Snorkeling with sea lions, penguins and sea turtles, oh my. Hiking with endemic Galapagos animals, including iguanas, beautiful birds, giant tortoises and more. If you have the chance to go to the Galapagos islands which are 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, go for it. You will not be disappointed. Every day is filled with wonder, joy and gratitude being in the presence of such amazing wildlife.
Snorkeling with a sea turtle in the Galapagos. Photo by Corrin LaCombe
Whales and porpoises played around our boat, cartwheeling in the air right under our dangling feet. Magnificent frigatebirds soared above us. And if snorkeling with penguins is not enough, we had a baby sea lion inspect us up close and personal with big round curious eyes. Oh and then the sea turtles would float by with their massive bodies swaying in the warm currents.
Giant Tortoises
While most folks get to see the giant tortoises on one of their shore trips, we had the rare privilege of spending the night at a private tortoise camp run by Natural Habitat Adventures, the great group we were with for our adventure. Walking down the path in the early morning, a giant tortoise hissed at us and seemed to be saying, sit, watch and learn. So we sat on the path for 20 minutes watching this wonderful creature walk out of the grass and slowly make his way down the path and back into the grass. We learned it was a male by the large size of its tail.
A land tortoise at The Tortoise Camp.
Endemic Galapagos Animals
Endemic Galapagos animals abound. Wingless cormorants, marine and land iguanas, Galapagos hawks and doves are everywhere. In fact, we had trouble not stepping on both the iguanas and the sea lions camped on the beach. But this was just the beginning. Eagle rays and golden rays (neither of which are endemic to the Galapagos) danced under our panga/zodiac as we glided through the mangrove swamp that serves as a nursery to young birds (pelicans, penguins and boobies). On hikes, we saw the famous Galapagos finches upon which Darwin based his evolution theory.
Sea lions sleeping in the Galapagos.
Heartbreaking Moments
But there were also heartbreaking moments. Seeing a bird’s nest filled with plastic spoons and brightly colored straws housing a newly laid egg made us painfully aware even the most remote places are not immune to pollution. Our guide trying to snag a piece of a plastic bag (and winning) before a sea turtle could eat it which could ultimately have lethal consequences for the turtle. The most haunting moment, though, was seeing a baby sea lion crying next to its mother with a fishing hook and long trailing piece of fishing line hanging from its mouth. Luckily for this sea lion, our guides reported the baby’s location to local rangers. Hopefully, a vet will be able to remove the hook and the baby will survive.
Unexpected Surprises
There were unexpected surprises. Learning there is very little fresh water in the Galapagos was unbelievable. We were even more stunned to find there is minimal edible food native to the islands. We envisioned lush tropical fruits and vegetables, waterfalls, etc. But the land is rather barren and very dry with cactus and scrubby bushes as a result of past volcanic activity. Many of the islands only receive 4 inches of rain a year. Yet, the Galapagos animals adapt (again, Darwin’s theory) and are abundant.
We are inspired by all the Ecuadorian government is doing to preserve and protect the Galapagos, a World Heritage site, while concerned by the number of people descending on the islands (which of course, included us). Over 97% of the land mass in the Galapagos Islands is designated National Park. Luckily, tourists are highly regulated and must have a guide with them at all times when visiting one of the 19 islands.
The biggest threat to the islands? The introduction of invasive species. Blackberry bushes prevent some birds from nesting because of the thorns. Feral goats destroy tortoise and iguana habitat. In all, over 1,700 invasive species have been introduced. The good news, the government has implemented an aggressive campaign to eradicate some of the worst. The bad news, several birds, including the mangrove finch, are on the verge of extinction because of introduced insects.
Lessons Learned?
Lessons we learned? Once life is gone, it is lost forever. Wildlife, especially Galapagos animals, deserve lives free from human intervention as much as possible. Yes, we intrude when we visit their habitat, but hopefully, we observe, get inspired and inspire others while leaving a minimal footprint. And then we help protect this very special place.
What are we doing? First, we are trying to minimize or eliminate our use of plastic. We are now using reusable bamboo straws when we dine out instead of plastic ones, we carry reusable grocery bags and water bottles and we are trying to buy products with less plastic packaging. Baby steps to start, but we have to begin somewhere.
Second, we are investigating several promising ways to assist conservation efforts in the Galapagos. And third, true to our mission to use art for wildlife conservation, Dale is perusing his rock pile to see what Galapagos animal might be residing inside a piece of stone. Once he finds the perfect stone and the sculpture is finished, all proceeds from the sale of the sculpture will be donated to wildlife conservation. Stand by for updates.