Turtle in a Tidepool

Look in the water. Can you see it? There is a turtle hatchling stuck in the tidepool. He hatched the night before and was so new to the world he still had yoke on his belly. The tide was long gone and he could be an easy and tasty lunch for a cormorant. No. Please let him make it.





Our Galapagos guide, Carlos, helped the little guy. He picked him out of the tidepool, gently placed him on the lava rock and let him find his way. The little marine turtle turned toward the sea and made a mad dash. He knew what he had to do.



Fifteen feet to the ocean is a long way for a little one, especially when when a bunch of birds are looking down on you wishing all the people would go away. We all watched, prayed and cheered him on. He made it to the sand! Yeah!



Come on baby! Climb that rock! You're almost there!



Home. The water feels so good. God speed, little guy. May you live for a hundred years.

Galapagos Penguins

Everyone on the zodiac was bursting with joy! We could not contain ourselves and we sported the largest grins ever seen on Homo sapiens! We were watching penguins!! Galapagos penguins, Spheniscus mendiculus!!

Seeing the cute penguins while visiting the Enchanted Islands in June was, well REALLY COOL! The opportunity to swim with penguins in their native habitat was one of the main reasons I wanted to go on the trip. That did not happen, but I was able to get very close to these adorable creatures who have the magic ability to make humans smile.

The penguins were very tolerant. They were not bothered by our zodiac as it eased closer and closer to the edge of their rocky home. Ahhh... click, click, click. Many memories were captured in photos.



Aren't I handsome?

This pair staked claim on a perfect cave-like home on Bartolome Island. I wonder who was inside?
Unfortunately, recent news about the health of this unique bird is frightening. The New York Times reported August 18 that a new parasite has infected the Galapagos penguin. Researchers are concerned that, "it could lead to avian malaria, a disease that contributed significantly to the 50 percent extinction rate of endemic birds in Hawaii." It is believed that the infection is the result of increased tourism. Ugh! This doesn't make me feel very good about being one of the tourists.

The good news is that the penguins are showing no signs of illness. Researchers are trying to determine which mosquito is responsible for transferring the parasite to the penguins. Steps are also being taken to protect the island from non-native spieces. When we were landing on Baltra, the flight attendant shocked us all as she fumigated the overhead bins and therefore, passengers as well, with an insecticide spray.

I would love to add a link to The New York Times to make the article easily accessible, but because I am having difficulty adding links to my blog, I am only able to provide the site address: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/science/19peng.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

Flamingos

It was unexpected. I realized I had never seen a flamingo in the wild. There have been many occasions when I admired their elegance, grace, long legs and HOT pink color, but only in zoos and parks - mostly in Florida. Wow! Another life bird!

There could not have been a better location for me to see my first wild Greater Flamingo. We were on Floreana Island in the Galapagos at a lava lagoon named Punta Cormorant, where, by the way, I did not see a cormorant. The landscape of the island looked like a set for some distant planet in a Star Wars movie. My mind wandered to a vision of Charles Darwin exploring the island lagoon and collecting, not beetles, but specimens of the wasps we found so bothersome.

The sunlight was magical and created a stunning reflection. I cherish the blessing of being in the right place at the right time to see this.



Looking down on the lagoon from a nearby hill, probably another volcano, I was reminded how close we were to the ocean. I felt as if I was in a far-off land, when, in reality, the ocean and our zodiacs were just over the large dunes. Barely visable in the photo, is a small fenced area on the far right of the mud flat. The reflection photos were taken from that spot.


From above, it was also easy to see how flamingos make a trail in the mud when feeding off the bottom.


Because I think it beautiful, I will close today's post with a stereotypical shot of a flamingo. Enjoy!

Enchantment

Espanola, of all the Enchanted Islands,is the most wondrous. Words can not describe the beauty and wildlife of this magical island. It is sacred.

The surf was beautiful and a bit rough when landing at Suarez Point,
.

but only a few hundred feet away we came upon a much calmer inlet where sea lions lounged and we were greeted by a Galapagos Hawk.






Mockingbirds arrived within minutes. These friendly birds have learned that humans carry water. Since there is no fresh water on Espanola they hope to beg or steal a few precious drops. Unfortunatety, for the mockingbirds, we obeyed the "no interference rule" like the Prime Directive and all they could do was complain to each other about the mean tourists.


The hike started along the beach then looped around the island for almost two rough, rocky, challenging, spectacular miles.

Sally Lightfoot Crabs decorated the lava coast.



The wildlife was incredible. It seemed like the birds danced aroud us. There were many of Darwin's Finches,


Galapagos Warblers,


and, soon, Waved Albatoss were flying overhead.




Seeing the first albatross was exciting! These are very large birds! Their wing span is about 7 feet and they are quite impressive! Little did we know that being buzzed by an albatross was only a hint of the spectacular sites to come.

After hiking a few more minutes we came across a pair of albatross cuddled on the edge of the trail.



They began a courtship dance as we approached. We stood or sat on the trail, approximately 3 or 4 feet from the pair and watched, enthralled, with every movement. It was as if the birds were fencing with their long beaks. A loud, "clack" echoed with each hit. Occassionaly, one or the other would stretch or nip at the neck of it's mate before going back to the fencing. Our guide told us we were behind schedule as she tried, unsuccessfully, to move us along. We weren't her normal group of tourists. We traveled to The Galapagos to see the birds and we were not about to budge. She laughed, knowing that she had no hope of getting us to move down the trail until the "show" ended.













When the birds finished their dance, they both turned to look at us as if to say, "How was the show?"

Great! The show was great! Thank you!

However, we soon learned that seeing albatross "perform" was not uncommon. As we reached the opposite coast, there were albatross and other birds everywhere!



The above pairs were within 75 feet of the stunning cliffs.


A blowhole gushed over 50 feet high.


Our guide became very serious about rushing us along as the sky began to glow with pinks and golds.


We stayed too long watching the albatross and now we were the last group on the island. We had to make it back to the ship before dark. The trail was difficult enough to navigate in the daylight! None of us wanted to try the hike in the dark!


We just made it to the zodiac as the sun was setting on what was truely a glorious day!

Kicker Rock

Day two in the Galapagos started with a zodiac ride around Kicker Rock. We felt like characters in an Indiana Jones movie! As our zodiac captain maneuvered in the narrow crevice between the cliffs, some of us tried to sing the theme music, “Da, Da, Da, Daaaa…..Da, Da, Daa..” My friend, David, remarked that the cliffs would be closing in on us if we were in a film scene! It was great fun! We did see a few birds, but the geology of these volcanic islands and beautiful sunrise where what we will all remember.

Yes. We went into this narrow crevice...

and saw this on the other side.

Kicker Rock is HUGH!

That small black dot in the water is a zodiac filled with adventurers!


Kicker Rock is technically known as a Tuff structure because of the cememnt-like finish. Tuff is formed when the rocks and ash from a volcanic explosion mix with water vapor. I might not be an expert in geology, but I know that Kicker Rock is stunningly beautiful!

Iguanas and Lizzards of the Galapagos

Reptilian creatures were EVERYWHERE in the Galapagos! From the first island to the last, Land and Marine Iguanas and Lava Lizards were very easy to find. In fact, hikers had to be careful not to accidentally step on lava lizards. They are well camouflaged and do not hurry away when humans show up.


They hang out long enough to pose for a photo before scurrying into the brush.




Iguanas, on the other hand, do not scurry. They might be resting in the middle of the trail and you, dear human, must go around. The colorful Land Iguana in the photo below decided he liked my friends blue shoes.


The Land Iguana matures at about 3 feet in length. The males are more colorful and have more ridges along the back than the female.


The male pictured above was sunning near the hiking trail, while the female, shown in the photo below, was about 15 feet away in a clearing.



I learned from our guide that Land Iguana borrow underground, much like groundhogs, and that their favorite food is Prickly Pear Catus.




Marine Iguanas spend most of their time sunning on the lava coastlines or sandy beaches of the many islands. It was a Marine Iguana Orgy!


This group liked the shade provided by the small shrub.



Well, my friends I've touched base on the reptiles of the Galapagos.



I am very grateful to have been able see them in person. I love their colors and the texture of their skin, but I must admit that I have seen enough iguanas to last my lifetime! I went to the Galapagos for the birds and tortoises! More on my passions tomorrow…