Santa Cruz and North Seymour
We spent another day admiring the wonders of nature! The drought on the Galápagos Islands still continues, and as a result of this, even the ever green highlands of Santa Cruz are somewhat grey. The mammals that were introduced by man are suffering, yet the native fauna always finds a way to overcome the difficult times. On Santa Cruz, we noticed that the tortoises are wandering far and wide in search of greener pastures. They are seen much closer to the roads and higher up on the island than in wetter years. They will withstand this drought, as they have survived during similar dry periods over tens of thousands of years in the past. They are supremely adapted to these islands.
As we hiked in search of the giant reptiles among the shrubs and bushes that surround the dried out pond at El Chato, the temperature began to rise, and we started to sweat. We found, observed and photographed about two dozen tortoises and then escaped from the heat into an immense lava tube. Many of these structures crisscross this island. It is an overwhelming sensation to walk through the bowels of mother Earth. The designs made by the minerals that had seeped through the porosity of the basalt, although they are not large, are certainly magnificent. We were captivated with this underground environment. An uneven trail took us a quarter of a mile to a wooden stair that we climbed. Here we found a delicious breakfast waiting for us.
In the afternoon, we visited North Seymour Island. We were pleased to see as many as six land iguanas wandering around in search of green vegetation to eat. Normally you don’t see many of them, but they too are hungry and so out and on the prowl. We also counted eight male frigates displaying with their gular pouches inflated in courtship. Other frigates were already raising their chicks. As we walked along the shore, the waves crashed and rolled in with impressive power. Sea lions were surfing on them! What a sight! For our Grand Finale: a terrific sunset. Another fabulous day in Galápagos!
We spent another day admiring the wonders of nature! The drought on the Galápagos Islands still continues, and as a result of this, even the ever green highlands of Santa Cruz are somewhat grey. The mammals that were introduced by man are suffering, yet the native fauna always finds a way to overcome the difficult times. On Santa Cruz, we noticed that the tortoises are wandering far and wide in search of greener pastures. They are seen much closer to the roads and higher up on the island than in wetter years. They will withstand this drought, as they have survived during similar dry periods over tens of thousands of years in the past. They are supremely adapted to these islands.
As we hiked in search of the giant reptiles among the shrubs and bushes that surround the dried out pond at El Chato, the temperature began to rise, and we started to sweat. We found, observed and photographed about two dozen tortoises and then escaped from the heat into an immense lava tube. Many of these structures crisscross this island. It is an overwhelming sensation to walk through the bowels of mother Earth. The designs made by the minerals that had seeped through the porosity of the basalt, although they are not large, are certainly magnificent. We were captivated with this underground environment. An uneven trail took us a quarter of a mile to a wooden stair that we climbed. Here we found a delicious breakfast waiting for us.
In the afternoon, we visited North Seymour Island. We were pleased to see as many as six land iguanas wandering around in search of green vegetation to eat. Normally you don’t see many of them, but they too are hungry and so out and on the prowl. We also counted eight male frigates displaying with their gular pouches inflated in courtship. Other frigates were already raising their chicks. As we walked along the shore, the waves crashed and rolled in with impressive power. Sea lions were surfing on them! What a sight! For our Grand Finale: a terrific sunset. Another fabulous day in Galápagos!
