Galapagos Archipelago Dec. 1-8, 2006: Baltra,
By Roger Wolfe Dec. 1 Upon arrival at the We meet our young naturalist guide Esteban and he informs us
that our boat-the Tip Top II is currently en route from being in dry dock in
A ten minute bus ride takes us to the dock where we board
the ferry for a short hop from Baltra to I call out “BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY,” and the others in our group look up. “ I can’t see any blue feet.” Then a BLACK NODDY flies by and from a patch of mangroves comes a LAVA HERON. Of course the whole time there is a swarm of MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDS gliding overhead like big kites. These will be our constant companions during our time at sea. On board our next bus we pass through a dry scrubby landscape that eventually gives way to lush green pastures and farmlands as we draw nearer to the town and main population center of the islands; Punta Ayora. “What are those white birds in the pasture?” someone asks. CATTLE EGRETS, but are those boulders on the far side of the pasture? Nope, those are our first GALAPAGOS TORTOISES! The Hotel Silberstein is nice and I think all of us are a bit surprised
by just how bustling the town of After settling into our rooms and grabbing a quick siesta our group ambles down the main road to the nearby Galapagos National Park Visitor Center outside of which we have our first close encounter with a GALAPAGOS MOCKINGBIRD and a LAVA LIZARD. From there we continue down the road to the (I found the best resource for identifying the
At the Darwin Research Station we observe the breeding
facilities for the Galapagos Tortoises and see Lonesome George who is thought
to be the only remaining tortoise endemic to the Outside the tourist kiosk I snap photos of a pair of finches
atop a cactus and later conclude they are COMMON CACTUS FINCHES. Inside the
kiosk they are selling a bunch of Our group returns to the hotel but my wife Laura and I take a walk through town. At the fish cleaning station we find a begging endemic LAVA GULL and watch BROWN PELICANS dive into the harbor. Punta Ayora is a very pleasant little town. Dec. 2 Laura and I are up early to get in a walk before breakfast.
We walk back toward the We walk out on the boat ramp near the center and walk out through the mangroves to the end. A BROWN PELICAN preens atop a mangrove, in the roots we hear a cry and find a LAVA HERON, more YELLOW WARBLERS and our first MARINE IGUANAS are lounging here and unperturbed by our presence. ( We nearly stepped on them!) On the way back to the hotel we find a pair of finches feeding in the middle of the road and take photos of the SMALL GROUND FINCH. Following breakfast we board the bus for a ride into the
highlands of “This species is widely spread from the southwestern Esteban seems surprised that I’m not as thrilled as he is. We explore some collapsed lava tubes and hike through one that is illuminated inside and then we’re off to a nearby farm where we find lots of domed GALAPAGOS TORTOISES. In one area we find several of them in a wallow and here we also see a pair of WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAILS. That’s about it for birds this day. Later we check out of the hotel and board the Zodiacs that deliver us to the Tip Top II. In the night after everyone is in their comfortable, air conditioned cabins the engine starts and the anchor chain goes up. We’re underway. Dec. 3 Santiago/Bartholome We travel all night. At first light I head up to the
observation deck atop the cabins. The sky is overcast as it will be almost the
entire time. We’re still en route. I can see This particular morning would turn out to be the best for active seabirding while the boat was underway. This was due largely to the fact that almost all of our travel from one island to the next would take place under the cover of darkness. Good for having more time onshore not so good for the pelagic enthusiast. When the Tip Top II pulled into Elliot’s Storm-petrel After breakfast we board the pangas (zodiacs) for a wet
beach landing on In the course of a short walk over a pahoehoe lava field beside the sea we find more new birds, animals and reptiles. In the tidepools both LAVA and STRIATED HERON are actively fishing. MARINE IGUANAS are both sunning and swimming. A PACIFIC-GREEN TURTLE surfaces right below us in a large hole the sea has carved in the lava. In this same area a small group of GALAPAGOS FUR SEALS are wedged into crevices. On the shoreline we spot a WANDERING TATTLER and some RUDDY TURNSTONES and see many BROWN NODDY flying just offshore along with our first NAZCA BOOBY. We then return to the boat to don our snorkeling gear before returning to dive from the panga just off the beach. The water temp on my watch reads 75F. There is an incredible array of colorful fish. The sea lions are quite playful, zooming up into my mask and swimming circles around me. I feel lame in comparison to their speed and elegance in the water. We find a PACIFIC GREEN SEA TURTLE grazing on the bottom and spend some quality time observing it. Back on board we travel along the steep cliffs of
After landing on the beach we cross over a narrow isthmus to the other side of the island and as we are observing a shark in the shallows up pops our first GALAPAGOS PENGUIN. We get a brief look and then it is gone, very unsatisfactory. We don our snorkels, masks, fins and wetsuits and I kick around Pinnacle Rock in search of more penguins to no avail. Our final activity for the day is a panga ride around Pinnacle Rock where deep inside the cove we find another penguin lying out on the lava. It allows us a fairly close approach and a very satisfactory look. We make a rocky landing on Bartoleme and climb up the wood boardwalk and steps to the summit where to enjoy the fantastic view looking out over the cove. The sunset behind Pinnacle Rock is unforgettable. Dec. 4 Genovesa The Tip Top II motors through the night, crosses over the
Equator and we pull into SWALLOW-TAILED GULLS are all over the steep cliffs near our anchorage. RED-BILLED TROPICBIRDS vocalize as they fly over my head. NAZCA BOOBY are everywhere as are RED-FOOTED BOOBY. Flocks of GALAPAGOS SHEARWATER go arcing by brushing the cliffs. This island is a seabird paradise! A single MADEIRAN STORM-PETREL veers by. I am chomping at the bit to go ashore. We make a wet landing
on A small bird foraging over the lava is the easily discerned WARBLER FINCH. We are surprised at how small the Marine Iguanas are on this island. We then do a bit of snorkeling off the beach where our guide Esteban manages to get attacked by a giant Spiny Lobster that he has pulled out of a hole. He looks as though he’s fallen in a rose bush. After lunch we board the pangas again and cruise along the cliffs to observe RED-BILLED TROPICBIRDS nesting in small caves. For the first and only time of our trip the cloud cover lifts and we get a taste of just how intense the equatorial sun can be. Red-billed Tropicbirds We make a rocky dry landing at Prince Philip’s steps and
climb up to the top of the caldera into a We pass by some foraging GALAPAGOS DOVES on the ground. Further on we look out over the volcanic landscape that is scattered with Nazca Boobies and veering just over the cliff edge are a few MADEIRAN STORM-PETRELS. I had so looked forward to coming here to see (and smell) the massive flock of nesting Wedge-rumped Storm-petrels I had heard so much about but there is not a single one to be found. Thus we don’t see the local subspecies of Short-eared Owls that prey on them either. We depart the tricky channel out of the caldera late in the day and travel much of the night. Dec. 5 South Plaza/Santa Fe Swallow-tailed Gulls are also making a ruckus as they mob a GREAT BLUE HERON to protect their nestlings. Plaza has a large population of Land Iguanas and there are sea lions hauled out all over the islet that abounds with Opuntia cactus. There are places where the rocks are polished smooth from the sea lions dragging themselves over the stone for eons. From atop the sheer cliff on one side of the island we watch Galapagos Shearwaters arcing in the wind. I see one disappear into a hole and within seconds another departs, must be nesting We leave Plaza after our walk. I’m happy to be traveling by day so I can look for cetaceans and seabirds. I do spot another Galapagos Petrel and we also come upon a huge pod of offshore type BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS. Magnificent Frigatebirds come remarkably close to the boat and we see plenty of Nazcza Boobies, Elliot’s Storm-petrels and Galapagos Shearwaters. Upon arrival at There are sea lions piled on top of one another at the beach where we make a wet landing. The unique feature of this island are the pale, yellow Land Iguanas that are endemic. We manage to find several during our walk. We travel again under the cover of night. Dec. 6 Early in the morning we arrive at But first we take the pangas over to the long stretch of white sand beach where we can stroll amidst the harems of sea lions. We are welcomed onshore by gregarious HOOD MOCKINGBIRDS endemic to this island. Esteban pulls out his water bottle and within minutes there are several mockingbirds gathered around the bottle begging for a drink. Ah, but feeding the animals here is forbidden now. Along the beach we also find an AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER and a WANDERING TATTLER. Afterwards we do a bit of snorkeling and find a WHITE-TIPPED REEF SHARK who appears to be sleeping on the bottom. This is the first time I’ve been in the water and had someone yell, “Shark!” and had everyone swim towards them. Unfortunately the visibility leaves something to be desired. The water temp reads 78 degree Fahrenheit. The boat pulls out of Now comes the moment of truth, will the albatrosses still be present? There are lots of RED-BILLED TROPICBIRDS flying over our heads and nesting BLUE-FOOTED BOOBIES on the ground. Esteban turns to me and says, “There are your albatross.” Yahoo! There is a small group of WAVED ALBATROSS assembled and doing some bill clacking. It is comical they way they walk, deliberate but goofy with their heads swaying to and fro. One of them gets a running start and takes a short flight over to another assemblage. There appear to be a dozen of them present. We get some quality time with these birds until the group finally succeeds in dragging me away. Waved Albatross While the group is looking at booby chicks I head over to the albatross runway. This spot is clear of vegetation and is about 30 meters long ending with an abrupt drop off the cliffs into the sea. The view from this southern end of the island is a very special one. I gaze out over the heads of the reddish colored ESPANOLA MARINE IGUANAS and out to sea knowing there is nothing but ocean stretching out before me. A single Waved Albatross soars by and adds to the sense of expanse. This is a very special place here on the oldest island in the archipelago. Back on board the Tip Top II we travel through the night. Dec. 7 Before dawn we hear the now familiar sound of the anchor
chain and know we have arrived at Floreana. A pair of Afterwards some of us go snorkeling around the Devil’s Crown. Off the pangas we go being pulled by the current. We pass over a school of a dozen WHITE-TIPPED REEF SHARKS. The current propels us around the Crown which is a small volcanic caldera that is hollowed out in the center. I manage to kick into this hollow and the snorkeling here is perhaps the best I’ve ever experienced. Inside the crown is a gigantic school of juvenile RED SNAPPER. I dive into their midst and they do not flee. The highlight is the huge PACIFIC GREEN SEA TURTLE that I swim with for fifteen minutes. The slow, methodic beat of his flippers, the way he swims like a bird flies fills me with a sense of grace that I will take home with me. In the afternoon we take the pangas to the black sand beach and a short stroll through the mangroves brings us to a lovely lagoon laced with brilliant pink GREATER FLAMINGOS. There are also many WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAIL, BLACK-NECKED STILT, LEAST SANDPIPERS and a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. As we walk past the lagoon to the other side of the island Esteban points out a VEGETARIAN FINCH. We come to a beautiful white sand beach and see many stingrays and a dozen sea turtles in the clear water of the shallows here. Isla Floreana is a beauty. Dec. 8 Our final day has come. Dawn finds us anchored off the small
We find an active colony of MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRDS in a grove of Palo Santo trees and observe the males displaying their bright red gular sacs, inflated like balloons, to females passing overhead. We also see a few of the land iguanas introduced from nearby Baltra where they were extirpated by the U.S. Armed Forces when they built the airstrip during World War II. Towards the end of our walk I spot a storm-petrel flying nearby and realize that it is a WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETREL. As we board the pangas to return to our ship one last time a BROWN NODDY, perched on the rocks, sees us off. Galapagos Shearwaters Back on the Tip Top II we bid our fine crew goodbye and ride
the pangas one last time to the dock near the airport for our flight to
Boat: The Tip Top II was an excellent and comfortable vessel. The crew was very friendly and efficient. Our cabins very comfortable and air conditioned. I highly recommend it. The fleet of Tip Tops is run by Rolf Wittmer who is descended from some of the original German settlers on the islands. http://www.rwittmer.com/eng/index.asp Additonal bird photos can be viewed at http://www.rwolfe.photosite.com/GalapagosBirds/ Species seen: Groove-billed
Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Galapagos
Dove Zenaida galapagoensis Wandering
Tattler Tringa incana Ruddy
Turnstone Arenaria interpres Sanderling Calidris alba American
Oystercatcher Haematopus palliatus Black-necked
Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Grey
Plover Pluvialis squatarola Lava
Gull Larus fuliginosus
Swallow-tailed
Gull Creagrus furcatus Brown
Noddy Anous stolidus Galapagos
Hawk Buteo galapagoensis Red-billed
Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus Blue-footed
Booby Sula nebouxii Nazca
Booby Sula granti Red-footed
Booby Sula sula Great
Blue Heron Ardea herodias Cattle
Egret Bubulcus ibis Striated
Heron Butorides striatus Galapagos
Heron Butorides sundevalli Greater
Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber Brown
Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Magnificent
Frigatebird Fregata magnificens Great
Frigatebird Fregata minor Galapagos
Penguin Spheniscus mendiculus Galapagos
Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia Audubon's
Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri Waved
Albatross Diomedea irrorata Elliot’s
Storm-Petrel Oceanites gracilis Wedge-rumped
Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma tethys Madeiran
Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma castro Vermilion
Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus Large-billed
Flycatcher Myiarchus magnirostris Galapagos
Mockingbird Nesomimus parvulus Hood
Mockingbird Nesomimus macdonaldi Yellow
Warbler Dendroica petechia Medium
Ground-Finch Geospiza fortis Small
Ground-Finch Geospiza fuliginosa Common
Cactus-Finch Geospiza scandens Warbler
Finch Certhidea olivacea .
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