Bartolome Island
Nine years ago, I was a young marine biologist/naturalist that arrived to these islands not really knowing what to expect. Sure enough the islands impressed me! I had heard about this place during my entire students life and coming here to work was an achievement beyond my wildest dreams. I was expecting to find in some way something different. By its location, the equator, the Galápagos Islands should have tropical vegetation and tropical weather. Instead, my first impressions of the islands were isolated, barren and anything but tropical! Walking on the islands’ paths made me understand the real meaning of this place, Darwin’s theory “the survival of the fittest” was strong on the air. Its animal life has been able to survive throughout an impressive change of behavior. Its amazing amount of wildlife, totally fearless, confused me for months. It was not until I got used to it that I started to feel comfortable enough to walk among sea lions and to jump over piles of marine iguanas lying in the middle of the trail. Finally one day we traveled to Bartolome Island. Bartolome is a little island located on the middle of nowhere on the land of the nowhere as I often refer to Galápagos. It is an especial place for all of us for many different reasons: its geology, its barrenness, its impressive hill and I could go on and on describing the entire place by detail. Unfortunately, the only way to really feel what Bartolome is, it is by being here, on the spot. This morning many of us, guests and guides, took the option of walking up the hill to the top of Bartolome Island. The work out was excellent and every step and every bead of sweat rewarded us with the most impressive of the views. Nine years ago I climbed Bartolome for first time, its view took my breath away. Today I did it again and my breath escaped from me just as it happened the first time. I love my job, every minute of it, and when people look at places in the way I do makes me feel that nine years ago, the young marine biologist that I was, made the right choice on coming to the land of nowhere…
Nine years ago, I was a young marine biologist/naturalist that arrived to these islands not really knowing what to expect. Sure enough the islands impressed me! I had heard about this place during my entire students life and coming here to work was an achievement beyond my wildest dreams. I was expecting to find in some way something different. By its location, the equator, the Galápagos Islands should have tropical vegetation and tropical weather. Instead, my first impressions of the islands were isolated, barren and anything but tropical! Walking on the islands’ paths made me understand the real meaning of this place, Darwin’s theory “the survival of the fittest” was strong on the air. Its animal life has been able to survive throughout an impressive change of behavior. Its amazing amount of wildlife, totally fearless, confused me for months. It was not until I got used to it that I started to feel comfortable enough to walk among sea lions and to jump over piles of marine iguanas lying in the middle of the trail. Finally one day we traveled to Bartolome Island. Bartolome is a little island located on the middle of nowhere on the land of the nowhere as I often refer to Galápagos. It is an especial place for all of us for many different reasons: its geology, its barrenness, its impressive hill and I could go on and on describing the entire place by detail. Unfortunately, the only way to really feel what Bartolome is, it is by being here, on the spot. This morning many of us, guests and guides, took the option of walking up the hill to the top of Bartolome Island. The work out was excellent and every step and every bead of sweat rewarded us with the most impressive of the views. Nine years ago I climbed Bartolome for first time, its view took my breath away. Today I did it again and my breath escaped from me just as it happened the first time. I love my job, every minute of it, and when people look at places in the way I do makes me feel that nine years ago, the young marine biologist that I was, made the right choice on coming to the land of nowhere…
