Conservation and Rest

Friday was another quiet day for me, and hence a shorter review as well. The heat from Thursday wore me out a bit, plus whatever bug was working on me. Most people wouldn’t have any problem at all with the heat, but I’m particularly sensitive. So it was mostly a day of rest.

But the rest of the ship enjoyed Santiago and Santa Cruz Islands, much of which focused on Sea Lions, sea life and then birds.

The highlight of the morning was going to some collapsed lava tubes. These are the tubes where the outer edges of a lava flow cooled more quickly than the interior, and through which lava continued to flow. When the lava stopped flowing farther up the tube, the empty tube remained, and in this location, the wave action has collapsed some of them, giving viewers glimpses into the inside.

Many of these are flooded, and are perfect habitats in which turtles and other sea life, including sharks, can swim, and playgrounds for the Galapagos Fur Seals.






Everyone really seemed to love watching these!

Afternoon brought a hike for birds ranging from Darwin Finches to flamingos, followed by a swim and snorkel. Nice way to end the day!

I’ve been a bit negligent in talking about the afternoon lectures and other activities. The lectures have been fabulous. As I mentioned, they started with the geologic formations of the islands, then progressed through human history (including some of the scandals of the Galapagos), history of conservation (explaining the balance of conservation and nature), and even an IMAX presentation on the Galapagos. In concert with the information you receive during the excursions from the guides, these talks really serve to enhance your knowledge of these islands. The lectures weren’t widely attended, as it is the perfect time for an afternoon nap, but were worth sacrificing a nap.

I especially enjoyed the conservation lecture. Jason, our cruise director and lead naturalist, helped to explain the difficulties faced in conserving the indigenous and endemic species and eradicating the species which have been introduced by man. This includes efforts to try to create a poison which would only work for certain species (like rats, for example), and using a “judas goat” to attract all the male goats on an island to one point from which they could be hunted. It’s not easy to listen to efforts to kill animals like this, but by the time this lecture was given, you’ve seen the impacts, whether from a feral cat, or heard how goats were removing essential vegetation, so you’ve begun to understand the necessity. Amazing work being done here by the Darwin Society, and I’m really looking forward to the Darwin Station tomorrow.

In addition, an opportunity is given to donate to the Darwin Society, up to $250/person, and in return, Celebrity will give you a future cruise credit equal to that amount which can be used on a future booking. I do think that a high percentage of those of us on this sailing contributed, and I highly recommend it. After you see all that’s being done, it’s a way to give back to these islands.

Tonight was also movie night – “Winged Migration” – examining the migration of many species of birds. While with the exception of the Waved Albatross, it’s not about the Galapagos, it’s a perfect complement to the overall tone of the week.