I only cried four times
Touchdown on Baltra Island. I cannot believe I made it here after years of dreaming about these islands. As an ecologist, going through school as a biology major, this is the dream destination. I remember sitting in Grade 11 biology first learning in detail all about the islands that inspired Darwin to consider that species weren’t all created independently, but maybe had to adapt to their environment and changed over time. Now walking the tarmac, passing scurrying Lava Lizards across the cactus-filled landscape, I tried to keep my cool while taking it all in.
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| View from the plane. Photo: Sandie Young |
First we took a bus across Baltra, winding through the ruins of the US military base from World War II along the dry, desolate rock. It was surreal to see “ruins” on the Galápagos Islands. We rounded a bend and the turquoise blue water of the Pacific Ocean would have set me crying again if I wasn’t trying to keep it together in front of my new friends. We got on the ferry to cross to Santa Cruz, biggest stupid smile on my face.
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Climbing to the highlands of Santa Cruz, the landscape out the window grew wilder and greener approaching the El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve. These giants started appearing in the fields along the road: first one, then three together, then a field of seven. The reserve was filled with dozens of tortoises just starting to congregate in the highlands for mating season. Females later descend to the sandier lowlands to lay their eggs. After a surprisingly fancy lunch, we walked among the tortoises and through tunnels of lava. I couldn’t believe we were already seeing this most iconic Galápagos creature after only an hour on the islands!
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| The Reina Silvia group in a lava tunnel. Photo: Omar Medina Back: Barbara, Sebastian, Paul, Sue. Front: Graham, Michael, Sabine, Joanna, Sandie, and me. |
Back down in Puerto Ayora, the Charles Darwin Research Station is a scientific hub for all the islands and breeding centre for its most vulnerable species. Baby tortoises are hatched here and raised until they are large enough to fend off invasive rats and cats before they are released back to their island of origin. Each is marked and colour-coded to keep track. Here also is the taxidermied Lonesome George, the last of his kind, who died in 2012 after years of scientists scouring Pinta Island trying to find another tortoise to save the species. One of the first episodes of the Duolingo Spanish Podcast I had listened to and actually understood was about George and his caretaker, and it was surprisingly emotional to see him in person!
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| Numbered and colour-coded baby tortoises |
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| Lonesome George, the last Pinta Tortoise |
After a walk back to town and some browsing the many tortoise magnets and socks on offer, it was time to meet our boat. Maybe I can’t describe how excited I was. At the bustling port, there was a sea lion on a dock and some young reef sharks swimming about, and a seemingly out-of-place Christmas tree and nativity, ocean and island themed. We boarded the little dinghy and navigated through dozens of other boats in the busy harbour to the Reina Silvia Voyager. She's a three-tiered catamaran with a G Adventures Purple hull, a wide sun awning over the rooftop lounge, and "Puerto Guayaquil" emblazoned on the back. It was more than I even imagined - brand new - holding sixteen passengers; on this trip, we were only ten. Impossibly, I had my own room and washroom. Not believing my luck, I stumbled out into the night breeze of my private balcony and teared up once more with pure elation.
Extract from my daily journal:
“I need to pause here to describe the beauty of the scene in which I write before the Gravol takes over and I fall asleep. I am on my secluded balcony, anchored in harbour at Puerto Ayora, and there is a large catamaran parked maybe 200 m away. The water is fairly calm, and it’s a little cloudy for stars, but it’s mild and I’m bundled in my robe. I cannot believe my good fortune to be here. And to be living in such luxury I couldn’t even imagine! I have a robe! And a balcony!”
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| View from my balcony that first evening |
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