Galapagos Adventure
DAY 2
Tame airlines will be
the carrier that takes us from Quito to Baltra via Guayaquil. We arrive on time
on the island of Baltra. Our first taste of
Galapagos is at the open air airport where the warm sun and salty air filters
through our bodies. The temperature was close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and was a
direct contrast to the mild 50 degrees of Quito. A bus takes us to the public
dock where we catch our first panga of the trip. A panga is a small fishing boat
and they are used to take us from the yacht to wherever our destination might
be. Once on board the Andando we are shown to our cabins and treated to a snack.
We immediately start sailing towards the north coast of Santa Cruz. After
everyone is settled in and bathed in sunscreen we board the panga to our first
destination, Caleta Tortuga Negra or Black Turtle Cove.
Black Turtle Cove is a
tidal lagoon where three types of mangrove can be seen. They are the black, red,
and white varieties. Mangrove lagoons are great places to see an abundance of
life. Many species of fish lay their eggs within the protective tangle of
mangrove roots. Then the young fish spend most of their juvenile phase there
before venturing into the open sea. This is also a great place to spot sea
turtles as most of their predators cannot pass into the shallow lagoon, making
it a great place for mating. As the panga entered the narrow entrance to the
lagoon we got our first look at blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and sally
lightfoot crabs perched on a rock. It was basically sensory overload. Once
inside the cove we got a chance to see several spotted eagle rays cruising past
the panga. Deeper into the mangrove tunnels we saw chocolate chip starfish,
puffer fish, green sea turtles, pelicans, and another special treat,
a group of mustard rays slowly making there way through the brackish water, very
cool. Closer inspection of the mangrove trees themselves turned up more life.
Clinging to the roots of the trees were thousands of oysters and all through
their branches were yellow warblers. Life is everywhere in the Galapagos!
That night on the boat
we went out with flashlights to peer into the black water. We weren’t
disappointed! There in the ocean were flying fish, sea lions feeding, pelicans
feeding, a coronet fish, and several tiger eels. Pablo tried to catch the eels
in a bucket so that we could get a better look at them but to no avail.
Nevertheless it was a great end to a fantastic first day. We headed to bed at
around 11:00pm in order to be ready for breakfast at 6:00am and our excursion to
South Plaza Island. The yacht cruised
through the night so that we could awake at our next destination.
