Perfect climate, beautiful nature and unique wildlife - the place to be (for me)
Giant tortoises - get up close and personal with Galapagos' natives
Dream beaches with a Caribbean flair and surfing marine iguanas
Magical underwater world - snorkeling with sea turtles and colorful fish
The time has come, we are sitting on the plane to the Galapagos Islands. One of the few destinations that we booked several weeks in advance. Expectations are high! Is it really as much of a highlight as everyone says? We will be on the islands for a total of 3 weeks. We have opted for the full program - a combination of self-organized island hopping and a short cruise. First we are on Santa Cruz, the island south of the main airport, for 4 days. We have barely landed when the airport bus on Baltra brakes abruptly. A land lizard is lying on the road. Only after the bus driver has chased it into the bushes (or rather accompanied it) do we drive on. The special thing about the Galapagos is that the animals here are hardly afraid. Many of them have lived for millions of years without human enemies; the few people who have lived on the islands for a relatively short time (not even 500 years) hardly bother them. It is a real pleasure to see the animal world like this. Seals lie relaxed on the pier, lizards criss-cross the stones. You have to be really careful not to step on it.
The Galapagos Islands have been a national park since 1959, and the entire archipelago in fact. You have to pay the entrance fee as soon as you arrive at the airport. At $200 per person, it's not a bargain, but compared to the total cost, it's not really worth mentioning. But you know that beforehand. A lot is being done to protect this unique natural paradise. The archipelago consists of 7 large and 14 small islands, as well as 107 rocks and islets. There are only four inhabited islands, with Santa Cruz having the most inhabitants, with around 29,000 people. Everything is concentrated in the port town of Puerto Ayora. The rest of the island is wild and untouched. You can't buy a permanent residence permit for any amount of money, at least since 2005. Not even if you are born on the Galapagos do you have the right to live there. Unless your parents live there. This automatically regulates the number of inhabitants. On the one hand, it's a shame, because this is the first place in South America where I could imagine living. A peaceful place, beautiful nature and wildlife, secure jobs, a pleasant climate all year round and no obvious problems caused by climate change (e.g. compared to Ecuador). On the other hand, it's good that these regulations exist, otherwise the place would probably no longer be what it is. Despite the tourism industry, you look in vain for huge hotel chains and resorts. Nevertheless, climate change is of course having an impact here too; the Panama Current, which hits the archipelago from the north in summer, ensures a constant increase in sea temperature. A problem for many marine creatures, especially those that look for their food near the surface, e.g. marine iguanas. However, there is no rationing of electricity here during the dry season, as in the rest of Ecuador.
The Galapagos archipelago produces its own energy using solar technology. The islands are self-sufficient in other respects too. All inhabited islands, as well as larger uninhabited ones such as Santiago, have freshwater reservoirs; fruit and vegetables are grown for the island's needs; there is agriculture and livestock farming within a controlled framework. The latter is subject to strict regulations, as is the keeping of pets such as dogs and cats. The number of livestock released hundreds of years ago, such as goats on the island of Fernandina, has not yet been completely eliminated. Sailors kept them as a source of food, but this also permanently disturbed the natural balance. Some species have already become irretrievably extinct as a result.
On the drive from the airport across the island we make two stops. The two volcanic craters "Los Gemelos", which are responsible for the formation of the island, don't really blow us away. At around 3 million years old, Santa Cruz is one of the oldest islands in the archipelago. All of them were formed by volcanic eruptions below sea level. The archipelago lies on the Nazca Plate, which shifts around 5-7 cm towards the mainland every year. This means that the older islands are closer to the mainland. Many of the volcanoes are still active today, although those on Santa Cruz are no longer active.
Later we visit the tortoise farm "El Chato". Countless Galapagos giant tortoises live in this area and can live up to 200 years. Here, in the so-called Highlands, they have optimal conditions and food. An easy photo opportunity for Micha. The slow animals don't run away so quickly. They aren't afraid of people either. We are asked to keep a minimum distance of 2m and to step back if necessary. Tortoises have the right of way! The tortoises can survive for up to a year without food or water; they can convert their fat reserves into energy. This means they can survive the dry periods even on islands without freshwater reservoirs. True survivors. Nevertheless, there are only 11 of the original 15 subspecies of the endemic Galapagos giant tortoises left. On the islands, different subspecies have developed over time, depending on geology and food. Just one example of Darwin's theory of evolution. The giant tortoises with the dome-shaped shell that predominate on most islands are so-called grazers; they are adapted to wetter areas with food close to the ground.
On Santa Cruz we stay in Franklin's Bay, which can only be reached by water taxi. The journey itself is an experience. And we have the highlights of the island almost on our doorstep. The very next morning we set off for Las Grietas, a saltwater canyon for snorkeling. Our first underwater experience in the Galapagos. We are blown away by the colorful schools of fish that frolic here. In retrospect, nothing special compared to what else there is to see; for us, it was a fantastic start.
The next day we set off for Tortuga Bay. The beach can only be reached on foot, about a 45-minute walk. In the morning it is mostly overcast, and it doesn't clear up until around 10 a.m. Then it gets really hot. We are very happy that we are up early thanks to Diego. The beach has a real Caribbean feel - turquoise water, white sand. We see marine iguanas surfing and chilling on the beach. We go snorkeling at the nearby Playa Mansa. Unfortunately we have no luck and the visibility is poor - we can't see anything. It's good that we have another very good snorkeling beach on our doorstep, the Playa de Los Alemanes.
We try our luck at Playa de los Alemanes at different times. The chance of sightings is probably best in the morning. I see sea turtles for the first time in my life and I am enchanted. Immediately after that, a marine iguana and a sea lion. The show of my life (so far :-)). And the GoPro fails. I could cry. Micha even more when I tell him about it. The camera is probably no longer completely waterproof. Quite possible after we drove over it with our Toyota... A waterproof case should help. We buy it that afternoon, of course hopelessly overpriced, since almost everything has to be imported to the islands or delivered by sea freight. No matter! It would be negligent and unacceptable not to be able to take underwater photos on the Galapagos Islands. And after all, we still have most of the highlights ahead of us. First and foremost, a 5-day cruise with numerous opportunities to snorkel. We are already excited about this unique national park and very excited to see if the impressions can be topped. Let it be revealed: This is just a small foretaste
Comentários