Our Boat, the Angelito I
Marine Iguanas
Warming up on the rocks
Iguanas from Española show red pigmentation
Land Iguana
Frigate Birds
Nazca Boobies
Blue-Footed Boobies
Galapagos Penguins
Sealions
Giant Tortoises in a breeding unit
We flew into Quito and thence to Baltra in the galapagos Islands. Then all foreign tourists were obliged to stay on a boat and so we joined the Angelito I which was our homw for the week. We visited North Seymour, South Plaza, Santa Fé, Española, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Rábida, Bartolomé and Santiago. Many of these amount to no more than islets which have managed to escape the ravages of rats, goats and othr mammals introduced in the nineteenth century. The exceptions to this are the youngest islands, Isabela (much the largest) and Fernandina which we were unable to visit due to the short time we were ther.
All of the animals that we did see showed a quite astonishing indifference to our presence. We frequently, for example, had to step over large birds nesting on the footpaths (that we were not permitted to leave).
Most of the sandy beaches contained large numbers of sealions, that we had to negotiate as though we were invisible. Similarly, the rocky beaches all contained piles of Marine Iguanas warming up before heading back into the sea to feed. The Galapagos Penguin is endemic and related to those foundin South America. Most of wild the Giant Tortoises are found on Isabela and Fernandina, those that we saw were in a breeding unit on Sant Cruz (where we also saw Gorgeous George).
Our Boat, the Angelito I
Marine Iguanas
Warming up on the rocks
Iguanas from Española show red pigmentation
Land Iguana
Frigate Birds
Nazca Boobies
Blue-Footed Boobies
Galapagos Penguins
Sealions
Giant Tortoises in a breeding unit