Ecuador Part 3: Galapagos, just go

Galapagos is everything you’ve heard about and more.  It’s a fascinating sliver of earth which has been closely observed since Darwin’s scientific study in 1835, but has remarkably remained untouched in our present day.  The protected ecosphere of rare species of tortoises, iguanas, penguins, birds and more, is a seemingly harmonious coexistence.  We live in an era of never ending digital entertainment, yet the Galapagos shows us that nature can still one-up technology any day.  I dare you not be in awe when a sea turtle surprisingly becomes your underwater marco polo companion, or when a penguin handedly defeats you in a staring contest three feet from your nose. 

We’re so accustomed to making a crude impact with our presence in nature, having to tiptoe quietly over the rivers or through the woods to catch a momentary glimpse of an animal in it’s natural habitat.   So when our dinghy landed on Santa Fe Island amongst a colony of unfazed sea lions, it was surreal how none of them twitched a whisker at our arrival.   Ever feel like you walk into a party and no one notices you? 

If the sea lions are the ambassadors of the Galapagos, then the tortoises are the royalty.   Over 11 species of tortoises exist throughout the islands, and great efforts are dedicated to protecting and growing their population, particularly at the Charles Darwin center.  We spent an afternoon at Manzanillo ranch to get some face time with these amazingly massive reptiles.   

For better or worse, it was here that the kids had their weekly unexpected class in reproductive science, complete with live demos.   Eamon was always rooting for the females to get away, and rightfully so.

A trip to Tortuga Bay, arguably one of the most spectacular beaches in the world, was our VIP ticket to an endless parade of marine iguanas.    This rare species of iguanas subsist on algae and live both in in the water and on land.   While swimming in the water, they almost looked like dogs the way they kept their heads above water while gliding over the waves.

I have to admit, I’ve never found the subject of geology to be particularly riveting.  Maybe those who took Geology 101 (Rocks for Jocks anyone?) in college might beg to differ, but it’s usually not my go to topic conversation at dinner parties.  Well, after visit to Bartolomé island in the Galapagos my perspective has changed.   Learning the difference between hotspot volcanoes, like here, and those that are formed on the edges of the tectonic plates was fascinating, as we could walk among the craters, lava fields, and ash mountains. 

OK, I’m sure you are on the edge of your seat after this bit, but I’ll just close by saying that jocks, you’re welcome at my dinner table anytime. 

In planning this segment of the trip, it was a toss up between staying on land vs. staying on a multi-passenger boat of anywhere from 20-100 people.  There is no doubt that one will visit more islands and see more species when exploring the Galapagos by boat, as the lengthly travel between islands takes place at night.  However, many of the boats offer little space for three boys to be what they are, active kids, and for that reason we opted to stay on Santa Cruz island and take daily excursions to other islands.   We had just survived our own family mutiny in Quito, so we didn’t need other passengers to throw us off the boat. 

We quickly learned that the boats were part of the adventure, not just a means of transport

https://quik.gopro.com/v/SEW2pGN8xJ/

Here is where I’m going to contradict what I said earlier about nature and technology.  On the Friday before the Super Bowl, I pulled the manager of our hotel aside to find out if the Super Bowl would be televised in the Galapagos.  He said it was likely and that he’d gladly reserve the hotel’s only TV and common area for the occasion.  I’m pretty sure I hugged him in this moment and quietly sobbed “you have no idea” over his shoulder.    He clearly took that as a challenge to impress his guests, as two days later my crew of dudes was happy as clams in front of the big screen munching on sliders and Ecuadorian nachos.   The ads were cut out in favor of local TV, but no one seemed to care.  It brought us home for a night and was a great game to boot. 

Hats of too Renato!

Everyone in the family realizes what an incredibly fortunate experience we had this week in the Galapagos.  I worry, though, that we’ve zapped the potential to ever find wonder at a zoo with the kids after everything we’ve seen.  I mean, where do you go from here?  Direct flight to Kenya and call it a day?  Hopefully the wonder will persist, and the Galapagos just might have had the opposite effect.

Hopefully it’s just the beginning for them.