with the ability to live and forage at sea. It eats mostly algae. We found them basking in the sun on shore rocks at just about every stop we made. We also came upon the yellow Land iguana, a larger and fiercer looking critter. Despite their looks, these reptiles feed on grasses and shrubs. We were safe and they just watched us as we passed. Interesting for a lizard that can grow up to 5 ft long.

Biggest Of Them All

We saw lots of other amazing things. Plants, including two species of cacti, birds and tons of colorful fish, but nothing compares with the Galapagos Giant Tortoise, the largest tortoise in the world. Weighing in at over 500 pounds, these tortoises can live over 100 years. Pretty amazing for an herbivore.

At one time, these land tortoises faced extinction thanks to over harvesting for food and habitat destruction by man. But, scientists at the Charles Darwin Research Center are working to reverse this trend and re-establish the populations throughout the Galapagos.

Lessons

Remember, we said this was an expedition, not a cruise. The Galapagos Islands stand in the middle of the largest ecosystem on earth – our oceans. At one time they were in ecological danger. Certain endemic populations were facing extinction. Thankfully, forward looking naturalists and the Ecuadorian government itself made conservation and preservation a priority. Man can make a difference, but we all have to work together. Like the Galapagueños, we should take pride in our own natural environments. After all we are all stewards of the land and we should do our best to keep it healthy.

That’s a pretty heavy thought, so let’s lighten it up with a glass of lemonade (yes, it’s still warm). And, after the lemonade, back to work. A new gardening season starts with the planting of garlic around Halloween.