Back to the origin of species
“When the views entertained in this volume on the origin of species, or when analogous views are generally admitted, we can dimly foresee that there will be a considerable revolution in natural history.” Charles Darwin, The origin of species (1859)
Arrival on isla Baltra which is transformed into the airport
Charles Darwin arrived on the Galapagos Islands on September, 16th, 1835. But at first he was mainly interested in the geology. The islands are formed by a volcanic hotspot. Regarding the time frame of earth’s history, new land is born continuously. There are 12 older and younger islands, the latter with active volcanoes. He had classified the finches only superficially and after his return, he was not even able any more to assign certain species to their native island. Of the tortoises he made fun: he sat on them and when he hit them on the back of the shell they got up and were moving. Only after he had returned from his travels he got the idea of evolution.
“In July opened first note-book on Transmutation of Species. Had been greatly struck from about the month of previous March on character of South American fossils, and species on Galapagos Archipelago. These facts (especially latter), origin of all my views.” Charles Darwin, July 1837
Our boat;, in the surf a turtle
The islands are at a bit more than 900 km from mainland Ecuador. Due to the distance to the mainland and the distance between the islands, nature could evolve largely independent from external influences. This way, even up today the islands have preserved their unique natural environment full of endemic species. Nature has preserved it paradisaical innocence. Since there were no natural enemies, birds, tortoises, iguanas, turtles or seals are without fear. There are few other places on earth were you can meet wildlife from so close by without scaring them away.
On the beach, a pelican and turtles
Curious seal
Swimming with a leguan
Greetings from a seal
Turtle on its way to lay eggs on the beach.....
.... and back to the water after work
Today about 25,000 people live on the islands. However, most are strictly protected. Visitors can only enter under supervision and instruction of a national park guide. Tour agencies in Quito, Ecuador offer packages of a flight and boat trip to different islands. We choose a tour of seven days, which also would take in the most remote island, Isabella, which has a huge volcanic caldera housing a big population of the renowned turtles.
Birds are not afraid of visitors at all
They do not know us as enemies
The airport is on Isla Baltra, in close proximity to the main island of the archipelago, Isla Santa Cruz. We boarded a boat which for the next week would be home for 11 tourists, a captain, a sailor, a cook and a national park ranger as guide. Obviously the tour operator had thought that it would be pleasant for the guests if they could enjoy their trip with compatriots, so there were 9 dutch, 1 australian girl, and one german, who was the only one speaking spanish.
There are amphibian and land dwelling leguans
Cactus eating Iguanas
A leguan swimming in a lagoon
Leguans relaxing on the shore
Leguan and baby seal waiting for the mother to come back with a dinner of fish
The cook did his best to satisfy the guests. In fact, personally, I thought the food on this boat, mostly prepared from freshly caught fish, was the best which we got in six weeks in the whole of Ecuador. However, already in the first evening there were some complaints because there was a little fee to be paid for each coffee. Somebody complained, and had some support from the others, that in the Netherlands coffee is part of dinner and should be free. The german did not translate.
“i want to think that it would be difficult to find a piece of land in tropical latitudes that is so completely unusable for humans and larger animals” Charles Darwin, The voyage of the beagle (1839)
Flamingoes in a lagoon
Paradise bird
Galapagos is probably the northernmost place on earth with penguins
Seldom is there such a big difference between something you seem to know from pictures or documentaries and the sensation when seeing it in reality. The islands are full of life. On the beaches turtles and seals which seem not to mind that they have to su bathe or swim with homo sapiens. Iguanas in big crowds which do not even bother to notice you. The birds breed on the ground, and although everybody keeps the adequate distance, you will never anywhere come so close. Pelicans and boobies dive into the water from great height to catch fish and afterwards digest while watching you with satisfaction. And our favorite, the blue footed boobies, continue their courtship dance as if they would be in a dance school and the parents are watching. This is one of the places on earth you will remember for a lifetime.
The most photographed spot on the islands
The boat usually started moving some hours after midnight to arrive before breakfast at the next island. This way everybody got his morning swim and there was best use of the daylight for excursions on the islands. On the third day the first complaints about those excursions started. Not another hike to observe these birds. Didn’t we see enough iguanas, birds and turtles by now. Can we not rather stay on a good beach. Again, the german did not translate.
One of the famous finches
Even the gulls are beauties
Then one afternoon the captain approached me. He told me that one of the two engines of the boat did not work any more. We were off Isla Española. If we would continue to Isabella as originally planned we would be there much later and would not have enough time for the planned extended visit. In addition, it would be dangerous if the second engine would fail as well. He proposed an alternative program which involved returning to Isla Santa Cruz. There he would organize an excursion on horse back to the tortoises in the center of that island. In the meanwhile he could get the boat repaired. We would have more time to spend on the islands and less traveling in between. He wanted to have our opinion what to do. The german translated.
A pelican looks clumsy on the beach....
... but they dive elegantly for fish
After dinner a long discussion over the pro and contra of the proposal of the captain started. To my horror, the supply of beer resting on the boat diminished rapidly. After many hours, at three in the morning, the time the boat was supposed to move again, the captain asked what we had decided. There was no decision yet but we had almost run out of beer. So I decided to have a vote. There were 4 pro, 4 contra and 3 abstentions. So I took the responsibility and told the captain that it would be better to go back and repair the engine.
Some islands are covered with cacti and the leguans have adapted on feeding on them
That night the boat continued to Isla Floreana. After an excursion there, we would go back to Santa Cruz. When we boarded the dingy in the morning to go ashore, there were three annoyed faces. The abstentions were talking fraud. The captain wanted to save gasoline, they would know there was no broken engine. The german had no right to decide. The abstentions and the contras were pairing. The captain noticed the quarrel among the guests. He asked me what was going on. Eventually he decided that he would go on to Isabella. He did not want to risk any complaints with the tour agency.
On horseback to the crater of Santo Tomas Volcano on the island isabella
The caldera of the volcano Santo Tomas
The volcano on isla isabella
Lava flow and the volcano in the background
We did make it there, but there was no time to go down into the crater of volcan Santo Tomas. We went to the caldera on horseback and had a look from above. No tortoises. But the worst was that the atmosphere on the boat was disturbed. The crew, which had been very friendly before, gave the feeling that they could not wait to get rid of these guests. The contras were dissatisfied because they had to spend so much time on the boat. The question of the price of coffee was brought up with each meal again.
Boats in the main port of Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz. The fishers have to fight with the seals for their boats
and with the pelicans for the catch of fish
Almost 300.000 people visited the Galapagos Islands in 2018. Although the strict rules are observed, there are problems with the big numbers of visitors. Cruise ships and airplanes contribute to the pollution. Garbage has to be disposed of. The provisions for the visitors bring in harmful parasites which even bring down the population of finches. That in addition to the effects of global warming, which already has decimated part of the marine fauna and has reduced the fertility of the amphibian iguanas. The Anthropocene has conquered the end of the world.
In the streets of Puerto Ayora
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“The Struggle for Existence amongst all organic beings throughout the world, which inevitably follows from their high geometrical powers of increase .... As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected. From the strong principle of inheritance, any selected variety will tend to propagate its new and modified form.“ Charles Darwin
The final consequence of evolution seems to be the monopoly of homo sapiens.
Lonesome George was still alive. He was the last lonely survivor of one sub-species of giant turtle and spent the eve of his life in the sanctuary on Isla Santa Cruz
Blue footed boobie
The bridal dance of the blue footed boobie
... and the consequence, the chicks
Crabs on the rocks
Male frigate bird
Hopefully this paradise will survive the onslaught of the human race
