Darwin Station
Early morning wake up to catch the 2-hour ferry to Isla Santa Cruz. Stopped at a bakery for some bread and cookies for breakfast. Popped some dramamine and waited at the dock to get loaded on the ferry. Being from NJ we half expected the ferry to be like the ones that traverse the Hudson River. The ferry we boarded was more like a repurposed yacht. All the insides were removed to line up seating for 50. The windows were set high above our heads and the seating area was fully enclosed except for the back of the boat. The motion sickness set in almost immediately, 45 minutes in and Genesis was physically sick. 15 minutes later I was also very sick. The crew gave us plastic bags and moved us to the back of the boat where we could get some fresh air and feel the motion just a little less. The ride felt like an eternity. Back on land we sat on a bench for almost an hour trying to regain our equilibrium. Our plans for hitting another island the next day were quickly ditched as the thought of two more ferry rides the next day brought us zero interest. Our hotel accommodations on this island was the Hotel Solymar Galapagos. A hotel right on the water.
We took the morning and afternoon to recover from the boat ride and waited for the rest of the family to arrive. Ate a late lunch with the extended family and then headed off to the Charles Darwin Research Station. The station is where the science happens. Just as we got to the station my big Nikon 200-500mm locked up the same way Ed’s lens had locked up in Kenya, putting this lens out of commission for the rest of the trip. The Galapagos are still being studied and documented nearly 189 years after Darwin first arrived at the islands. We took a guided tour which was in Spanish (Genesis translated for me).
The tour took us through the grounds and talked about the history, the biology, geology, and the current status of the island. According to our guide the biggest threat to the islands is climate change. Rising ocean temperatures could decimate the marine iguana populations by up to 90%. The tour then took us through the tortoise breeding center where the babies have more security than your local bank. Cameras and iron bars. When asked about the security the guide informed me that it is to prevent the tortoises from being stolen. A local resident of the islands can be bribed up to $1,000 to steal a baby, which would then fetch anywhere up to $30,000 on the black market.
It’s not all doom and gloom; the conservation efforts on the island are on-going. The babies are now fitted with microchips to help keep track of them in the future. The chips give scientists information about the sex of the animal and what year it was born. The islands remain a hot tourist destination which brings in thousands of dollars to help fund the efforts. After the tour we called it a night with plans for more snorkeling the next day.
