Day 0 (December 31)
I purposely made sure I was sleep deprived for this day. This was a good idea in theory, considering we had 7 hours worth of flight time overall, even more time including time spent hanging out in the airport. Despite my sleep deprivation, I was super happy to see all the people I was going to be spending the next two weeks with! I was also very much excited to eat the pizza our professor, Tait, was supposedly buying as soon as he got to the hotel. Unfortunately, it took awhile for the pizza to get to us (we were in New York City on New Years Eve) so we decided to start Greg and Haleys beautiful presentation on seismic activity in the Galapagos.
By the time Haley and Greg were done it was 11pm and we were all dying of hunger. Luckily the pizza FINALLY came during the first part of Lester's presentation. Sadly I didn’t get much notes from Lester’s presentation because I was too busy stuffing my face with cheesy, greasy goodness, BUT I do have a photo of myself eating the pizza (see photo below)! Enjoy!
By the time Haley and Greg were done it was 11pm and we were all dying of hunger. Luckily the pizza FINALLY came during the first part of Lester's presentation. Sadly I didn’t get much notes from Lester’s presentation because I was too busy stuffing my face with cheesy, greasy goodness, BUT I do have a photo of myself eating the pizza (see photo below)! Enjoy!
Day 1 (January 1)
This was the day we truly entered Ecuador! Even having to wake up at the ass crack of dawn didn’t dampen our excitement. The flight to Colombia was delayed 2-3 hours due to the conveyor belt being frozen. Much to our joy, we had to wait on the plane about 2 hours until they fixed it. We assumed we would miss our layover flight, but luckily that was delayed as well. A pretty uneventful day overall. When we got to Guayaquil, we didn't have any time to do site seeing as planned. Instead we went straight to the hotel, settled in, then listened to Diego, our tour guide for the trip, give a rundown of what to expect over the next two weeks. At this point the food I've eaten was a real change from my usual tuna sandwich at home. Within one day I drank way too many mystery fruit drinks, munched on lots of plantain chips, tried a fried plantain and cheese ball, and ate a huge dish of fried tilapia, rice and fries (the usual Ecuadorian cuisine Tait described). Across the street from our hotel is known as “Iguana Park”. We saw a few iguanas sleeping on branches after dinner. The next day we left for the Galapagos Islands at 6:30am. Who needs sleep anyway?
There are 4 parts of Ecuador: Coast, Andes, Amazon, and Galapagos. All these places make different cultures. Overall, Ecuador holds about 13,212,742 people as of 2004. Majority of the people there reside in urban areas (57%), the other 43% live in rural areas. The largest ethnic group is the Mestizos, making up 65% of the population. Mestizos are people who are a mix of Spanish and Amerindian descent. Amerindians constitute around 25% of the population, Caucasians of unmixed Spanish descent at 7%. This leaves the remaining 3% to Afro-Ecuadorians which includes mulattos and zambos (2018).
There are 4 parts of Ecuador: Coast, Andes, Amazon, and Galapagos. All these places make different cultures. Overall, Ecuador holds about 13,212,742 people as of 2004. Majority of the people there reside in urban areas (57%), the other 43% live in rural areas. The largest ethnic group is the Mestizos, making up 65% of the population. Mestizos are people who are a mix of Spanish and Amerindian descent. Amerindians constitute around 25% of the population, Caucasians of unmixed Spanish descent at 7%. This leaves the remaining 3% to Afro-Ecuadorians which includes mulattos and zambos (2018).
Day 2 (January 2)
This was the day that we finally entered the Galapagos Islands. Getting off the plane was truly surreal, I had never thought that I would be able to fulfill my childhood dream. After grabbing our bags, we hopped on a ferry to take us to the island of Santa Cruz. On our way to our hotel, we stopped by two destinations, the Gemelos and El Chato.
The Gemelos
The area we stopped at had a few craters which we could hike around to get a good look. When the islands were being formed the magma underground pushed up the seafloor. There were large air bubbles present in the magma. When the air bubbles popped the ground sank creating these huge craters.
Diego explained that the Galapagos islands ecosystem is very fragile. When shooing away birds, just clapping at them to make them leave can traumatize them enough to affect the way they behave for the rest of their lives. Thus, Diego warned us to be cautious of our behaviors around these animals. A species of bird is found extinct because of the bug spray. Mosquitoes eat the deet from the, then the birds eat the deet carrying mosquitoes. In contrast, one of the worst problems on the Galapagos is caused by birds. Birds spread seeds of invasive plants from their defecation, subsequently de-diversifying the biological makeup of the ecosystem. The effect of this issue was evident at the second large crater we saw. There was plenty of vegetation growing in the crater that aren't native to the area, overtaking the crater.
El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve
After the hike we visited a tortoise ranch and a few volcanic formed tunnels. Diego said that it takes about two months for the female tortoises to climb down the hill to lay her eggs. After laying her eggs, she leaves. There are two types of tortoises today present in the area: The Saddleback and the Domed. We finished the walk with a refreshing cup of lemongrass tea or hot coffee.
After lunch at our beautiful hotel we visited a grotto we had to get to using a water taxi. One of the beaches there was called “German Beach” because it was founded and owned by German settlers. Along the way to a water hole, we saw plenty of birds (especially finches), sea lions, small lizard, and marine iguanas. Marine iguanas found their way to the islands from swimming here or from floating drift Woodmere was very little vegetation for them to eat on land (except for the paw paw fruits found in certain cacti). eventually, due to natural selection, marine iguanas became expert swimmers and divers, being able to be underwater for about 20 minutes.
The day was finished off by a presentation on the biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador by my classmates, Becky and Lori (see reflections and presentations button below).
The Gemelos
The area we stopped at had a few craters which we could hike around to get a good look. When the islands were being formed the magma underground pushed up the seafloor. There were large air bubbles present in the magma. When the air bubbles popped the ground sank creating these huge craters.
Diego explained that the Galapagos islands ecosystem is very fragile. When shooing away birds, just clapping at them to make them leave can traumatize them enough to affect the way they behave for the rest of their lives. Thus, Diego warned us to be cautious of our behaviors around these animals. A species of bird is found extinct because of the bug spray. Mosquitoes eat the deet from the, then the birds eat the deet carrying mosquitoes. In contrast, one of the worst problems on the Galapagos is caused by birds. Birds spread seeds of invasive plants from their defecation, subsequently de-diversifying the biological makeup of the ecosystem. The effect of this issue was evident at the second large crater we saw. There was plenty of vegetation growing in the crater that aren't native to the area, overtaking the crater.
El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve
After the hike we visited a tortoise ranch and a few volcanic formed tunnels. Diego said that it takes about two months for the female tortoises to climb down the hill to lay her eggs. After laying her eggs, she leaves. There are two types of tortoises today present in the area: The Saddleback and the Domed. We finished the walk with a refreshing cup of lemongrass tea or hot coffee.
After lunch at our beautiful hotel we visited a grotto we had to get to using a water taxi. One of the beaches there was called “German Beach” because it was founded and owned by German settlers. Along the way to a water hole, we saw plenty of birds (especially finches), sea lions, small lizard, and marine iguanas. Marine iguanas found their way to the islands from swimming here or from floating drift Woodmere was very little vegetation for them to eat on land (except for the paw paw fruits found in certain cacti). eventually, due to natural selection, marine iguanas became expert swimmers and divers, being able to be underwater for about 20 minutes.
The day was finished off by a presentation on the biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador by my classmates, Becky and Lori (see reflections and presentations button below).
Day 3 (January 3)
In the morning we had a bit of free time to do what we'd like before my presentation with Angelique and Abby. A few people went to the grotto we visited the day before. Being the studious student I am, I used the time to prepare for the presentation. Our presentation can be found once you click on the "reflections and presentations" button below. After the presentation we conversed among each other our take on effects of ecotourism, specifically in the Galapagos archipelago. Tait mentioned that there are regulations put in place to control the number of ecotourists and residents within the islands. He said there is a limited number of people that can live there. We then discussed as a class the possibility and attractiveness of totally replacing ecotourism with virtual reality in order to avoid any sort of environmental repercussions.
Isabela Island
Our only way to get to Isabela Island was by a 2 hour boat ride which almost instantly put me to sleep. The first thing on our agenda after dropping our stuff off at the hotel was to go biking to flamingo lagoon. I'm a less than okay biker, and Angelique can't ride a bike so we got to take a ride on the front seats of a truck (woohoo!).
Flamingo Lagoon
Paola, our very sweet naturalist tour guide, said the lagoon was created artificially from mining. The gravel collected was to use as materials for construction in the community there. Any other materials used for structures wasn't able to withstand changing formations of the island. Rain water collecting in the man made holes created a perfect briney environment for shrimp. Shrimp larvae was picked up and deposited into the lagoon by the wind, making it a popular place for crustacean eating flamingos. As water has gotten warmer over the years the water has become more and more de-oxygenized, causing shrimp to die off. Less and less flamingos visit every year because of dwindling food supply.
On a less depressing note, Paola said that every child from age 5 until the end of their high school education spend one month of summer vacation volunteering at a Galapagos national park. This is to heighten awareness of the importance of ecology on the islands.
After our flamingo visit, we biked back to a beach located near the hotel (of course, Angelique and I took the VIP bus). We saw a lot of small, black marine iguanas and small, bright red crabs. We also briefly saw a sea lion eating a fish. There were also a few large marine iguanas perched on the volcanic rock. If you got close you'd be able to see them butt their heads up and down, this was their way of saying "stay back, this is my turf".
At dinner I was beyond grateful to finally be able to drink tap water with my meal and eat the salad without worrying about getting soul crushing diarrhea. Paola said normally water from the island comes from a filtration system, but a few months ago the membrane broke. Fixing the membrane is costly because of how far the Galapagos is from the mainland. The Ecuadorian government isn't very good about providing what the islands need in an effective way, apparently. The filtration issue would be fixed in 48 hours in mainland, but it's been months without fresh water. As of now, the government provides reverse osmosis techniques to supply water.
After dinner I walked around with the group, we looked at souvenirs, and hung out at the beach. A beautiful black lab puppy hung out with us too! We named her Isabela, she is the best. I also got to briefly talk to a woman from Germany who's enjoying the Galapagos while on sabbatical. I've noticed there's a lot of German people at the the islands.
Isabela Island
Our only way to get to Isabela Island was by a 2 hour boat ride which almost instantly put me to sleep. The first thing on our agenda after dropping our stuff off at the hotel was to go biking to flamingo lagoon. I'm a less than okay biker, and Angelique can't ride a bike so we got to take a ride on the front seats of a truck (woohoo!).
Flamingo Lagoon
Paola, our very sweet naturalist tour guide, said the lagoon was created artificially from mining. The gravel collected was to use as materials for construction in the community there. Any other materials used for structures wasn't able to withstand changing formations of the island. Rain water collecting in the man made holes created a perfect briney environment for shrimp. Shrimp larvae was picked up and deposited into the lagoon by the wind, making it a popular place for crustacean eating flamingos. As water has gotten warmer over the years the water has become more and more de-oxygenized, causing shrimp to die off. Less and less flamingos visit every year because of dwindling food supply.
On a less depressing note, Paola said that every child from age 5 until the end of their high school education spend one month of summer vacation volunteering at a Galapagos national park. This is to heighten awareness of the importance of ecology on the islands.
After our flamingo visit, we biked back to a beach located near the hotel (of course, Angelique and I took the VIP bus). We saw a lot of small, black marine iguanas and small, bright red crabs. We also briefly saw a sea lion eating a fish. There were also a few large marine iguanas perched on the volcanic rock. If you got close you'd be able to see them butt their heads up and down, this was their way of saying "stay back, this is my turf".
At dinner I was beyond grateful to finally be able to drink tap water with my meal and eat the salad without worrying about getting soul crushing diarrhea. Paola said normally water from the island comes from a filtration system, but a few months ago the membrane broke. Fixing the membrane is costly because of how far the Galapagos is from the mainland. The Ecuadorian government isn't very good about providing what the islands need in an effective way, apparently. The filtration issue would be fixed in 48 hours in mainland, but it's been months without fresh water. As of now, the government provides reverse osmosis techniques to supply water.
After dinner I walked around with the group, we looked at souvenirs, and hung out at the beach. A beautiful black lab puppy hung out with us too! We named her Isabela, she is the best. I also got to briefly talk to a woman from Germany who's enjoying the Galapagos while on sabbatical. I've noticed there's a lot of German people at the the islands.
Day 4 (January 4)
Started off the day scuba diving @9:30am. Saw lots of colorful fish,starfish, urchins, and sea turtles. A sea lion swam right past me, it was terrifying.
We went to Grieta de Las Tintoreras (Tintoreras Fissure). The rocks were very porous and weak, crumbled easily. Also had a reddish color from the ionization reaction that occurred when the lava coming into contact with the salt water of the ocean. The tips of the rocks were white from lichens. Sharp, rough shape because of the activity of the water at that time. Islands that looked to be only 100ft away has a different shape because it was made at a different time, and the conditions would be different (ie the roughness of the water).
The white tipped reef sharks were waiting in a dip in the rocks. They were waiting until the tide came in to go hunting. The sharks share the area with the yellowtail damsel fish. They are territorial,might fight the shark to make it leave their area.
Orginally was going to go to Sierra Negra crater, but was too cloudy. Last eruption of Sierra Negra volcano was 2005. The northwest area is active, south west is not. Never will be active again because of the movement of the tectonic plates.
Instead went to Cueva de Sucre, a series of caves within one cave made from volcanic activity. Inside there were Piles of rocks that had fallen from the ceiling of the cave from tremors caused by volcanic activity and plate tectonic movement. Elephant ear leaves would be the main source of food for the tortoises in this area, but there are no tortoises. The first settlers 150 years ago killed all the tortoises for food. Passion fruit and guava are the two most invasive species in the area, killing a lot of the native plants. In the cave we explored piles of rocks lay from earth tremors. Sucre owned the land; when it rained a lot, his animals would hide in the cave, we saw the result of that from a pile of bones near the entrance
There are few species of insects on the Galapagos: poisonous endemic species are scorpion, centipede, and spider. There are only 4 species of bats on the islands, surprisingly none of them live in caves.
Arnaldo Tupiza- Chamaidan
“Arnaldo Tupiza - Chamaidan” is a tortoise mating range. The males are big with big tail, the females are small with tiny tail.
The natives used to kill the Yaya tortoise because they think the blood is good for the lungs. They would have the blood with coca cola. The common generation does not do this anymore in order to preserve the animals and to avoid diseases.
In the wild the female and male are only together in December during mating season. Here they mate more, males and females live together.
The boar and the rat are issues for the baby tortoises because they eat them. Here they are not an issue because the eggs are in an artificial incubator.
A higher temperature of 36-38 degrees Celsius makes female tortoises, lower temperatures makes males. Interestingly, there are microchips in all them until they are 25 years. 5 different species in Isabela. 2 in South, 3 in North. The 3 in the north are in danger because of animals such as cows that crush the eggs. The fruit on the island has become an issue. The sugary fruit is like crack to them, and unfortunately the high amounts of sugar make females unable to ovulate. If the females aren't stuck with this infertility, they are ready to reproduce at the age of 25.
A trick to tell the difference between young tortoises and old tortoises is that young tortoises have a long line down their shell while seniors do not.
The biggest threat to tortoises are wasps. Wasps were introduced about 30 years ago as both the South American and African species. If a tortoise is stung then they will have a heart attack and die.
The two species at the cite are different so they don't reproduce offspring that has defects such as two heads or heart problems.
El Mango
El Mango is a cute little lookout. The highest trees are sandalwood, they are endemic to the island. The site got its name from a big mango tree that can be seen from the top of the lookout.
Day 5 (January 5)
We started off the day by transferring from the island of Isabela to Santa Cruz by the same boat we arrived at Isabela from. Abby stayed true to her word and vomited from her severe motion sickness. I'm still surprised she made it that far without yacking, to be totally honest.
Bartuga Bay
After arriving, we took a mile long walk in the blazing heat to Bartuga Bay. It was TREACHEROUS. When we got there I waded in the water and watched the black tipped reef sharks swim near us. We also watched the brown pelicans dive into the water hoping to grab their meal. A group of Darwin finches got very close to me. I actually got some very cool pictures of these finches half standing on my hand to grab a crumb that the beach goers before me left.
Charles Darwin Research Center
This was a proud moment for my inner child. I got to visit a research center named after my childhood hero! Both my inner nerd and inner child were squealing as I walked through the center.
There was a plethora of information at the center regarding Darwin's studies and basic information of the islands. I learned that originally there was one iguana specie, now there are 4 types. The pink iguana, rosada, is the most recent species. Iguanas head bob to assert dominance.
Also, Darwin was here for 5 weeks. Originally he was only interested in the mocking birds. Soon the finches became part of his research. He took one tortoise back with him, it lived to ~247 years.
There's a lot more to discover on the islands. For example, the diving mouse.
There are 4 species of tortoises that are extinct including Lonesome George. This leaves 11 species, I can imagine that number is still in threat of dwindling down.
The coolest part about this center is that the famous Lonesome George was moved from his original home, the island of Pinta, to live at the center. He was lucky to be able to stay in the first tortoise sanctuary like this in the Galapagos. Before certain regulation, some tortoises were held to be pets.
I finally had the opportunity to go out and have my first non rice and beans/huevos meal since this trip started. I knew going into this as a pescetarian that can't eat shellfish that I should have very low expectations as far as food options goes. Yet I can't even be to describe to you the pure relief I felt when I saw my plate of pizza come out tonight.
Bartuga Bay
After arriving, we took a mile long walk in the blazing heat to Bartuga Bay. It was TREACHEROUS. When we got there I waded in the water and watched the black tipped reef sharks swim near us. We also watched the brown pelicans dive into the water hoping to grab their meal. A group of Darwin finches got very close to me. I actually got some very cool pictures of these finches half standing on my hand to grab a crumb that the beach goers before me left.
Charles Darwin Research Center
This was a proud moment for my inner child. I got to visit a research center named after my childhood hero! Both my inner nerd and inner child were squealing as I walked through the center.
There was a plethora of information at the center regarding Darwin's studies and basic information of the islands. I learned that originally there was one iguana specie, now there are 4 types. The pink iguana, rosada, is the most recent species. Iguanas head bob to assert dominance.
Also, Darwin was here for 5 weeks. Originally he was only interested in the mocking birds. Soon the finches became part of his research. He took one tortoise back with him, it lived to ~247 years.
There's a lot more to discover on the islands. For example, the diving mouse.
There are 4 species of tortoises that are extinct including Lonesome George. This leaves 11 species, I can imagine that number is still in threat of dwindling down.
The coolest part about this center is that the famous Lonesome George was moved from his original home, the island of Pinta, to live at the center. He was lucky to be able to stay in the first tortoise sanctuary like this in the Galapagos. Before certain regulation, some tortoises were held to be pets.
I finally had the opportunity to go out and have my first non rice and beans/huevos meal since this trip started. I knew going into this as a pescetarian that can't eat shellfish that I should have very low expectations as far as food options goes. Yet I can't even be to describe to you the pure relief I felt when I saw my plate of pizza come out tonight.
Works Cited
Official Ecuador Website. (n.d.). Gain Insight into Ecuador's Demographics. Ecuador.com Ecuador Channel. Retrieved from:
http://www.ecuador.com/demographics/
http://www.ecuador.com/demographics/
Galapagos Assignments
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