galapaGOs!

As I write this I still feel as though I am rocking on the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

I am still throughly enjoying my time here in Ecuador. I feel undeserving of the opportunities I have been presented with including a trip this past weekend to The Galapagos Islands.

Last week was busy- perhaps the busiest I will see during my semester here. With the culmination of my "Intensive Spanish Language and Culture" class at La Universidad Catolica, and coinciding midterms at IES, I found myself studying a lot and sleeping little. With a final exam, a final presentation and final paper, and two midterm exams I was ready for a long weekend away from school. The Galapagos provided just that and more!

Friday morning the group of students studying at IES and I boarded a plane to Guayaquil and then The Galapagos. Two and a half hours later we landed on Baltra Island (host to a US military base during WWII the island now boasts of little more than the airport and now vacant military buildings). My first impression was that we had landed on the moon instead of the tropical islands I was imagining. After a series of bag inspections (where officials searched for products that may bring more invasive species to the islands) we were off.

A boat transported us from Baltra to Santa Cruz. Here we visited The Charles Darwin Station and got our first glimpse of giant tortoises. These are quite stunning creatures and served as Steven Spielberg's influence for E.T. Thankfully I am able to appreciate the tortoises more than I could appreciate E.T. when I was little. I was disappointed not to have met the famous tortoise "Lonesome George." George, or Jorge, is said to be the last known tortoise of his kind. He has resisted many attempts at breeding in order to preserve some line of his DNA. He has a large area in which to breed, and two mates to choose from, but still neglects to mate. In fact, his pen was large enough that he hid from us during our whole tour- and this is no small feat for a 500+ pound animal!

Saturday morning found me taking seasick medication in preparation for our 2 hour boat ride to San Cristobal Island. Here I learned that the Humboldt Current bringing water from the Antarctic is REALLY COLD. Snorkeling in this water was short lived, but my friends and I stayed in the water long enough to swim amongst sea lions and innumerable fish. I can't imagine what the sea life is like when the Panama Current has a stronger presence and brings with it coral and many tropical fish. There were moments again that were literally breathtaking as I was frightened to be within inches of such large sea lions. In reality they are quite playful creatures and I soon learned that breathing, relaxing my muscles and swimming amongst them was a safe and fun activity. While on the boats again that afternoon we also saw a whale (bride's whale) and a posse of dolphins. We visited another breeding center for the giant tortoises.

Sunday we invested in wet suits and snorkeled for a longer time. Seeing more fish, large sting rays, and a male sea lion were amongst the highlights of this excursion. We visited Floreana Island for lunch. The island has a history of being inhabited by German immigrants and a woman and her 3 lovers. Mysteriously after the women moved to the island people started to go missing. Still today the island is inhabited by the offspring of the original inhabitants. We ended our day on Isabela Island, the largest of over 30 islands.

On Isabela we rode horseback to a large volcano. It was incredible to see the lava formations from the eruption in 1978. Photographs serve to best describe the land- though again I'll say that it looks to me how I perceive the moon to look. Monday afternoon I watched flamingos and marine iguanas go about their evening feeding amongst the mangroves. I am captivated by these birds and their ability to adapt to such a salty climate. I was able to hear the birds filtering their food so as not to consume the salt water. A few friends and I ended the evening by stargazing over the Pacific. I can honestly say that I have never seen the stars shine so brightly in all my life. Incredible!

The trip was amazing. I am intrigued to learn about the endemic species of the islands, the challenges of ridding the islands of invasive species and preventing their entrance, the challenge of finding and utilizing alternative energy sources to power life there, the problem of waste collection and reduction, the blessing and curse of tourism, and the control of the human population. There is much speculation of what will happen to the islands with the increase of local populations and increase of tourism. The Galapagos are like no place I have ever visited and I am grateful for the opportunity.

Photos of my trip can be found here. Check back soon to see underwater photos of our snorkeling excursions.