While we felt certain that all of the insects and animals of the jungle were trying to kill us, we get a completely different vibe in the Galápagos. The markedly larger animals – on the land, in the sea, and in the air – in the Galápagos barely acknowledge our existence. The huge lumbering giant tortoises, of which there are 11 subspecies still in existence (you can tell them apart by the shape of their shells and length of their necks) slowly munch grass while moving their hulking bodies forward inch by inch – one can only imagine that the hare must have been comatose. These tortoises live in excess of 200 years, so they have plenty of time to get where they might be going. Equally impressive, and seemingly lazy, are the 5 foot long marine iguanas – vicious looking, antediluvian creatures that look like they could take a huge chunk out of your leg, but they would only do that if your leg was a big stalk of celery as they are decidedly vegetariana.
The creatures below the sea are no less impressive. While Gail and I have many dives under our belts, we have never encountered marine creatures on steroids. We had two fabulous dives at “kicker rock” which is like a superhighway for linebacker sized marine life. We were surrounded by 4 species of sharks: hammerheads; white tipped reef; black tipped reef; and schools of Galápagos sharks. Dozens of huge green Pacific turtles slowly drifted by (“gnarly dude”) or gnawed algae on the ocean floor. We were then completely taken aback when two smart car sized Ocean Sunfish (AKA Mola mola), the heaviest known boney fish in the world, slowly swam our way. These enormous fish can lay up to 3 million eggs while dining on jellyfish (not human flesh, but if I were to anthropomorphize, they don’t look smart enough to know the difference). From beginning to end, an amazing diving experience. A few days later, we went snorkeling in Los tunneles, lava tunnels now partially submerged and surrounded by mangrove forests. On the top of these lava tubes stood Galápagos penguins – the world’s smallest penguinos and the only ones that live north of the equator (if only by a few degrees). They “fly” through the water at remarkable speeds, scooping up fish in their beaks. Mimi couldn’t get enough of them. Nesting near the penguins were Blue Footed Boobies- beautiful marine birds with Carolina blue feet. Of course, drawings of the boobies with the hashtag “I love boobies” adorn t-shirts, hats, bags at souvenir shops throughout the islands. (Sorry, Saba we decided against getting you one.). Just a few feet below the surface of the sparklingly clear water, we were able to snorkel with sleeping white tip reef sharks, schools of beautiful Golden Rays, Spotted Eagles Rays, and a huge Manta Ray – we saw one at least 12 feet long, and many more gigantic Pacific Green turtles. On the smaller side, we even saw a Seahorse clinging to the roots of a mangrove tree. Another amazing undersea adventure in this pristine and well protected environment.
-Andrew
I finally had a chance to catch up on the Goldstein adventure. What great descriptions of the different places you have been and service you have provided. What an amazing journey you are undertaking, what an eye opening experience for the girls. It is so nice to hear the balance between your humanitarian efforts and the delightful scenery and activities. We miss you here, but it is so great to read and hear the thoughts of the various family members, look forward to hearing whats next! Safe travels, Orin
Sounds beautiful!