More Galapagos

It was good to spend an extra week here and get more of a feeling about the islands and the islanders. I went with a friend from the boat trip to one of the populated islands - Isabela - for 3 nights. Its township is too small to boast paved roads and the pace of life would make Jamaica look like Johannesburg.

It's a beautiful little spot, but it's let down to some degree by the tour agencies chasing the tourist dollar with few or no scruples. We booked a snorkel trip on the 2nd day and the agency produced a picture chart showing us all the marine life we would likely see, including sharks. There's no doubt they knew very well that the water in that area is too warm for sharks now, and will be until June, so we were never going to see them. But they insisted on the lie, and they peddle the lie to anyone who goes in there asking about snorkelling.



We didn't book the trip on the basis of any sharks - we were after swimming with tropical fish, sea lions, turtles and penguins - but it's still a little disappointing to see the agencies (ours was not unique) behaving like that, even if you understand why.



(Back on the main island, Santa Cruz, a few days earlier, I'd hired a mask and snorkel one day and went to a great spot. A top tip I learned then: always test the mask and snorkel before you go too far from the hire place. Agencies will always insist that all their gear is good or top quality; they will often not be telling you the truth. This criticism doesn't extend to the agency I booked my boat trip through, who were excellent, and you get good and bad agencies wherever you go in the world so I guess Galapagos is no different to anywhere else in that respect.)



Maybe it's because this place is so magic that it seems disappointing to find that the agencies can be so cavalier about your experience, but as above why should they be any different here than anywhere else? Regardless, the wildlife is anything but disappointing, and when I find myself face to fin with a 3m Galapagos Shark, the snorkel equipment isn't the first thing on my mind.



I loved it here but it wouldn't do the islands justice to ignore the things that could be better - for their long term survival. I spoke to several people doing volunteer work on the islands, and they found that what they'd paid (a lot) to do here bears little or no resemblance to the work they are actually doing, almost without exception. Perhaps it would be a useful idea to have a central agency overseeing the various volunteer agencies to clamp down on the dodgy operators which seem to prevail. Seeing as most of those volunteer agencies seem to be based away from the islands they'd need to do it by way of some permitted agency system. Whatever, if you're considering doing volunteer work out here be very careful about the details, try to speak to someone who's volunteered here before to find out if what you're being sold stacks up against what is permitted, and use an agency that's been recommended to you by experience. Failing that, do a shitload of research, and be prepared for the possibility of still being mis-sold.

Education is available for children here, but from what I could tell most of them complete their education on the mainland, typically in Quito or Guayaquil. Most seem to return home here for love and work, which isn't a surprise given the quality of life here compared to the mainland. As born and bred locals are keen to tell you , the population on the 3 main populated islands, particularly Santa Cruz, has grown rapidly in recent years (and is now at around 30,000).



Bizarrely, the last 10 years have seen the population double by some estimates, but it was 12 years ago that the Ecuadorian government passed the Special Law for Galapagos, which prevents mainland Ecuadorians from having automatic rights of residence on the islands. They should theoretically only have the 90 days per year that the rest of us are entitled to. However, there are an estimated 5,000 (and growing) living on the islands below the radar, without proper papers.



It's not hard to see why they consider it worth the risk - even forgetting the natural beauty, wages are around 70% higher on the islands than the mainland and crime is virtually non existent, in stark contrast to the mainland. As so often in South America, the situation on paper (in this case the Special Law) differs sharply from the underlying reality. There has apparently been more of a crackdown of late, with 1,000 mainlanders expelled and another 2,000 normalised 18 months ago. But the ecological impact is mainly driven by the ever increasing tourism rather than by migration.



UNESCO reckons that if tourism continues to grow at this pace, there will be 400,000 annually in 10 years. That's a lot more boats and a lot more waste. I noticed on Isabela that the marine iguanas sunning themselves were more reticent than on other islands which see fewer visitors, and would sometimes retreat as you approached. On the other islands, they'd never do that, and sometimes ambled towards us to take a closer look. That must hide a deeper story. Here's hoping that the authorities find a way to properly control both tourist numbers and immigration to preserve the integrity of the islands. If the result of human activity expanding is that the possibility to get so close to the stunning wildlife is lost, then the whole rationale for the islands as a tourist destination is lost also, and everybody loses - man and beast, locals, mainlanders and foreigners.

I think a fairly reliable way of taking the pulse of a tropical island is how often you hear Bob Marley. Surprisingly for such a chilled out place, the Marley-O-Meter gives a low reading, but (like Colombia's Carib coast) the UB40 index is strong. Fine by me. The low Bob Count notwithstanding, the locals are relaxed and seem happy with their lot here. Given the number of undocumented residents, there is unemployment (a local cafe owner told me he placed an ad for help and saw 5 applicants within hours, none of whom had papers) but for now it's not visible beyond the usual smattering of Sunday drunks.



It's another surprise that accommodation (you can get a hotel room for $15-20) and food (you can get a set lunch for as little as $3) are so affordable here, although of course you can go top end and spend a shitload too, if you have the cash to burn. Bearing this in mind the islands are accessible even for travellers on a budget, although the return flight from the mainland's around $400 and there's no substitute for setting aside extra and doing (at least) a 4-5 day boat trip.



Aside from weighing up my sailing options for what wildlife to see, my hardest decision from day to day was whether to go snorkeling or surfing, so I guess it's fair to say this is one of the most beautiful and relaxed places I'll ever be lucky enough to visit. Now I'm around halfway through this trip. I've done the warm half, now I'm headed for the cold....

Reach for your camera / thesaurus.... it's the Galapagos Islands!!

It wasn't a difficult choice to include a visit to the Galapagos Islands. It's not cheap to come here, but it's worth every penny. The message in the picture below's not wrong.



After a quiet night in Quito, my flight was around 3 hours via Guayaquil (from where you could also fly if you're not starting from Quito). Despite the inane and plain wrong commentary I could hear from the Americans sitting behind me, my anticipation and excitement grew by the minute, and by the time we'd touched down, I could barely contain myself.



It's surely only a matter of time before the authorities increase the National Park fee from the present seemingly low cost of $100 and maybe clamp down on visitor numbers.



There are various ways you can approach your time here. You can do a land-based trip or take a place on a boat cruise (or a mix). You can save up to half the price of a boat trip by arriving first and booking something here rather than booking from home - so if you have the time it is definitely worth getting the flight here and trying your luck.



I went straight to a recommended agency from the airport and booked a last minute discounted place on a 4 day boat trip taking in some of the more remote islands, with a view to spending a few days afterwards on 2 of the main islands - Santa Cruz and Isabela. If you take a 7 day trip you'd see the northern and southern islands. If you're on a 4-5 day trip you have to choose, but it's hard to feel you're missing out if you don't see everywhere as whatever you do will be special.

I was lucky to get the place on the boat for the following day - turning up and booking something locally last minute can apparently take days or even weeks, and it was Easter too so I thought it would be tricky, but it worked out just fine.



After sorting a boat place and a room for the night, I went with some girls from the flight to see the Charles Darwin Research Station. The Galapagos Islands were instrumental in Darwin's theory of evolution. The islands have never been connected to the mainland, and over hundreds of years the species that migrated here by floating or flying have developed distinctive traits and characteristics. Darwin recognised this and so, together with other observations came to posit his ground breaking theory. (Ironically, he was selected to participate in the famous Beagle voyage which landed here in 1835 on the assumption that he shared the pious religious point of view of the ship's devout captain.)



The research station itself is kind of nondescript but interesting at the same time. There are species of iguana and giant tortoises, the best known being Lonesome George, the oldest surviving specimen of his kind. There are other enormous males with which, like so many of the animals which make these islands so special, you can get up close and personal. You're not allowed to touch the animals here, particularly sea lion pups which can be rejected by their mothers if they carry human scent, but the fact they are tame and uninhibited enough for you to get so close to them, and the incredible variety of species here, are what makes this a truly unforgettable, unique experience.



After that first special introduction to island life, it was a bottle of rum with the girls and a night swim in the beautiful warm water to cap off the first day.



Boat Cruise - Day 1

Up at the crack of early, I took a bus back to the airport for a transfer to the boat. There are 14 of us plus the guide and staff, and we're well looked after with good food and comfortable cabins.



Today we went to the northern shore of Santa Cruz to a beach where giant turtles go to lay their eggs. It's breeding season but there were no turtles on the beach since they've already laid their eggs, as evidenced by the enormous pits you can see were created by these magnificent, clumsy creatures. We did see one swimming in the surf, bloody enormous it was.



We took a walk to a little lagoon and saw some flamingoes feeding there, though it's not a colony. We'll see one of those in a couple of days and it's sure to be a beautiful sight, in keeping with everything here.



We also saw plenty of crabs - particularly the beautiful Sally Lightfoot variety - hopping around on the rocks. I'm not especially a fan of the crab, and I'm happy to report I've never had crabs, but these were pretty cool.



No day here would be complete without seeing iguanas or sea lions, and we saw a couple of black marine iguanas sunning themselves on the sand. The sea was too rough for snorkelling, but we were able to swim in the beautiful turquoise water for a while. It was probably a good thing I didn't have my mask on, because a small shark swam through our group. If I'd seen it I'd have issued a small brown eel in fright, but they tell me the sharks here are pretty mellow and you can swim with hammerheads. Something to look forward to...



On our way to our overnight anchor spot, we were accompanied by a group of frigate birds. You can click the button below to see them flying with us.



Boat Cruise - Day 2

Up again at daybreak, our first stop was South Plaza Island, where a handful of sea lions greeted us. We wandered a trail around the island seeing more sea lions but the main attraction here were land iguanas, which are breeding here now so there were plenty.



Before I came here I was only really fussed about seeing sea lions, iguanas and tortoises, but it was also amazing to see lizards and some unusual species of birds like the blue footed booby and lava gulls. You can't help but get excited at everything - perhaps this is the closest feeling to being a child again and seeing animals for the first time.



After lunch we sailed to a beautiful little bay at Santa Fe island for snorkelling in more amazing water. My mate Adam would need to explain to me what the various fish were, aside from enormous parrot fish and spotted eagle rays. All I can say with certainty is that they were beautiful and it was a great experience I'll take with me.



Our late afternoon was spent sitting with a group of sea lions on a beach nearby. I could have sat there for days, watching them flopping around to settle in a new spot to laze around for a while before flopping to another spot. Click the button below to see what I mean.



We went for a short walk around part of the island and saw another species of land iguana, which wasn't in breeding season, plus some finches, Galapagos doves and mockingbirds. Back on the boat we saw a turtle swimming nearby so some of us went back in for more snorkelling. We didn't find that turtle, or any of its pals, but we did go swimming with sea lions, which was unforgettable. I couldn't stop smiling, which made it difficult to keep my snorkel in place.



Boat Cruise - Day 3

I woke at 4:30, wandered out to deck and was greeted by a shooting star and my first sight in a while of the Southern Cross. It was going to be a good day.



Our first stop was Española island, home for a few months to albatross migrating from further south. They're magnificent birds in the air - but not so graceful when taking off. Because of their enormous wingspan and weight, they can't simply take to the air like most birds - they have to walk to the edge of a cliff and launch off into the wind, ideally not plunging into the ocean below. They're not generally confident, so they'll often walk to the edge and try to pluck up the courage before chickening out (maybe that should be "albatrossing out"...) and waiting a few minutes before going to the edge to try again. They get there in the end, bless 'em.



They've only just started arriving in the last week, so we were lucky to get a glimpse. In a month's time this place will be covered with them.



We went on to a blow hole which shoots up a huge spurt of water with each crashing wave, before leaving a rainbow in the dispersing spray. Masked, or Nasca boobies were breeding round here so we saw hundreds of them nesting and preening themselves. The famous blue footed booby isn't breeding here at the moment so we only saw a couple of them.



On the way back to the boat we were treated to the sight of land iguanas making their nests. They fight for nesting rights on spots of ground, and it was interesting watching the duels unfold. The battles are short and not especially violent but they can get airborne.



In the afternoon we sailed to Gardner Island and bay for more snorkelling in a cave and around a rock off the beach. On the beach itself were hundreds of sea lions lazing or flopping around, as they do.



We had to leave a little earlier than planned as one of the passengers had been ill since before the cruise and the antibiotics he'd bought in Peru weren't helping. It turned out the "antibiotics" were in fact aspirin, which explained a lot. (I guess the moral of that story is always check your medication carefully if you're buying it on the road. I met a couple of guys in Colombia who's asked a pharmacy for valium to help them sleep on the bus. The stuff they were given was for epilepsy sufferers and left them feeling spaced out for days. But I digress...)



We sailed to San Cristobal, one of the bigger islands, so he could get some medical attention and real antibiotics. Several of the boat's crew and el capitan jumped ashore too to see their wives for conjugal visits, having been sailing constantly for a few weeks without going to San Cristobal, which isn't on our boat's route. A couple of us also got off for a wander and were blown away by the sight of hundreds of sea lions lazing all over the beach, pier, and even on benches. How did they manage to flop up there?



They made a hell of a noise, with pups looking for their mothers and being barked at the 99% of the time they were going in for some milk from the wrong tit, and with the general bickering, barking and coughing we've come to expect.



Boat Cruise - Day 4

After another overnight cruise, to Floreana island, we had a short walk inland to a lava tunnel. It had been raining heavily there the previous afternoon so we weren't able to descend into the tunnel, walk around and swim inside, as planned. We walked back to Post Office Bay, where there's been a tradition since 1793 that you can leave postcards, addressed but unstamped. The idea is that you check the box and if there are any addressed to your hometown or somewhere you're going, you take it with you and deliver it yourself. I wonder when my nieces' and nephews' cards will reach them in NZ...



Having done the mail run and left some cards of our own, we went snorkelling off the beach and around the rocks with a huge turtle and two smaller ones.



From there we sailed to Devil's Crown for some amazing snorkelling among an incredible variety of fish, starfish, octupii and sharks. No brown eels from me either, which was a boon. They told us it would be like snorkelling in an aquarium, and on that evidence they're not wrong.



Afterwards we went inland to a lagoon where we saw a few flamingoes grazing, and then on to another beach with incredible white sand.



And with that, the activities were done and we set sail for Santa Cruz, and tucked into the rum. We did have a last minute treat when we found an extra passenger at around 4am. The wildlife really is everywhere you can imagine...



I changed my flight so I've got another week here. There's a few nice surf spots around which are not crowded and have easy waves. If, like me, you can't surf to save your life, it's ideal. That the beaches are stunning, with white sand and amazing water, is a bonus too...