I had originally planned to stay in the Galápagos for one week but ended up extending to 10 days as there was just so much to see, and I wanted to fit in some relaxation/ beach time too!
After Isabela I took an early morning speedboat back to Santa Cruz, which is the main base for day-trips to other islands. I was keen to visit North Seymour Island, which is home to a huge number of birds and there were two species I particularly wanted to see: the Frigatebird and the Blue-footed Booby. I’d seen both of these already from a distance, but wanted to get a close-up view as they’re both quite colourful and unusual-looking characters!
This trip was really impressive. There were birds everywhere we looked, nestled in the trees or soaring overhead, and again we were able to get really close to them.
We saw Frigatebirds in their hundreds: male and female adults and babies of various ages. The males have a bright red throat which they inflate in order to attract a mate. The females get to choose their male and the criteria they’re looking for are a) big red throat b) a good nest. Fair enough!
The babies stay with their parents for a year after birth, and they need food from both Mum and Dad in order to survive. Since the babies need so much care, the birds only lay one egg at a time, and only breed every couple of years.
Another interesting thing about the Frigatebird is that their feathers are not waterproof and therefore they cannot easily fish. So they have to steal fish from other birds (frigate means pirate) or they'll grab a blue-footed booby and shake his head from side to side until he regurgitates the fish! I would have loved to see that!
It was also great to see Blue-footed Boobies up close. The guy in the photo below seemed as interested in inspecting us as we were in him! Typically they have bright blue feet (hence the name) but we saw a couple with pale blue or grey feet and apparently its because they’re not getting enough protein! Sad times.
As well as the impressive bird life, I got to see Land Iguanas in the wild, for the first time. We also saw a Galápagos Dove and of course lots of marine iguanas and sea-lions!
In the afternoon we headed to Las Bachas beach in the Northern part of Santa Cruz: a beautiful beach with white sand and crystal clear waters. It was paradise.
Back in Santa Cruz for the last couple of days, I spent quite a bit of time hanging out with Lenin. Much like in Colombia when I stayed with Marci’s family, it made the experience that much richer, getting to know someone who lived in the area and seeing the place from his perspective. It's also pretty cool when you meet someone whose background and lifestyle couldn't be more different to yours, and yet you can still find common ground in things like good food, good music and a good bit of banter!
There was a great little fish market in Puerto Ayora, and we spent a couple of afternoons there having a coffee and watching the fishing boats come in. There were always lots of the local old men there, whiling away the afternoon and it was nice to sit with them and feel a little bit more like one of them and a little bit less like a tourist (despite my poor Spanish and the big camera round my neck!). There were sea-lions, frigatebirds, pelicans and even a marine iguana, fighting over the fish scraps, so it was a fun place to hang out. You could also buy fish fresh off the boats and they’d cook it up for you then and there. I had this for lunch one day and it was probably the second best meal I've had on my travels so far! The very best was when Lenin bought a big lobster from the market and cooked it up for dinner! Amazing!
The Galápagos Islands are really unique and there's definitely something special, or "enchanted" about them. The time passed too quickly and it was quite sad to leave!
After Isabela I took an early morning speedboat back to Santa Cruz, which is the main base for day-trips to other islands. I was keen to visit North Seymour Island, which is home to a huge number of birds and there were two species I particularly wanted to see: the Frigatebird and the Blue-footed Booby. I’d seen both of these already from a distance, but wanted to get a close-up view as they’re both quite colourful and unusual-looking characters!
This trip was really impressive. There were birds everywhere we looked, nestled in the trees or soaring overhead, and again we were able to get really close to them.
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| Frigatebird in tree |
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| This lady has found a good man! |
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| Baby feeds from Mum's throat |
It was also great to see Blue-footed Boobies up close. The guy in the photo below seemed as interested in inspecting us as we were in him! Typically they have bright blue feet (hence the name) but we saw a couple with pale blue or grey feet and apparently its because they’re not getting enough protein! Sad times.
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| Blue-footed Booby |
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| Land Iguana |
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| Las Bachas Beach |
There was a great little fish market in Puerto Ayora, and we spent a couple of afternoons there having a coffee and watching the fishing boats come in. There were always lots of the local old men there, whiling away the afternoon and it was nice to sit with them and feel a little bit more like one of them and a little bit less like a tourist (despite my poor Spanish and the big camera round my neck!). There were sea-lions, frigatebirds, pelicans and even a marine iguana, fighting over the fish scraps, so it was a fun place to hang out. You could also buy fish fresh off the boats and they’d cook it up for you then and there. I had this for lunch one day and it was probably the second best meal I've had on my travels so far! The very best was when Lenin bought a big lobster from the market and cooked it up for dinner! Amazing!
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| Lobsters at the fish market |
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| And a couple of hours later... |
Love all the pics. Great lobster shot and great birds.
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