Ecuador, part III: Goodbye, Galápagos

August 4: Isabela

The morning started with an unexpected Orca encounter! Right after sitting down for breakfast, the call was made that a small pod of orcas were seen, and soon thereafter they lowered the zodiacs so that we could get a closer look. And wow, were we close! Several swam under us and several times they would swim right by. It was an amazing encounter, and according to the naturalists, not something they see very often. 

Definitely the closest I've ever been to an orca!

They all came by to say hello!

First tortoise sighting!

After breakfast, we took zodiacs to the belly of the seahorse of Isabela Island. It was a wet landing onto a black sand beach known as Urbina Bay, and after changing from our water shoes to our hiking shoes, we set off to explore the island. Almost immediately, we saw a fairly small tortoise right in the middle of the path. When we walked by, he quickly retreated into his shell but when he realized it was safe, he came back out and wandered off the path.

Brain coral, now on land

The part of the island that we hiked is known for the unusual ground and rocks. In 1954, a big tectonic event caused that part of the sea floor to rise up more than 15 feet. This meant the coral reef that was once underwater was now on land, and the mangroves that grew by the beach and relied on brackish water now had no water source.

Colorful land iguana

So the path we walked was a mixture of lava rocks, shells, and coral. There were several large land iguanas, noticeable because of their bright yellow and orange coloring. Further along, there were several large coral formations that were now high and inland because of the uplift.

When we got to the shore, we saw several sea turtles feeding in the water, as well as marine iguanas and sea lions. The sand was made up with mostly organic materials, and we found tons of shells and sea urchin skeletons. 

We got back to the ship later than scheduled, and right before our Darwin talk, the pod of orcas reappeared. They were much further than before, but of course we all had to scramble out to see them.

 In the afternoon, we stopped at an historic bay known as Tagus Cove. Right where we made our dry landing, two Galápagos hawks were waiting near the stairs that we needed to climb; they perched on the railing and just stared at us as we carefully climbed past. It was amazing to get so close to two raptors, who weren't at all bothered by us!

Tagus Cove is one of the places where Darwin visited in 1835, and we hiked up the rim of a tuff cone past Darwin's Lake and a view across to the eastern side of Isabela. From here, you could clearly see several of the volcanoes that make up Isabela, particularly Volcan Darwin and Volcan Wolf.

Volcan Darwin, with Volcan Wolf in the distance (and Volcan Ecuador peeking in on the left)

August 5: Isabela 

Overnight, we sailed back around the head of the Isabela seahorse and on to Isla Santiago. Because there was fresh water found on this island, there was a history of humans coming to the Galápagos. 

Before breakfast, we went on a scenic hike on Playa Espumilla. We walked through a mangrove forest and up for some views of the island and lagoons. It was a very different environment, with a lot more greenery and few volcanic rocks. 

We also encountered several birds, including a curious little mocking
bird that followed us around!

Amazing that these pelican babies still fit in the nest!

On the beach, we saw some nesting pelicans including three fluffy babies (which seemed just as large as the adults - amazing that they could fit in the nest!) 

After breakfast, we went to Buccaneer Cove, once a landing spot for pirates. It was also the place where Darwin spent the longest time. He was in the Galápagos for a total of five weeks, but only 19 days on land - nine on Santiago Island. We took a zodiac cruise around the area, seeing several different marine birds, then went snorkeling. The water was murkier in this area, but we did get to see sea cucumbers, a larg
e scorpionfish, and a penguin swimming past! 

After lunch, we had a wet landing at Puerto Egas. The first thing we saw was a Galápagos hawk eating a dead blue-footed booby. Since boobies are just as large as the hawks (and with sharp beaks), the naturalists all thought the booby was most likely already injured when the hawk got it. 

Our hike took us to some lovely grottoes formed by black lava that flowed into the sea. The blue-green waters were so crystal clear, and we saw sea turtles, iguanas, and sea lions swimming through the caves.

There were also several sea lion pups - many were hungry and nursing (and just as many tired mamas!)

August 6: Santa Cruz

On our final day, we visited the highlands of Santa Cruz, where a the elevation is high enough that it is often in the clouds and mist - known as Garua. We visited a local ranch, "Rancho Manzanillo" to see the giant tortoises. It was drizzling when we arrived, and it was beautifully lush and green - a contrast to the black lava or desert landscape of the lower islands. We changed into rubber boots to trek around the muddy grounds. Many tortoises, both large and small, wander in and out of the ranch and National Park lands.

Giant tortoises can weigh over 770 pounds!

Giant tortoises are native to seven of the Galápagos islands, and have separated into different morphologies (and species) based on the varied ecologies of the islands. The lower, drier islands have smaller, 'saddleback' shells and longer necks, so that they can more easily reach the leaves of bushes and low hanging branches. On the wetter highlands, where there is a lot more vegetation, the tortoises are larger, with domed shells and short necks.

Because the Galápagos were a convenient stopping point for the long sea voyages of the 16th and 17th century explorers, the population of over 250,000 giant tortoises was decimated because they were a convenient and easy food source. Tortoises could live over a year without food or water, so voyagers would throw tortoises upside-down into their cargo holds to provide themselves with fresh meat. 

250,000 of these big boys used to roam the islands!

In addition, one of the biggest threats to the tortoise was a food shortage, caused by introduced goats that over-ate their vegetation. So while tortoises can live over 150 years, by the 1970s, there were only around 3,000 remaining in the wild in the entire Galápagos. Conservation efforts and captive breeding have now brought the population to around 30,000 (but three species - one from Floreana, one from Santa Fe, and the famous Lonesome George from Pinta Island) have gone extinct.

It was an amazing trip, and I'm so grateful to Lindblad Expeditions for the opportunity! THANKS!

Our Journey

Ecuador, Part II: Galápagos

August 1: Baltra and Santa Cruz Islands

First day in the Galápagos!! We flew in to Baltra, the site of an airport that was once a US Air Force base during WWII charged with protecting the Panama Canal. Immediately after deplaning, while walking into the terminal, we saw a land iguana - a fun way to start the trip. A short bus ride took us to the harbor where we waited for zodiacs to take us onto the National Geographic Islander. While we were waiting, we saw sea lions, pelicans, blue footed boobies, and even an octopus swimming in the water!! 

The first thing we did is have lunch on board, which (in true Lindblad fashion), was delicious and plentiful. The staff is so nice and welcoming, and so far the other guests have been great as well. The ship is smaller than most of the other in the Lindblad fleet, with a passenger capacity of 48 - but there are only 26 passengers on this voyage. And that includes a big family of 14, and 6 GTF guests! That means the naturalist to guest ratio is much smaller than on a traditional expedition, so hopefully we'll get amazing opportunities to see wildlife. 

The excursion for the day was a zodiac cruise on the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island, in a secluded mangrove forest called Black Turtle Cove. Because of the protection provided by the roots of the mangroves, the shore along the beach is a wonderfully sheltered place for sea turtles and baby sharks. We saw several - black tipped reef sharks and pacific green sea turtles, along with puffer fish, damsel fish (with yellow tails and lips), and jumping mullet. Since we departed at around 4PM, we had lovely light and the tide was extremely low - which means we could easily see several sea turtles and baby black tipped reef sharks swimming in the water. 

The bird sightings here were remarkable! We saw cattle egrets, lava heron, great grey heron, brown pelicans, blue footed boobies, yellow finch, ground finch, and surprisingly, a black-crowned night heron. Once thought of as endemic, the black crowned night heron was demoted when they realized it could be found in other places in South America. 

The term 'mangrove' doesn't mean a specific type of plant - it refers to several plants that live in this ecosystem. Mangroves are marsh plants that have the ability to filter salt water, and creep outwards with their roots thereby building up the shoreline. Silt and sand build up in the root system, providing a rich environment for other organisms. On the roots of the white and red mangroves in this cove, we even saw small oysters. 

I spy... a baby shark!

August 2: North Seymore and Rabida Islands

An early morning excursion took us to the northern shore of North Seymore Island, an unpopulated island that is one of the most important fishing and nesting sites for sea birds, and we visited the rookery on the open nesting grounds among a Palo Santo forest. 

A face only a mother can love...

It was amazing to see so many unafraid - some even curious - blue footed boobies, frigate birds, split tailed gulls, and lava gulls. The boobies literally nest on the ground, pooping on the soil to mark their territories. They generally raise just one chick; often, when two eggs are laid, they will give priority to one (and essentially use the other as a backup in case the first doesn't make it). These baby birds were SO fluffy, and constantly hungry!

Abandoned booby nest

Frigate bird babies are just as floofy, with goofy looks on their faces. Meanwhile, the adult males do their best to attract female attention.

Sea birds also included Nazca boobies, Oystercatchers, Swallowtail gulls, and pelicans.

During lunch, we sailed to the small island of Rabida. 

It's known for the red sand beach, and we tested out our snorkling from the shore. Many sea turtles, a couple sea lion swim-bys, and a huge white tipped reef shark! 

After snorkeling, we had a short hike to see the island. Back in 1975, the National Park Services eradicated all the introduced goats, and now are trying to get rid of the introduced black and Norwegian rats. Eventually, they hope to bring it back to its original ecosystem. One interesting thing we saw was a Galápagos tomato plant. There are lots of endemic cacti and scrubby Palo Santo trees, and the soil is a rich red color because of the iron oxide and magnesium in the lava, which rusts as it is exposed to the air.

Aug 3: Isabela and Fernandina Islands

After an early AM stretching session on the sun deck, we ate a hearty breakfast. In the mid-morning, the ship traveled north and crossed back over the equator! It was apparent the environment is different - here is where the deep frigid waters of the Equatorial Counter-current rises up along the western edge of the undersea Galápagos Platform. It makes for a very rich underwater ecosystem. 

First went on zodiac ride around Punta Vicente Roca, on the 'chin' of Isla Isabela. Saw a small colony of fur seals - two got into a huge fight, fell off the rocks, and got pretty bloodied up. 

Also saw Galápagos penguins (both on the rocks and swimming), as well as flightless cormorants. 

Soon after, we went deep water snorkeling off the zodiacs - it was a great place, and we saw a bunch of sea turtles and sea lions in the water with us. And on the zodiac ride in, we saw several mola molas and even a baby hammerhead shark!! 

After lunch, we sailed to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island, the only island in the world with no introduced species. Fernandina is the youngest of the Galápagos Islands, only 300 thousand years old and still volcanically active.

The area we hiked was covered in pahoehoe lava, where a population of large marine iguanas were basking. 

We also noticed right away that there were a lot of green sea turtles and iguanas in the water. We also saw several sea lions, penguins, and a Galápagos hawk. In a small sheltered cove, a Pacific Green Sea Turtle had come up to rest on the beach, and several flightless cormorants were sunning themselves. 

These birds adapted to their food source being underwater, so they are amazing swimmers and divers - and have lost the ability to fly. 

The glittering emerald eyes of the flightless cormorant

BBQ dinner and afterwards we went to the sky deck for stargazing. Instead, we looked into the dark water and could very easily see several schools of fish, darting around as though being chased. Then some sea lions appeared, and we heard lots of splashing. But soon after, we noticed a different shape chasing after them - turned out to be a fairly large white-tipped reef shark!!! So cool to see it all at night!

Ecuador, part I: Guayaquil

In an unexpected surprise trip, I'm traveling to the Galápagos this summer - thanks Lindblad Expeditions!! And as part of their generosity, I was allowed to invite a teacher friend to join me, so I chose my UCSF hospital school counterpart, Erika - who used to volunteer at LPCH. We decided to come a couple days early to Ecuador, because 1) a friend who went to the Galápagos a couple years ago had their flight delayed and missed the first few days of the cruise; 2) we didn't want to feel tired when we started the expedition, and 3) ECUADOR! Why not?!

I actually didn't find out about this trip until I was in Boulder City, about a month ago. After many phone calls trying to figure out the best packing methods and things to bring, Erika and I finally flew from SFO through Miami to Guayaquil. The largest city in Ecuador, Guayaquil is the jumping off point for any tourist going to the Galápagos. The original settlement was located on Cerro Santa Ana, a hill along the Guayas River that allowed for great visibility and defense. It was founded in 1538 by Spanish conquerors, and went through a period of sieges and pirate attacks.

For many years, Guayaquil was decaying - with abandoned buildings, degradation of the city center, and dangerous neighborhoods. But in the 1990's it went through a period of renewal and transformation - particularly through the restoration of Malecón 2000, the riverside boardwalk. One thing we noticed while walking around was the police presence - they seemed to be everywhere, which was both reassuring and, in a way, slightly unsettling.

The colonial architecture of Las Peñas

Overall, we were absolutely stunned by this lovely city! We arrived at our hotel just north of Cerro Santa Ana and the Malecón in the early afternoon, then headed out for a stroll. We started first in the charming Las Peñas neighborhood, filled with colorful houses and cobblestone streets. After winding our way around the twisty streets at the base of Cerro Santa Ana, we found our way to the Malecón. There are lots of fountains, gardens, statues, and monuments all along the boardwalk, making for a really nice place to hang out. We found a late lunch at the food court area, then headed back north. 

The start of the 444 steps

Since it lies between the Malecón and our hotel, Cerro Santa Ana was our next stop. Several years ago, this was a seedy, dangerous neighborhood but during the period of revitalization, the area was cleaned up and is now a nice tourist destination. We climbed the famed 444 steps (they're numbered!) on Diega Noboa y Arteta, the main artery up the hill. 

With Juan Pueblo,
the mascot of Guayaquil

Along the way there are several bars and restaurants, little plazas and statues, as well as cannons and the remains of the old fortress. At the top of the hill is the Plaza de Honores and the faro, a blue and white striped lighthouse that is a replica of one on Isla Santa Clara guarding the entrance of the gulf. From the very top of the lighthouse, we had a gorgeous 360° vista of the entire city, including the Capilla de Santa Ana, the chapel on the top of the hill originally built in 1548(!). 

The view of Plaza de Honores and Capilla de Santa Ana 

The view from the gondola

The next morning, we took the Aerovia across the River Guayas to Durán. It was a fun view of the entire Malecón, and interesting to see everywhere we walked yesterday. The Aerovia is brand new gondola, only opening in December of 2020, and there weren't many people riding it. It was meant to be a faster alternative for commuters going from Guayaquil to Durán - a 45 minute bus journey - and our trip across was less than 10 minutes long and cost $0.70 each way.

Unfortunately, the Durán bridge to Santay Island was temporarily closed when we arrived (a few years ago it had been hit by a boat and is still not open), so we rode back across to Guayaquil and walked the 4 km down the Malecón to the Guayaquil-Santay Bridge. 

Biking across the Guayas River

The boardwalks, with Orange Trumpet flowers

The drawbridge was up when we got there, so we walked around the neighborhood while we waited for it to reopen. This was not a touristy area of town, but it was interesting to see a different part of the city. Not long after, the bridge reopened and we rented our bicycles and made our way across. There was only one other couple that had crossed the bridge right before we did, so we pretty much had the entire island to ourselves. Santay Island is a protected reserve in the middle of the Guayas River; surrounded by mangrove forests, it has an ecovillage of about 50 homes, as well as a crocodile farm and amazing birdwatching. The boardwalk winds through the marsh, where we saw tons of butterflies (including huge blue morphos) and lots of birds. We also saw a Giant Sensitive Plant - the leaves close up when you touch them! At the crocodile farm there were also tons of birds - white ibis, yellow and black crowned night herons, and parakeets. There were also a few green iguanas in the enclosure with the crocodiles.

We had a delicious lunch of chicken and rice in the little village, before biking back to Guayaquil. 

The Ecovillage on Isla Santay

This gorgeous orange guy kept coming for me...

It was a quicker walk back to the Malecón, and on our way back to the hotel, we stopped at Parque Seminario - a square in the middle of the city central that is curiously filled with wild iguanas. They are all along the paths and grassy areas, as well as being hidden in the bushes and in the trees. It's so strange walking through the bustling city streets, only to stumble into this park! While it was so cool to see them all, it bugged me that people were feeding and petting them. But I guess that's why they all congregate there, and don't wander off into the city streets.

Iguanas were everywhere underfoot, but don't forget to look up -
they sometimes fall from the trees!

After a bit of a rest (and a delicious fruit smoothie), we walked back up Cerro Santa Ana for dinner. My chuleto y arroz and a bottle of water cost a total of $4, including tax! 

The next day, we had a lazy morning before transferring to our trip hotel, the Hotel del Parque. It's a beautiful old hotel on the grounds of the Parque Historico, a historic area with a small zoo, gardens, and traditional crafts and shows. Because of COVID most of the park was closed, but it was still nice to wander around the grounds and see the monkeys and iguanas. The funny thing is that when we checked in, they wanted to give us two rooms, both with king sized beds, and we told them we didn't need two rooms - we could just share. The lady was like, "huh???" but gave us what we wanted. Our room is HUGE and right outside is a gorgeous orchid patio where we sat and read for a while. 

Not a shabby place to spend an afternoon...

A lovely start to our expedition!