Hey dude!

For you fans of Finding Nemo, sea turtles do not say "Hey dude!" They look a little more like this:

The clip above was taken from our Zodiac excursion into a mangrove swamp. We observed turtles feeding in a sheltered area that was a rich habitat supporting many species of wildlife including birds, plants, insects and fish.

Turtles mate at sea. The following clip was our first encounter. (Listen to the chatter in the background.)

Mating at sea may take an hour or more. This description resulted in a standing ovation on our Zodiac.

I think this fellow has a Cialis problem and probably needs an emergency room visit.

After mating, the female must lay her eggs in a safe nesting spot away from the surf and tides where her brood can incubate. This is the view of a mother turtle starting her nesting trek.

This picture will be appreciated by women -- and lost on most men.

The return trip is no less daunting, but at least her mission is complete.

You can imagine our heroine (below) contemplating the cool surf and the return to the buoyancy of her ocean home. Her task is done -- at least until next year.

One consolation, she doesn't have to change diapers for 200 hatchlings.

The following was our last encounter with sea turtle mating. Again, listen to the chatter in the background.

Our encounters with tutles mating at sea was a frequent source of amusement throughout the week, but it only reinforces the quality of the experience and the impact it has on one's appreciation of the complexity and beauty of nature. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring six billion people with us.

Black tie and tails

"Your table is ready."

Galapagos penguins are the only members of their family to live at the equator. They survive here because the surrounding currents bring cold water and the needed food supply. These are the same currents that make the variety of life so unique.


In documentaries of Antarctica, we are accustomed to seeing great colonies of penguins. That is not the case here. They are scattered in small numbers, two or three at a time.


Many of them are found on the craggy volcanic rocks five to ten feet above the water. As you can see, they tend to blend in and are difficult to spot -- until you get up close.

We didn't see any swimming or diving because this time of year they are molting. When they molt, they loose the protective oils in their feathers that keeps them dry and buoyant. If they were to jump into the sea at this time, they would drown.

How they climb onto these rocks with those stubby legs is beyond me.

The face only a mother could love.

There are two species of iguanas on the Galapagos: land and marine. I'll cover the land iguanas in a later post. Now for the marine variety.

At first, as you approach the shoreline of black volcanic rocks, you start to notice that some of the rocks are moving.

These lizards feed on marine algae growing on the rocks just off shore. Being cold blooded, iguanas use the black volcanic rocks for warmth. They crowd into colonies, as you can see, to minimize energy and be close to their food supply. This leads to territorial behavior where the males (the larger more colorful specimens) stake out an area shared with several (smaller) females. To claim their territory, the males strut around nodding their heads -- kind of like a sports bar on Friday night.

Since there are several females associated with each dominate male, some younger and smaller males are left without a significant other. This fellow is either very desperate for companionship or needs glasses.

Since their diet consists of algae harvested from rocks in the surf, iguanas ingest salt water which they must expel once back on land. They do this by frequently spitting. The following clip captures a typical event.

The magic of the Galapagos is observing so many species up close and personal. The following clip shows the shoreline were you can walk among the marine iguanas, seal lions, wingless cormorants and and sally lightfoot crabs all mingling peacefully with each other and the occasional tourist.

I'll cover all these species in subsequent blogs. Stay tuned.

Xpedition

The Xpedition was our home for seven days. (I believe this is a Galapagos hawk in the foreground.)

Here's a little better view of the bow superstructure.

Unlike other cruises we've been on, the captain offered an 'Open Bridge' -- which meant that while the ship was at anchor, passengers could visit the bridge. I think Sandy and I were the only ones who exercised this privilege because the officer on duty was a little surprised at our arrival. But it was interesting to see all the instrumentation -- including a LAN (Local Area Net, for you lan-lubbers). Operating the vessel looked a lot like a very expensive video game -- only real.

The small figure on the top deck is me -- everybody else went shopping on shore. It was a lonely afternoon.

The following two pictures will give you an idea of our accommodations. It was very comfortable with adequate storage -- plus you were rocked to sleep every night.



Our ship never docked. All transfers were done by the Zodiacs. This prevented us from transporting foreign organisms onto the islands. Even our luggage was delivered by Zodiac. It was not a pretty site and I decided I really did not want to watch.

Here you see the stern where we loaded and unloaded into the Zodiacs. After the first day, it became routine and we could get in and out of the rafts with great alacrity -- especially when there was a Bloody Mary waiting on the fantail.

The Zodiacs were stored on deck -- two on the bow and two on the top deck at the stern. They were unloaded before each excursion then lifted back into place when everybody was back on board.

After unloading, the Zodiacs would circle waiting to pick up passengers.

Once we were loaded -- usually 16 soles at a time -- we'd be on our way to a new adventure. There were two sets of excursions each day. Each set had a more aggressive agenda and the other tour would be less challenging. We found that even the 'aggressive' treks were not that difficult.

Beside the driver, each boat had a naturalist. I must say, they were all excellent, very professional. extremely knowledgeable and committed to preserving the islands. They were all Ecuadorian, typically born and raised on the Galapagos. In the course of the week, with two excursions each day, we got to know them all. Without a doubt, they were the hi-lite of the trip. (The food and wine were good too.)

Then, of course, when the mission was accomplished, the weary adventurers would return, comparing events during their respective adventures.

This was before the Bloody Marys were delivered.

Blue-footed booby

The sula nebouxii (a.k.a. blue-footed booby) is probably the next most recognized species associated with the Galapagos after the tortoise.

The natural question is: 'why blue feet?' Obviously, so they are not confused with red-footed boobies.

What you see here is a two juvenile boobies -- one red-footed and one blue-footed.

Apparently the red-footed variety live away from the shore and do not associate with their surfing cousins. However, we believe this individual was on spring break. Our naturalist had never seen the two species together before. She was so excited that she almost didn't let our Zodiac leave allowing the other Zodiacs to come up close for their picture opportunity.

Blue-footed boobies are sea birds -- they fish off the coast and are very spectacular in the air. In the following clip, you will get an idea of our typical mode of transportation in the Xpedtion's Zodiacs. Notice in the background two birds. You will see splashes as they dive to capture some poor unsuspecting fish who wandered too close to the surface.

When you see them live, you become fascinated by their technique. They soar about 30 feet above the water -- usually in groups, probably because there are a multitude of prospects below. When they spot a likely target, their wings fold up and they become a stealth missile riveted on their prey, disappearing beneath the surface, soon to be airborne in search of their next snack. They seem to do this in unison -- all diving at once. I suspect, but didn't ask the question at the time, they dive together because, if only one dove, they would scare away the fish for the bretheren.

Although we all know this, Mother Nature is impressive in engineering each creature for their unique survival. Although the same is true of the squirrels and crows in my neighborhood, it's when you observe the unique creations in the Galapagos that the lesson really hits home. In that sense, we were experiencing the insights of Charles Darwin over again. To have all this crammed into seven days is precious.

Boobies mate all year round and build their nests on flat ground -- one reason they are so easy to observe. Here is a typical couple.

Does it remind you of anything?

The male booby builds a nest then advertises his availability by spreading his wings and making a unique mating call. Notice the white ring around the nest. Yes -- it's what you think. There aren't a lot of windshields in the Galapagos.

Notice him remodeling the kitchen before he starts his mating call. There are many consistencies even across species.

Here we see the female casually strolling by. She is impressed by our hero's John Travolta dance routine, but is more enthralled with the layout of the nest. She demonstrates her acceptance of his offer by joining the ritual dance. Thus, a booby household is established. Mortgage payments start immediately.

A female lays two eggs which will hatch a few days apart.

When both chicks have hatched, the older chick pushes the younger from the nest where it dies of starvation. Neither the mother nor the father is inclined to rectify this situation. It is believed that this is a species survival strategy that pretty much guarantees that one chick will survive each breeding season -- about all the parents can handle.

The second chick is the insurance policy. If the older chick is strong enough to eject his/her younger sibling, then he or she is likely to survive until adulthood and perpetuate the family line. If the older chick succumbs, then the younger survives -- mission accomplished.

We see it as cruel and want to push the little bugger back into the nest, but you learn that what may be cruel for the individual is critical for the species' survival.

The Dicky Smothers would understand.

Below is typical day in the life of a booby couple. You will see the father settling down to incubate the eggs while mom heads off for her bridge game.

A slight tangent

Although we created this blog to share our cruise experience, we did run across this article today in the Journal News that we want to share with you.

The article documents two families that have set up charities to provide help for the people of Ecuador: The Road Less Traveled and Project Ecuador.

We spent two days touring in Ecuador as well as seven days on the Xpedition. We found the people of Ecuador to be warm, open and hospitable. We traveled out of Quito into the Andes and met some of the local people in Mindo. Here is where we had lunch:


What you don't see is the roads are not paved and there are chickens crossing almost everywhere (we don't know why).

We are not recommending either one of these groups but we do like the idea of contributing to an organization that channels our money directly to the people we want to help. We're sure there are many other deserving and legitimate opportunities to help the people of Ecuador and the billions of other people around the world that need help. Right now, these have immediate personal meaning for us.

New York Times

We just discovered that while we were away, the New York Times published the following article. It describes very succinctly the challenge of the Galapagos Islands -- preservation vs. tourism. Luckily, most of the tourists are people who want to preserve the islands. Unfortunately, there may be be too many of them.

The article also provides a link to much more about the islands including travel information.

Watch this space. More videos and photos are on the way -- but there is nothing like the real thing.

Give credit where credit is due

The pictures you see in this blog come from several sources.

The naturalists recorded each excursion, then treated us to an outstanding presentation the last night of the cruise. They also gave us a CD with the presentation and many other excellent photos -- some of what you see comes from them.
Our good friends, Harvey and Marie Sugar joined us on our adventure. Many of the photos are from their collection.

As you can see, Harvey had an assistant.

I won't identify the source of each picture, but my thanks to Harvey, Marie and the crew of the Xpedition.

Landscape

So much for animals -- for now. A little about the islands themselves.

(The following picture was copied from JohnCARV's site on flickr. Thanks Jonathan.)


What makes the Galapagos so interesting for naturalists like Charles Darwin?

The islands originate over a hot spot between two tectonic plates. Volcanic activity above the hot spot create an island then the movement of the plates cause the newly (in millions of years) formed island to drift to the south east. So, over time, islands are dragged away from their origin and volcanic activity ceases. Islands in the lower right of the picture are the older siblings of the islands in the upper left.

Although this movement happens in geologic time, it is a laboratory for development of species. Older islands have experienced millions of years of evolution while north western neighbors are newly formed and support a different selection of species even if they are from the same animal family. Thus, we can see, effectively side by side, the driving force in survival of the fittest.

Not only do the islands provide a wonder of animal and plant life but the most incredible terrain. 'A picture is worth a thousand words' ... an understatement in this case. At this point, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Family Feud

One of the things you become accustomed to is having animals around you at all times. They are not tame but they do not fear humans. You're just another being to them. An you are taught to stay out of their way.

The videos you are about to see are from our departure. All the passengers are 'zodiaced' to the peir where we board buses to the airport. It's not just our ship but there are passengers from another ship intermixed with us. We are now all trained wildlife observers. Of course, the wildlife has moved into town.

One distinction I never appreciated was the difference between sea lions and seals. Galapagos has sea lions -- with some fur seals. What you are about to witness are sea lions -- they are everywhere.

When we arrived in Galapagos and were transported from the airport to the wharf to board our ship, we passed several sea lions basking on the benches. We had not time to observe. However, during our departure, not only were we smarter but we had time to watch what was probably a daily ritual.

Enjoy




I'm sure this scene was repeated many millions of time just before the Superbowl game.

But the story is not over. Junior is coming.



Although I didn't catch it on video -- we were boarding the bus -- Junior climbed up with mom and settled in his nap. No harm done.

The great realization, as you are leaving, is that these events are everyday occurrences in the Galapagos. That's why it is like no place else on earth and needs to be preserved. It is also why this unique location is such an educational opportunity. The catch 22 is that to educated more you potentially destroy the lesson.

What more can I say. Sign up before it's too late.

Charles Darwin Foundation

There are two efforts to preserve tortoises in Galapagos. The first is protecting them on the 'open range.' The key there is eliminating the introduced competitors, namely goats. The second is to keep individuals in captivity. Typically, this consists of adults, which the curators hope will breed. Hatchlings can be raised and released.

Naturalists collect eggs from nests, hatch and raise the individuals until they can fend for themselves. As you can imagine, infant tortoises have very few defenses. Predatory birds and other natural enemies can easily decimate the dwindling population. By raising babies until they are (relatively) safe, the islands have a chance to restore the population (truly long range planning). This is one of the many missions of the Darwin Foundation.

In this video, you will see an enclosure with two male tortoises who were rescued from the wild. You will hear our naturalist describing the daily activity of a typical free range tortoise. They move mostly at night when it is cool and can travel up to five kilometers.

In the previous post, you saw tortoises in a preserve, which is up in the hills. They travel away from that area down the hills toward the lower areas to breed and lay their eggs. This is where the naturalists from the Darwin Foundation harvest the eggs.

In the beginning of the video, notice the second tortoise in the background. He will appear again near the end. Look at the shell of this second tortoise carefully.

If you noticed, there were three holes in the second tortoise's shell. These holes were created by a drunken sailor shooting this animal more that 30 years ago. The slugs are still lodged inside.


This another resident at the center. Notice the front of the shell above the neck -- how high it is. This is a perfect example of how species adapt to their environment. Unlike the other tortoises (above) who eat vegetation on the ground, this tortoise must reach up and eat from bushes and trees. Thus the front of the shell is elongated and raised. It is these types of differences that inspired Charles Darwin to formulate his Origin of Species.

After eggs are hatches, the babies are isolated in their own facilities. As they grow, they are moved to more natural settings until they are ready to release.

Here you can see the perils for any tortoise even without predators and competitors.

Last, but not least, is Lonesome George. This is the last known specimen of one species of Galapagos tortoise. There is a global effort to find a mate for George (eHarmony for reptiles). Many tortoises were carried off to zoos around the world and since they live for over a hundred years, it may be that Georges true love is out there waiting to be found. Or, explorers may find a mate hidden somewhere in the islands. As our guide explained, naturalists find new species every year. Finally, there is the possibility of cloning. Since George probably has another 50 years, there's time. He'll just have to talk to himself.











Think about it -- the world oil supply will expire before George does. So who's the survivor in this picture?

The Galapagos Tortoise

Any discussion of Galapagos should to start with the tortoise.

Celebrity Xpedition, I think on purpose, saves these excursions until the last day. One option is to visit a tortoise preservation farm and the other is the Darwin center. These pictures are from the farm.

These creatures are scattered around the landscape like cows on a dairy farm. To give you an idea of their size, here are two daring explorers risking their lives in the open field with these wild unrestricted beasts.





They are vegetarians eating the local plants. Like bovines (cows for city folk), there are many tortoise plops scattered around the open field. One must walk looking down to avoid the unfortunate interaction -- especially with open sandals.

Historically, the Galapagos was a stopping point for sailing ships for the last several centuries. Although it was not a watering stop, the sailors would harvest tortoises to provision their ships with meat. In addition, the ship would release goats. Ferrel goats breed faster than the natural tortoises and ate all the good stuff. The goats were winning and the tortoises became endangered.

The park now has a program to eradicate the goats including shooting them from helicopters. Sorry, goat lovers.

Don't expect to see massive herds of tortoises charging over the horizon -- it takes 25 years before a new borne tortoise is ready to mate -- but they live for over 100 years. The Darwin center is dedicated to preserving newborns and repopulating the islands. More on this in another post.

Introduction

Thanks Liz and Jay, you've inspired me to give this a try.

What better way to share our experience.

Galapagos is definitely a unique place. As you will see, you walk among the animals because for millions of years there were no humans for them to fear, so they accept you in a way unlike any other place on earth. This is a problem as the arrival of people have come close to destroying this pristine environment and wiping out some unique species. More on this later.

Galapagos is a group of volcanic islands 600 miles west of South American on the equator. I have to hand it to the Ecuador for preserving this natural habitat.

What will follow is Sandy's and my experience embellished with some of our many photos and a few videos. I hope you enjoy the show and may be inspired to visit yourself. Don't wait too long -- seating is limited.