By dawn the mariners were already preparing the Zodiacs for our last day in the Galapagos Islands. The folks who travel with us generally do not want to miss a single outing or event and at this time of year it pays to get up extra-early in order to avoid the high humidity which is part and parcel of the “warm, wet season” here in the islands. As tempting as it may be to write something funny for April Fool’s Day, reality is too good to pass up!
Within an hour of the sun rising above the horizon, the heat has already built up and the ocean starts appearing more and more appealing. But wait! There are animals and plants to see! Trails to follow! Photographs to take! Memories to form!
So right away we go ashore at the first of two visitor sites established by the Galapagos National Park Service on the island of Genovesa. A wet landing on a rubbly, coralline beach brought us practically nose-to-nose with the object of our desire: red-footed boobies. They nest on shrubs and trees found all along the edge of the sandy area. Swallow-tailed gulls nest on the ground at the edges of these very same bushes – watch out! Their eggs are camouflaged with the small irregular splotches of white, grey and brown found in the coral substrate they rest on. Great frigate birds also take over appropriate branches and dominate the skies overhead. With their red pouches inflated in full swing courtship mode, their calls filled the air with their unmistakable sound. The tide was still high and the water had collected behind the lava ridge creating a perfect tide pool for young sea lions and young humans to enjoy each other’s company.
By 8:00 am we were getting warm, so we returned to the National Geographic Islander for breakfast. By late morning everyone is ready to get wet – either off the beach or for deep-water snorkeling along the cliff base inside the bay. Moorish idols! Bumphead parrotfishes! Sea lions! Fur seals! Sharks!
The afternoon gave us one last chance to experience the wonders of this island using all our senses. (Of special importance are those senses a video camera cannot even capture – smell!) All day we had been listening to the squawks, trills and clicks of the various species of birds living here. The afternoon trail took us over to the outside of Genovesa where the small Galapagos storm petrels live beneath the fragile, thin surface layer of lava. They have a musky smell when the wind blows just right! We also came in hopes of finding their main predator in action – the short-eared owl, however that remained elusive and a good excuse to return another time.
By the time we were headed back to our home on the water, the sun was getting low and the rose color lit up the inside cliff walls with the golden light all photographers desire.
A lifetime of memories have just been made in this one week.
