Touring the Galápagos Islands

[Hendrik]

Day Four: Punta Moreno, Isla Isabela - Panga Ride III

After the kerfuffle in the middle of the lagoon we made our way out to return to the ship.

The guide had never seen this behavior before.

Blue-Footed Booby on a branch.

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Striated Heron (Butorides Striata) hunting

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Galápagos Candelabra Cactus (endemic)

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Opuntia and Candelabra

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Penguins

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Penguins, et al. Not only are they not spooked by our boat’s presence, they can take being flanked by boats on two sides with apparent equanimity.

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[Hendrik]

Some of Darwin’s Evidence

En route to Puerto Ayora (Day Four) - at sea, rounding the southwest coast of Isabela. While he was visiting, Charles Darwin was at least as interested in the volcanic landscape as the birds.

Looking east to Cerro Azul in background

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Looking northeast, Santo Tomás in the far distance

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A sere environment

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~100% crop of previous - NB, Iguanas on the beach (crop 2.25Mp)

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Half the cone has sheared off into the water

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Once the relative youth of the land and its isolation were considered together with the island-specific variety within the relatively few genera present, Darwin became more convinced of his conclusions. For instance, he was initially struck by the differences between mockingbird populations.

Isabela Mockingbird (Day Three)

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Santa Cruz Mockingbird (Day Five)

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Española Mockingbird (Day Seven)

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[Danny_SWE]

You just gotta love this blue feet cutie
https://www.mu-43.com/threads/touring-the-galápagos-islands.109875/post-1430138

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[Hendrik]

You just gotta love this blue feet cutie
https://www.mu-43.com/threads/touring-the-galápagos-islands.109875/post-1430138

View attachment 858244

Absolutely. S/He's quite the goofball, eh?

 

[Nam-in-Sonoma]

What a great set. Thank you for sharing. On top of my list ever since I saw the documentary with David Attenborough.

 

[Hendrik]

What a great set. Thank you for sharing. On top of my list ever since I saw the documentary with David Attenborough.

Go as soon as you can. I can't wait to see your photos!

 

[Kalifornier]

Fantastic set of pics! The crabs are stunning.

 

[mcgillro]

Interesting and enjoyable series - thank you.

 

[Hendrik]

Fantastic set of pics! The crabs are stunning.

Many thanks. I sweated the crabs especially, having seen a lot of near misses in my browsing before going.

 

[Hendrik]

Interesting and enjoyable series - thank you.

Thank you. As to interesting and enjoyable, this thread speaks to the truism, if you want to take more interesting pictures, stand in front of more interesting stuff

 

[Hendrik]

Day Five: Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz - Shore Visit to Civilization

Sun’s just up. The cloud cover is the Garúa, which brings moisture to the highlands while things stay dry at sea level.

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Eternal Hope

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Eternal Rest

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Mockingbird stand-off

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Emanciplástico – This fanciful representation of a plastic bottle and endangered wildlife is constructed entirely from flotsam found in the islands.

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Guardaparque – Erected in homage to the “effort and knowledge they [Park Rangers] bring to the task of preserving the unique nature of the Galápagos.”

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Harborside Fish Market – customers of and for many species

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Only in the Galápagos? Anyone who has ever tried stalking a Great Blue Heron knows how atypical this is. Also shown: Pelican, Sea Lions

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[Hendrik]

Day Five: Estácion Cientifica Charles Darwin, Isla Santa Cruz

The Charles Darwin Scientific Station is devoted to breeding tortoises for re-introduction into the wild. These were the only confined animals we encountered on the trip. Once the fry cease to be easy prey they will be released among others of their type. Within the Galápagos, the speciation of tortoises tends to go by areas (volcano cones, mostly) rather than by islands. In the past, before the availability of dna analysis, tortoise breeding was a chancy affair.

So, how can a tortoise become an international celebrity, aside from dying without issue like Lonesome George? By turning out to be a certified stud, that's how. Take the case of Diego. He was repatriated from the San Diego Zoo where he had no success in their breeding program (they knew he was a tortoise, but that’s about all.) Back in the Galápagos, once his type was accurately determined and he was placed with others of his kind, Diego proved to be a prolific breeder. He even has his own Wikipedia entry!

Diego, thought to be over 100 years old. The breeding job a success, he was returned to the wild since we visited.

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The very high relief at the front of his carapace marks Diego as a saddleback tortoise, one that has evolved to browse higher than ground level.

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Another individual

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Tortoise fry - slated to be released on their home island (or volcano).

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Obligatory Lava Lizard

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[Hendrik]

Day Five: Isla Santa Cruz - Tortoise Camp

Tortoise Camp, so-called, is located in the highlands west of Puerto Ayora. Here we encountered the garúa which manifests itself as a soaking drizzle.

The advice we were given was, “If the rock moves, it’s a tortoise.” There are three in this pic, all free ranging.

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Visiting a neighboring coffee plantation it became clear that it has to cope with and accommodate free range tortoises. That’s ‘cause them’s the rules.

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The lack of neck relief in the carapaces of the tortoises on Santa Cruz marks them as low browsers.

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Chillin’. Determining tortoise age is an inexact affair, coming down to judging by carapace wear.

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Competitors for grazing rights meeting at the waterhole.

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[Hendrik]

Day Six: Isla Santa Fé - A Short Walk

The morning of Day Six was spent leaving Tortoise Camp and wrapping up our Santa Cruz experience. Some of those images appeared in the previous post. We left Puerto Ayora at the end of the morning and motored to Isla Santa Fé, arriving in time for some more snorkeling, after which we took a very short walk from the bay at the north west tip of the island along the north coast to visit a grove of cactus. The beach where we landed was already occupied…

I’m Here!

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Three sea lions unconcerned with being in the long shadow of humans

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Approaching our anchorage we see an Opuntia “forest” on Santa Fé

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Individual cactus

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Its grip seems precarious, to say the least

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Finches can be instrumental in dispersing cactus seed.

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A mutual relationship. The iguana tolerates the mockingbirds’ attempt to police its skin for parasites. They can come away with a meal.

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Iguana: Iguanas also spread cactus seed. They can be seen resting under cacti, patiently waiting for fruit to fall to the ground.

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So, on to Isla Española.

 

[Hendrik]

Day Seven: Punta Suarez, Isla Española - A Morning Walk, various species

At Isla Española we paid an early morning visit to Punta Suarez, at the western tip, shortly after sunup. The south-facing coast is a convenient base for species that fish in the Humboldt Current. For the numbers of individuals and variety of species of birds, this was the most intense visit of the trip.

Galápagos Sea Lion

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Galápagos Dove

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Española Mockingbird

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Swallow-tailed Gull (Nazca Boobies in foreground)

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Red-billed Tropicbird

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Marine Iguana in molt. They are also called Christmas Iguana for their intense red and green coloration when they are not molting.

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Yet another Lava Lizard (the last, promise)

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[Hendrik]

Day Seven: Punta Suarez, Isla Española - A Morning Walk, Boobies

Here for the first time we were able to approach boobies on foot. They seemed no more perturbed by our presence than when we approached by boat.

Nazca Boobies

Sky Pointing, no doubt thinking romantic thoughts

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Formal 3/4 portrait

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Resting, head tucked on back

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Blue-footed Boobies

Getting interested in the survival of the species

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Showing his lady his foot

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You would be forgiven for missing the Booby…

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…not to mention the eggs

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A brooding presence

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[Hendrik]

Day Seven: Punta Suarez, Isla Española - A Morning Walk, Waved Albatrosses

We got lucky. If we had been able to travel at our preferred time of year (determined by a lot of web reading), we would have missed the Waved Albatrosses.

The pair at left is engaged in courting. They are sparring with their beaks.

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Sky pointing is one feature of the courtship dance.

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This gesture only looks like a squawk. It is entirely silent. Perhaps it is meant to demonstrate lack of disease.

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Maintaining eye contact

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Again, both are silent

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The picturesque moments I’ve shown may be silent but the dance is anything but. Courting and Mating

The dance is over and now things turn more tender

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Mating

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After

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Our trip had many equally wonderful and intriguing highlights but my wife and I agree on this ritual as being the first among equals. Serendipity strikes again.

 

[Hendrik]

Day Seven: Gardner Bay, Isla Española - On the Beach

Gardner Bay is to the east of Punta Suarez, halfway along the north coast of Española. This was the last nature visit of the trip and it served a kind of cooling down function after an intense week. One couple walked the beach end to end for several laps, avoiding lazy sea lions. There was still stuff to keep me busy.

Sea lions: Indolence as art form.

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Nursing

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Española Mockingbird - The guides warned us about these coming around attempting to cadge water from the kind-hearted tourists although they never explained how the feat might be accomplished.

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Unlike any of our previous visits, we were set free to roam the extent of the largish beach. Alone at the western end, I encountered an American Oystercatcher going about its business:

On the prowl

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Investigating

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Got something

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How to deal with it?

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The flip

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Our flight home was scheduled for the next morning. We had one last adventure aboard the ship. As we motored north to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and the airport on Isla de San Cristóbal in the half light of dusk, we were escorted for several minutes by a pod of porpoises. It was so storybook pat that we half suspected the fix was in.

 

[Hendrik]

OK! That was our trip to the Galápagos in stills. Thanks for looking!

Here's an unadvertised bonus(?). I mentioned videos in the gear post. If you have some spare moments you're willing to throw away on some dilletantish travel videos, our collection can be found here.

 

[P Hopper]

The Cormorant is like a painting!
Bravo!!!