Blue Boobies and Red-throated Frigates

Blue Boobies and Red-throated Frigates

Galapagos …..a collection of volcanic islands 1000km off the Ecuadorian coast ….home to an amazing collection of wildlife that has no fear of man.

We flew from Quito to Baltra, the only island with an airport. After landing we took a bus to the bay where the boat was waiting ….except that we took the wrong bus ….to the wrong bay! Our reputation for getting lost remains untarnished!!

We finally caught up with our guide and the 14 other members of our group. Our boat resembled a large floating bathtub …and sailed rather like one as well! But it was clean, and the food was really excellent.

We sailed mainly at night, and visited the islands during the day - Santa Maria, Hood, Santa Fe, Plazas, North Seymour. Each island has a different flora and fauna. Because the birds, animals and reptiles have no natural predators, they have no fear of man. We had mocking birdshop up to us on the beach and perch on our hands, sealions came and sniffed at our feet ….but most of the creatures were just supremely indifferent to our presence. They carried on nest-building, courting …or just sunbathing as if we didn’t exist …even when we almost trod on them! A sealion less than a metre away would just open one sleepy eye, yawn, then roll over and go back to sleep.

The blue-footed Boobies were the most comical, especially when doing their mating dance; slowly stepping from one foot to the other, and picking up little twigs to offer to their mate. The male frigate bird blows up a bright red bag like a balloon under his chin to attract a female. Baby albatross looking like big balls of fluff sit on nests that are far too small for them.

We visited areas full of giant turtles, both land and sea varieties, some of which were almost 200 years old.

There were red, yellow and black iguanas, some of them 2 metres long, eating the cactus or just sunbathing after a long chew. These creatures are so amazingly adaptable to changing environments that they are still around after many millions of years!

The sea life is also very rich; with sea turtles, dozens of vaireties of brightly-coloured fish, white-tipped sharks, barracuda, rays, sealions, groupers ….plus beautiful coral, sponges and sea anemones. We went snorkelling three times which was quite an experience for us (the first time we had really snorkelled properly) It opened up a magical world where we followed groups of golden rays, marble rays and stingrays « flying » majestically through the shallow water. Then sealions would dive in alongside us and take great delight in zooming round and round us ….even poking their faces right next to ours and blowing clouds of bubbles at us!

Sadly it came to an end all to soon ….we had to fly back to Quito.

Hopefully the Galapagos islands will never change. Great efforts are being made to preserve the environment. Not a trace of litter, carefully controlled access. it’s a magical place to visit ….do it if you can while it is still possible.

Next update in a couple of weeks, when we get back from Ushuaia.

Hasta luego