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GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
March 13 - 26, 2010
Galapagos Archipelago consists of a larger island, 6 smaller ones, and 6 tiny ones, and numerous rocks dot through the cooler waters of the Humboldt Current. This cooler water is the reason for the varied marine life and the weather patterns of the coastline. Since the islands are volcanic in origin and did not splinter off of a mainland the flora and fauna have had to travel many miles to find their new home. Because of the isolation and lack of other competing animals / plants many of the species have ‘evolved’ into their own sub-species. Hence the 24 yo Charles Darwin did not find this archipelago by mistake but design. To learn more about the history and geography click www.gaiaworldtour.net click Gaia diaries and scroll down most of the way to Galapagos. Gaiaworldtour was my first trip to these unique islands.
When you first set foot on the island you always notice how tame all the animals seem to be. They walk past humans like they own the place and you should get off the sidewalk when they pass. I went to brush away at a fly…and killed it! Even the flies are not afraid of you.
UNESCO claimed the islands as a world treasure when the Ecuadorian government decreed the islands a national park.
There is a strong need for conservatism and this extends to the way humans live on the islands.
After spending a day recovering the partying began in earnest. We had a luncheon followed by a swim at the beach. There were rugby matches that nobody won (much to the chagrin of the Scots) and everyone was busy fixing things and getting ready for the numerous tours that will be commencing next week. A mist ( garua ) generally covers the hills and there is more rain than on the desert coast. One day up in the hills where it is cooler, we had the briefing,
swim at the pool, and dinner. We had the photo contest for the crossing of the equator. The nude slimy pollywogs with their guitars singing “Le Neptune” came in third, Kids always get a mention so Miss Tippy was second ( this boat is the envy to me as they have storage for things like glitter and coloured construction paper ) and the winner was the boat where the judge couldn’t decide who was a female and who was male. The guys liked dressing up as women because
for Chisel’s 60th birthday party they were at it again.
Several days ago the skippers put their ale-swilled heads together and decided Mercury Rising should lift anchor and move to a location 1) closer to the dock, 2) in a more loose-packed sandy bottom for good holding, and 3) in the middle of the BWR pack. Adrian toured the spot and said ‘No’. Before he and Dean left for their 5 day tour on a small cruise liner, both anchors were set and Adrian dived on them to make sure they are secure in the hard-packed sandy bottom. We cinched them tight and observed our positioning to our nearest neighbor, Gautine III. The night went well and the anchors were holding. The next morning I said “Yes Dad, I’ll remember to do everything especially the batteries” and my boys were off on their adventure. And I am off on my own adventure!
Finally most of the Rally left for the cruises even though the heroic antics of Aqualuna’s lawyerly skills were forced into a contract. It dawned on me that you always find out who on the Rally are the doctors, electricians, mechanics ect. But I would not have a clue that someone on our rally just happens to be a shrew negotiator.
The first afternoon of my tranquility on the boat I had radioed
Gautine III and asked Johann if he thought my boat was swinging into him. He thought I’m just paranoid about the big swells but he would keep an eye on our positioning. When you want to go to the shore
You call a water taxi. The large swell made it bob up and down 4-5 feet. You have to time your drop from the boat to the taxi or you are thrown off balance. It’s not such a problem going from the taxi to the boat. I guess you are on the gyrating floor and you are landing on a more ( or less ) stable platform. As night approached it became very rolly with high swells. With every swell we jerked on the stern anchor and I had to get up several times to check on the positioning of the boat. At 5 am came a general BWR notice that Island Kia was being pressed by a larger, steel-hulled ketch that was dragging anchor. By the next morning Tom had to cancel his tour, make a formal statement to port authorities, and maintain diligence because the skipper of the ketch would not change his anchor. I thought I was going to enjoy the solitude of being the only one onboard Mercury Rising but I got that wrong.
Admiralty Bay is full of marine life. These frigates would fly low over the water scaring larger fish into jumping out of their way. These black birds would glide in a circle less than a foot from the surface and every now and then dip into the water and come up with a fish. The fish like to hide under the boat. I was sitting having my tea waiting for the garbage scow ( which never comes ) when a blue-footed boobie dived into the water not 3’ from the boat. I could see the bird underwater sleek as a missile, jet stream of bubbles, spearing this fish.
We have had a sea lion feeding right by the boat and had one try to get up on our stern. Adrian thought the birds were a nuisance, landing and leaving calling cards, till that smelly female wanted a sunning spot. Most unusual marine exhibition was when the water taxi driver swerved to port to look at an unusually large and packed together group of yellow fish. They were 2-3 feet long, flat faces, green underbellies and rolling over each other. I can only surmise that they were young Mahi-Mahi that was being rounded up by a synchronized team of sea lions.
ISLA BARTOLOME
I had signed up to go on a snorkeling trip and the bad news was I had to be on the dock by 5 am. I begged Miss Tippy to let me do a sleepover and they were delighted. We turned it into a party by inviting Bali Blue to our spaghetti bash. The following morning we were up before dawn, water taxi whisked us to the dock; we boarded a bus, and traversed the island to board the boat that would take us over the 30 miles of ocean. After an egg breakfast most of the people settled down for a nap. After several hours we could see the island rising up out of the mist. The guide says this is the most photographed island in the chain and already the cameras were snapping. Volcanic spouts created the islands 40,000 years ago and the sea has been reclaiming its territory ever since.
What is left of this spout looks manmade with its perfect cylinder outline. Climbing up the volcanic cone I realized how little exercise I have been getting lately.
The view at the top was dramatic with the black slick lava, green vegetation, and blinding white sand beaches. The guide said that the beach on the left was for turtles and the one on the right was for humans. Later as we were waiting for the launch I was bending down to get closer to a
Sally lightfoot crab for a photo opportunity. The steps were slimy with algae and my foot shot out in front of me. OOPS! I’m going to fall on my butt. It was so slippery that I slid off the platform, going head over heels into the sea. The water was 2’ deep and I gashed my head on the lava ( lava just loves to tear into human skin ). Staggering back up the dock I was surprised at how much blood was pouring down my face. Charlie ( Miss Tippy’s oldest girl ) pressed a shirt to my head, I boarded the launch, and we went back to the boat. Shelia on
Miss Tippy went to work and everyone teased me. Chisel wanted to find thread and a needle, someone wanted to stuff a towel in my mouth so I wouldn’t scream, and Brian wanted to make sure my hole in the head was not as dramatic as his. ( Read “The Caribbean” for Brian’s very serious bang on the head ).
It was now time to go snorkeling. The salt water would be good for my gash but the guide worried about blood attracting the wrong type of sharks. There were all types of sea life and we were out in the water for several hours before snorkeling to the beach. As I was getting out of my flippers there appeared a sea turtle coming back down the beach to the sea.
It really surprised the guide that said turtles usually don’t go to this beach. There were 4 tracks along the beach so who knows how much longer humans will be allowed to walk on this beach. The sun was setting when we got back to the anchorage and once again it was going to be a rolly encounter with huge swells in the bay.
As everyone was getting ready to leave the anchorage Adrian had said he wanted to be in the center of the pack. That is not going to happen as he pulled a PPM and lost his bag with the computer, cel phone, VHF, and camera all gone at once. I designed a flyer for a $500 reward and the three of us put them all over the port. He also took out an ad on the local radio station and so we must wait and see if someone bites at the reward. This gives us time to go see
the tortoises at the Darwin Center. Also, the one animal I wanted to see on this trip is the
Golden land iguana.
Gautine III was one of the first boats to leave so that means we can move the stern anchor and get a little further away from the lava reef. With the amount of jerking on the line from all the swells it did not surprise me that we were hopelessly snagged on the lava. Lava does a great job sawing through the line so after Fai Tera dived on the anchor to release it Dean went to work trying to repair the damaged pieces; and pieces the line became because they were so badly frayed.
Disheartened by the lack of response to our reward, Adrian went on-line and bought new equipment. The good news is that he is going to try a netbook and see if it will meet our needs. Adrian has decided he is not going to be intimidated by some wild folklore and we will leave on Friday. It will be 20 days to the Marquesas and there are five boats leaving behind us. True to Adrian’s wish we will be leaving in the center of the pack.
Already two days out and Moonshiner has no engine, no generator, and flat batteries. Two boats are heading towards her to help. The three boats decide that Moonshiner is turning back to Port Aroya because the two boats gave all the advice they could and the problem remains a mechanical one. Adrian owns a marine motor shop and his contribution to the rally is “Ace Mechanic”! So we are still in the harbour waiting to see if Moonshiner makes it back before 12 midnight on Friday. There is no wind. She will be doing a lot of gibing back and forth trying to get to port. The Port Captain had already extended our Zarpa for two days because of the theft of the computer bag. He will not sign for more extensions so we must be out of Galapagos waters before the stroke of midnight.
Tonight Mercury Rising are going to my favourite restaurant which I predict would be a hit in San Francisco, USA.
The Red Mangroves Inn sits in a mangrove and the pelicans roost on top of the trees. Iguanas are plentiful on the decks, they have wi-fi, you can get there in your dinghy, and excellent Unagi Rolls.
The rally continues to be our lifeline to adventure;
No one is saying this is a vacation.
I’m loving it!
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