Bartolome and Sombrero Chino Islands
Clear skies overhead with low clouds on the horizon were just what we ordered for today’s excursion. Using the freshest hours of the morning, the summit of Bartolome was claimed by many of us. As the light increased in the east, the hills of Santiago Island to the West started to glow with the warm umber colours of a stark landscape devoid of most vegetation. Although the warm season has begun, the rains themselves haven’t fallen yet on the dry, arid coastlines of the islands. The exposed volcanic surface of Bartolome left nothing to hide, and the small lava tubes, spatter cones and cinder cones told stories of their formation.
By the afternoon, we were prepared with snorkelling gear to explore the tiny island of Sombrero Chino just a few miles to the south. Called the “Chinaman’s Hat” because the profile reminds us of a flat, straw sunhat, it is a large spatter cone covered in flows of lava with a few pioneer plants along the shoreline such as sea purslane, and a few of the famous candelabra cacti inland. Yet it is a haven for certain wildlife, who temporarily shared their turf with us bipedal alien visitors. It’s sea lion pupping season! On landing, a female and her practically newborn pup rested near the water’s edge, the pup not completely confident of the location of its milk supply. Large marine iguanas left crystal clear footprints on the sand…a long deep furrow bordered on each side by palm prints joined by sweeping nail indentations. The owner was just a bit further, blending quietly into the black lava. Probably digesting its morning meal of marine algae. A Galápagos hawk perched calmly on a low bush near some very young, sleeping, sea lion pups. We’ll never know what was on its mind, but we can guess.
The two best sightings were the Galápagos penguins who zoomed by the swimmers and snorkelers, both beginners and experienced, and the birth of a sea lion pup under a bush. The birth was so quick and smooth that only a few of us saw the pup slide out. However everyone who gathered then and later was pleased to watch the wet pup, just a few minutes old, make his first moves in a world that will require his best efforts for survival. And this is just our first day?
Clear skies overhead with low clouds on the horizon were just what we ordered for today’s excursion. Using the freshest hours of the morning, the summit of Bartolome was claimed by many of us. As the light increased in the east, the hills of Santiago Island to the West started to glow with the warm umber colours of a stark landscape devoid of most vegetation. Although the warm season has begun, the rains themselves haven’t fallen yet on the dry, arid coastlines of the islands. The exposed volcanic surface of Bartolome left nothing to hide, and the small lava tubes, spatter cones and cinder cones told stories of their formation.
By the afternoon, we were prepared with snorkelling gear to explore the tiny island of Sombrero Chino just a few miles to the south. Called the “Chinaman’s Hat” because the profile reminds us of a flat, straw sunhat, it is a large spatter cone covered in flows of lava with a few pioneer plants along the shoreline such as sea purslane, and a few of the famous candelabra cacti inland. Yet it is a haven for certain wildlife, who temporarily shared their turf with us bipedal alien visitors. It’s sea lion pupping season! On landing, a female and her practically newborn pup rested near the water’s edge, the pup not completely confident of the location of its milk supply. Large marine iguanas left crystal clear footprints on the sand…a long deep furrow bordered on each side by palm prints joined by sweeping nail indentations. The owner was just a bit further, blending quietly into the black lava. Probably digesting its morning meal of marine algae. A Galápagos hawk perched calmly on a low bush near some very young, sleeping, sea lion pups. We’ll never know what was on its mind, but we can guess.
The two best sightings were the Galápagos penguins who zoomed by the swimmers and snorkelers, both beginners and experienced, and the birth of a sea lion pup under a bush. The birth was so quick and smooth that only a few of us saw the pup slide out. However everyone who gathered then and later was pleased to watch the wet pup, just a few minutes old, make his first moves in a world that will require his best efforts for survival. And this is just our first day?
