Dragon Hill & Chinese Hat

Such a title, at first glance, would fit better for an Asian tale than a Naturalist diary. However, I like this analogy and its evocation of fantastic wisdom for the way it reflects Galápagos. Our morning visit at Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island’s northern side was along a dusty trail bordered by Opuntias. The ghostly looking incense tree forest looked thirsty. It provides the habitat for the land iguana. The first one we found crossed our path without a look at us. Actually, they seemed pretty busy. The second one we found was courting a female, shaking his head upward. Another one stretched his neck high for a bite of Castela galapageia fruit, one of the rare berries found in the dry zone and a delicacy for land iguanas. It was still early but we were already sweating from humidity.

Everything is dry, but heavy rain has fallen in the highland, and we all wonder what this year is going to bring us. The ENSO phenomenon is expected year. This will cause the vegetation to bloom and thrive again, but the marine life may suffer. For now, the water is warm, 810F, and the snorkeling is pleasant. The sea lions enjoy our presence and demonstrate their superiority at swimming, some white tip reef sharks undulate gracefully below us without a hurry.

When we jump off the Zodiac, having just arrived at Chinese Hat, the Galápagos penguins are also quite active and I can find a large flock, a dozen of them. Juveniles mingled with adults, bumping off the surface to disappear in pursuit of fish. A large Eagle Ray glides into the blue and fades into. People observe from the surface an iguana down below. The marine iguana is gripping a rock with its claws and shearing vigorous chunks off the algae.

This is an evocation of an undisturbed and peaceful Eden. Life on earth is a struggle to adapt and survive in an ever changing environment. Evolution arose from this interaction, and complex organisms arose from evolution. The life we have observed today is the result of this process, just as we are. Galápagos is a marvelous place to observe, respect and love life and its mysteries.