Finally setting foot upon the Galapagos Islands! We were greeted with a trip to Rancho Primicias- our first opportunity to observe Galapagos tortoises.
20 March – Equinox
6AM wakeup at Hotel Eugenia so we could meet Luis for transfer to the Quito airport. Our flight was 7:05Am to the Galapagos via Guayaquil. There was a lot of flooding around, and I noticed that they sprayed all luggage with insecticide to help prevent transfer of invasive species to the islands.
At 10:45 we landed on Baltra Island, Galapagos!! Having already paid our Galapagos entrance fees that help keep the Galapagos pristine and visitors to a manageable level, we proceeded quickly through the airport. We were met by a guide who helped us to find the correct bus which would take us on a ferry over Itabaca channel, then to a bus on Santa Cruz Island to Puerto Ayora. By the time I was on the ferry, I had already decided that I was madly in love with the Galapagos! We observed our first blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds.
1215PM Our panga picked us up to take us to our live aboard, the Aida Maria. We attended a briefing and were assigned rooms- Lindsay and I are below deck on the port side. Lunch was soon served after- amberjack, salad, veggies and watermelon.
At 2PM we again boarded the panga to get to Primicia’s farm on Santa Cruz. Like Angel Paz’ property, Primicia’s Farm is an old farm-turned-wildlife-attraction. He had several (at least 10!) Galapagos tortoises on his property, just munching on grass. The first we encountered was named Pepe. Some were wading in water, some covered in duckweed. We also had an opportunity to crawl into a tortoise shell as a photo op, to appreciate how big they really are!
We returned to Puerto Ayora at around 5PM to explore the city, and I found a wetsuit to rent. We returned to Aida Maria and dined on pasta with taco meat, and another briefing, before returning to Puerto Ayora for shopping and internet. We reconvened on Aida Maria to compile species lists and hang out on the front deck until bedtime- we get underway for Rabida Island at midnight. Our captain (“Capi”) is Angel.
PUERTO AYORA/SANTACRUZ GALAPAGOS: 90°F, 67% scattered clouds -green sea turtle -marine iguana -Santa Cruz giant tortoise -great frigabtebird -madeiran storm petrel -lava heron -great blue heron -cattle egret -great egret -bahama duck -ruddy turnstone -smooth-billed ani -yellow warbler -Galapagos mockingbird -small ground finch -medium ground finch -Galapagos sea lion -bullseye pufferfish -Panamic sergeant major -sally lightfoot crab -brown pelican