Penguins and iguanas living in harmony

Elizabeth Bay sits on the southwest side of Isabella island. The ocean has carved out a maze of coves, outlined by mangroves. The dinghy captain maneuvered us through the network of waterways, where we were treated to a variety of wildlife. We started with the obligatory blue-footed boogie, then came to a stop to observe the Galápagos penguins leisurely swimming by. We floated down an inlet, where we saw a large school (25 - 30) of golden rays, which are technically called golden cownose rays, but that sounds awful, so the cownose is respectfully dropped. We followed them for a bit until they formed a line, as if they were fighter jets in formation. Apparently, it is rare to see these animals here, so we felt grateful to have had the chance to spend so much time with them.

We squeezed through some mangroves, where we saw a lava heron. Although they look similar to the blue heron we have at home, these are petite and hunt the small, red crabs on the lava rocks that meet the sea. As we headed toward the exit, we encountered two playful sea lions. They rolled and flipped and charged the boat repeatedly. One of them was playing with something, maybe a stick. They were incredibly entertaining, and I would have been content to stay and watch them for another few hours, but it was time to go. Yet, just a bit farther, we ran into a small school of eagle rays. The juvenile rays glided across the inlet floor. They moved quicker than the golden rays and were out of sight in no time.

We navigated to Punto Moreno for snorkeling and a short hike after lunch. We seemed to be losing the protection of the islands, as the ocean was rougher and the wind was picking up. I cut my snorkeling short; it was cold, visibility wasn’t great, and I was worried the waves might carry me into the rocks. Despite the churned up water, I saw a lot of sea turtles, who seemed much less bothered by the conditions than I. Returning to the boat, I had just enough time to take a shower and hop back on the dinghy. We landed at the termination of a lava flow, from where we started hiking inland. Near our “dock,” very large marine iguanas sunned themselves, sharing their space with a handful of penguins. It was a strange site to see the reptiles lounging on the same rocks as the penguins. It just doesn’t seem like their environments should overlap, but everything is just a little bit strange in the Galápagos.

Walking on the lava was tricky, as it had folded, uplifted, and rippled before solidifying. Where the lava rock had broken down into pebbles, it crunched under our shoes, as if we were walking on cereal. Our purpose wasn’t to hike through an old lava flow but to find lagoons where the elusive Galápagos gray flamingo might be found. We saw one from a distance on our first day, but there are only about 300 individuals, so they can be difficult to find. This part of the island is how I imagine it might be to walk on the moon. It is barren, and the wind barrels across the lava rock, as if it were Wyoming. Oddly, parts of the lava have collapsed and filled with brackish water, which is exactly what the flamingos like. However, after passing two lagoons and stopping at a third, larger one, no flamingos were found. I think it’s about the only thing we’d hoped to see that didn’t make itself available to us, so no complaints. We have had an experience that’s been over the moon, so there was no crying about not seeing flamingos.

At the briefing tonight, Gustavo reminded us that tomorrow is our last full day of excursions. It’s gone by so fast that it’s hard to believe it’s nearing an end.Leer más