Is this real life?
Today was a day out of someone else’s life. Several times, I found myself looking around wondering, “Is this real? Am I out on a catamaran in the Galápagos Islands swimming with cormorants and hiking around sea lions? Does this place actually even exist at all?”
I woke up early again (after staying up late stargazing), unable to bear sleeping through the sunrise. Not long after it emerged above the volcanoes of Isabela while I sat alone on the rooftop, the ship pulled up anchor and off we sailed towards Fernandina.
The Reina Silvia stopped in a cove along Isabela to go ashore in search of land iguanas at Urbina Bay at the base of Alcedo Volcano. These are big and yellow, with longer faces than the marine iguanas, and by definition do not swim. Along the trail, giant tortoises blocked the way, and finches showed off their beaks, teasing the theory of evolution by natural selection. It was hot, and along the beach, sea turtle tracks showed that someone had recently nested. There was a brief dip in the water for some free snorkelling, but the water was a little rough, visibility was low, and I thought I saw a shark fin, so I scampered out early. On reflection, it was probably a waving ray. Not taking chances.
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| Whale skull on display on shore |
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| Stay on trail |
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| Except when it's fully blocked by a tortoise |
In the afternoon, we dipped in for a snorkel around Fernandina in search of marine iguanas. It was magical in that blue lagoon with huge slabs of rocks like fallen ruins. Here was our first reef shark - less scary than I anticipated! - and many turtles, fish, and an octopus. When a cormorant dove in beside me, I was so excited to watch it fish. Having studied their relatives in Hamilton, I felt a great kinship with these birds. Flightless Cormorants have evolved to build their swimming muscles at the expense of their now-useless wings. Underwater, they soar. It was mesmerising to watch it diving and pecking among the rocks, and I couldn’t believe the size of the eel it was chasing. All within a metre or two of me, completely unbothered.
It was golden hour at Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, ashore the youngest of the Galápagos Islands. To quote my journal entry for the day, “Among the most beautiful experiences of my life”. There were sea lions to greet us on the dock, unfazed as we excused ourselves and passed. Along the rocky shore, seemingly hundreds of marine iguanas were piled on top of each other, basking in the late day sun and staring right at us as we emerged from the mangroves. Every few seconds, one would sneeze out some salt from its nose with an audible pssht. These scaly beasts have captured my heart. The species' tenacity is outstanding, having evolved from land iguana ancestors to be able to make a living in the water eating the only vegetation that was available to them early in these islands' lifetimes: algae. Evolving special nostril glands to process the salt water, shorter snouts to better feed on algae lining volcanic rock, and long claws to help them hold on as the tide tries to drag them out to sea. They then battle the crashing waves, swimming gracefully with their long tails, emerging triumphant to warm their ectothermic bodies in the sun, recovering from the cold of the ocean. Also, during tough times, such as El Niño events, individuals can literally shrink their skeletons to use fewer resources. Sensational.
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| Me and hundreds of my closest friends |
Sea lions surfed in the waves, rolling and having fun. They chase marine iguanas for kicks, less enjoyable for the iguanas. Barking at each other, looking for their babies stashed along the shore, or just soaking up the sun, they are charismatic and really know how to enjoy life. There was a one-month old pup on its own, looking sad and heart-meltingly cute. It looked at us asking, “Are you my mother?” with its little bleats.
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| Lava Lizard |
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| Iguana skeleton |
On the way back, there was a whale spine reassembled for display along the volcanic rock, a reminder of what lurks beyond the shores. Elated and high on the Galápagos yet again, we returned to the dinghy and back to the boat, greeted with a pizza snack from Manuel in time to watch the sunset. Throw in a G&T and Omar’s lecture about Darwin, and you’ve got an amazing evening. We also watched a documentary about Darwin and Wallace’s race to publish the Theory of Evolution. Late in the evening, the stars were incredible from the top deck, and despite the shivering cold, it was impossible to call it a night.
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