The Magic of the Galapagos Islands

by Stewart B. Nelson, Ph.D.

Through the centuries, many words have been used to describe the uniqueness of the Galapagos Islands, from "bewitched" and "enchanted," to Charles Darwin's "living laboratory." Birthed by underwater volcanic eruptions more than 6 million years ago, they remained an uninhabited outpost of nature until stumbled upon by the Spanish in the 16th century. Since that accidental discovery, the islands have been trodden upon by pirates, whalers, adventurers, scientists, military servicemen, fishermen, and now, about 18,000 permanent residents and 70,000 tourists a year. In 1968 the Ecuadorian government acknowledged the immense ecological significance of this oceanic archipelago, and, with limited exceptions, declared it a national park. A visit to the Galapagos Islands to see its amazing fauna and flora and geology, and to learn its fascinating history, is a magical experience. First, I would like to address some common misconceptions. Cruise ships are not allowed in the Galapagos Islands. Only licensed Ecuadorian boats are permitted and the Galapagos National Park Service controls the number. While most boats carry less than 50 guests there are a handful that accommodate up to 90 passengers. The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles from the Ecuadorian mainland and visitors travel from either Quito or Guayaquil on Boeing 727s, operated by Ecuador's TAME Military Airline. Yes, there is an airport in the Galapagos Islands; in fact, there are two of them, on the islands of Baltra and San Cristobal. There are 13 major islands, 6 smaller ones and scores of islets, but only four of the islands are allowed permanent settlements. The landscape and wildlife vary among the islands, so to see it all requires at least five, but preferably seven days. Since the Galapagos Islands are principally a national park, all boats must carry certified guides and, because the guide-tourist ratio is controlled, the bigger the boat the more guides. Finally, there is the matter of the oil spill that occurred in January 2001 when the fuel tanker Jessica ran aground in San Cristobal harbor. This incident made worldwide news, but most of the refined fuel oil was quickly recovered and much of the rest was carried seaward by the winds, where it soon evaporated. Granted, luck was a significant factor but the spill served as a stark reminder of the fragility of the Galapagos Islands, one of our world's few remaining ecological jewels. The Galapagos Islands, a World Heritage Site, straddles the Equator, so a visit can be planned for almost any time of the year. There are many tour companies operating in the islands. These can be found in The Family Adventure Travel Directory. From Miami International Airport it is a four-hour, non-stop flight to Quito, Ecuador's capital. Rich in Inca and Spanish history, Quito is a United Nations World Heritage Site. One great convenience is the fact that Ecuador recently adopted the U.S. dollar as its currency, so there is no bother with money exchange or conversion rates. Quito offers several deluxe hotels, and an excellent steak dinner at a local hotel costs $8.00 - the U.S. dollar buys a lot in Ecuador! From Quito to Guayaquil, Equador's biggest city, it is less than a 45 minute flight. From Guayaquil to Baltra, it is less than two hours. The airfield on the small island of Baltra was built by the United States Navy at the beginning of World War II to meet any Japanese attack on the Panama Canal. At the end of the war it was given over to Ecuador. At the Baltra airport you pay your Galapagos National Park entrance fee. The fee is $100 and it is a cash only system. Although small, the airport is replete with souvenir shops, both inside and outside of the one terminal building. This is where the particular group I was with landed and where we began our adventure in these amazing islands. Our adventure started as we boarded inflatable boats (locally called pangas) and made our first landfall on North Seymour Island. Walking along the trails we gazed in wonder at the blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and frigate birds. We watched the blue-footed boobies doing their foot stomping mating dance, but it was the male frigate birds that put forth the most elaborate display. Sitting on shrubs or low-growing trees, they inflated the huge red pouches on their chests, flapped their wings and plaintively called to any female flying overhead. Paying us no mind were the marine iguanas warming themselves in the sun. Sea lions bounded in and out of the water and slept soundly on the shore. Upon returning to our landing site, we found a young sea lion asleep in our pile of life jackets. The wildlife on the Galapagos Islands, so long undisturbed by humans, has no inherent fear and is easily approached. But one hard rule is no touching. Our perplexed guide finally decided to try removing the life jackets one by one from the bottom of the pile. As the pile kept decreasing the obviously disgruntled youngster wallowed off grunting his displeasure at being disturbed. Every day brought more excitement as we trekked the different islands and encountered giant tortoises, land iguanas, lava lizards, red-footed boobies and flightless cormorants. Most afternoons we went on snorkeling excursions. Curious sea lions came eyeball-to-eyeball before dashing away. Galapagos penguins--who in the distant past rode the cold Humboldt Current north from Antarctica--sped by like little torpedoes. Turtles glided beneath us and in some locations we spied the occasional shark and manta ray. From the time we embarked the boat and disembarked seven days later, we made only one visit to an inhabited destination, the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. This was an important place, because it is the location of the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we listened to the work being done to preserve, restore and protect the Galapagos Islands. We saw the breeding pens for the giant tortoises, each pen dedicated to the particular type of tortoise that evolved on specific islands. Researchers are also beginning to breed marine iguanas. Human-introduced species are the greatest threat to the indigenous plants and animals. For example, goats--originally released by the early sailors who wanted to ensure a future food source--can strip an area of its vegetation. Cats and dogs that have become wild are also enemies of the native wildlife. Many efforts are underway to control, and possibly even to eradicate, these destructive threats. The giant tortoise, Lonesome George, is housed at the Charles Darwin Research Station. He is the last male of his species from the island of Pinta. Unfortunately, no female survives so, when Lonesome George expires, the Pinta Island species of tortoise will become extinct. Our Galapagos Islands expedition came to an end too quickly. However, I took away many rolls of film to be developed and invitations from our sailing companions to come visit. Unquestionably, the time we took in the Galapagos Islands and in exploring the mainland of Ecuador has merely whetted my eco-tourism appetite to return.

Dr. Stewart B. Nelson, who travels throughout the world, is an oceanographer, historian, author, and popular lecturer.