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Galapagos Cruise Review: Islander

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Day 1 - Bartolome and Santiago

Today is the first day of the Inaugural Voyage of the M.S. Islander. Yesterday evening, with great eagerness and anticipation, we boarded the beautiful, recently refitted catamaran in Academy Bay of Santa Cruz Island. It had been a long but fabulous day of exploration and introduction to the magical Galápagos Archipelago. We saw our first giant tortoises, Darwin finches and vermillion flycatchers in the lush highlands of this ancient volcanic island. Incidentally, the islands were actually named for the huge, slow moving reptiles which reminded the early Spaniards of the saddles - or Galápagos - of their horses. At midnight, Captain Robalino hauled up the anchor and set his course for the centrally located island of Santiago.

Dawn found us peacefully anchored off the majestic pinnacle rock of Bartolome Island. We disembarked shortly after sunrise and followed a boardwalk, and then climbed wooden steps to the summit while the Naturalists explained the geology of the islands. As this is a particularly fragile visitor site, several years ago, the National Park Service erected an impressive set of over 370 steps which reduce the erosion of the trail. Everyone agreed that the view from the top was well worth the effort it took to climb all those steps!

There are families and children out of school for Christmas vacation on board with us this week. Among our guests are many enthusiastic snorklers of all ages. Today we had the delightful opportunity to snorkel with penguins, sea lions and sea turtles and to swim off two extremely different beaches. The beach at Bartolome is a lovely, small, crescent beach of golden sand. In the afternoon we visited Puerto Egas on Santiago and snorkeled and swam from a dark beach of coarse black sand. The antics of a large population of sea lions that were resting, cavorting and swimming with us, kept our guests thoroughly entertained!

The afternoon hike, at low tide, along the coastal lava flows where pools and submerged tunnels provide a perfect playground for many more of the energetic young sea lion (and Homo sapiens, too) and for the endemic fur seals, was spectacular. One of the highlights was discovering this new born sea lion pup with his umbilical cord still intact. What a delight to be in Galápagos, where we can interact and observe the natural world at such close quarters. All of us, officers, crew, staff and guests alike, who are privileged to be sailing on the M.S. Islander as she takes her maiden voyage in this true paradise, realize what a unique and special place this is. We all recognize the importance of preserving these islands so future generations can also experience the thrill of walking among the fearless creatures that inhabit this archipelago and which are, in many cases, found no where else on earth.

Day 3 - Isabela and Fernandina Islands

Today is the third day of our Inaugural voyage. We are enjoying our stay on board of the very comfortable motor ship Islander. This morning we had the opportunity to cross the imaginary line called the Equator that divides our Earth into two hemispheres. We only spent a couple of hours in the northern hemisphere today, but we were hoping to spot either whales or dolphins or some other mysterious inhabitants of the deep blue ocean waters that surround the island of Isabela. The early risers were rewarded with a brief sighting of a Bryde’s whale. Lynn Fowler, our Expedition Leader, made a ship wide announcement and all our guests grabbed their binoculars and wind breakers and joined us on deck to watch and wait for the whale to come up again. The morning was perfect. The sun rose quickly from the horizon, the sea was quiet and calm, a cool breeze was blowing from the North as we approached this largest island. In the distance we observed the blue-dark profile of perfect shield volcanoes. They are presently silent giants but have, in other eras, been witness to the violent creation of this unique and wonderful that is the Galápagos Archipelago.

We anchor off the steep and majestic cliffs of Punta Vicente Roca, and board the Zodiacs for a ride along the shoreline. Each boat full of guests found interesting wild life and enjoyed the incredible volcanic scenery. Huge, fighting marine iguanas, endemic fur seals, flightless cormorants and mola mola, the ocean sunfish were some of the highlights of this outing.

After lunch we snorkel among sea turtles and penguins and then make a landing on one of the most pristine islands in the world, Fernandina. As soon you take the first step on its recent lava flows, you are astonished by the abundance of life here and although we have seen them before, the prehistoric creatures: iguanas, lava lizards and flightless cormorants. It seems as if time has stopped, a million years ago. The animals are totally fearless and appear to live in perfect harmony. I think nothing can be more gratifying than to come here to Galápagos and enjoy the magic and mystery of these islands.

Day 5 - Southern Isabela Island

It is hard to believe that already five days have gone since the Islander started operations here in the Galápagos Islands. Our itinerary is great, and today has proved to be even more than that. Right after breakfast, an eagerly group of sixteen guests accompanied by two naturalists headed to the summit of one of the largest active calderas in the world, Sierra Negra Volcano. None of us could expect to see what we saw on that walk. It is a brand new place for most of us and an incredible opportunity to explore new locations in the Galápagos.

Located in the southern portion of Isabela, Sierra Negra Volcano is above Cerro Azul Volcano. It is also considered to be the oldest and largest volcano on Isabela, with its caldera measuring about five miles by six miles across.

Our exploration began at Puerto Villamil, a small but charming village located at the southern most part of Isabela, where pick up trucks took us to Santo Thomas, the farthest point where you can go with the so called “local cabs.” We started the walk that took us through different zones of vegetation, giving us the opportunity to see the green and lush side of the island. Some of us had a great view of the rare woodpecker finch, known to be the only land bird in the Galápagos to use a tool (a small stick or branch) for foraging. After two hours of walking through some mist and mud we reached the caldera. What an impressive view! Unfortunately, part of it was covered with the mist and only part of the caldera was revealed to us when the sun shined occasionally at it. After a short rest, we started our walk again, this time heading to our designated picnic area.

After a light lunch, we started our way to “volcan chico”- a series of crater and fumaroles (columns of volcanic steam and gas) rising into the air. To get there, we had to cross a rather impressive lava field formed in 1979’s volcanic eruption, sparkled with some giant tree-like cactus. By the end of our walk over the lava field we were rewarded by an incredible panoramic view of Isabela, including the Perry Isthmus and the east/west coast lines.

Having successfully reached our goal, we returned to pick up our cabs to go back to town. Our adventure at Isabela did not end there, thought. The giant tortoises programs to preserve these species in Isabela were worth to pay a visit. A visitor center had been created in town for this purpose. By the end of a full day, we headed back to the ship leaving behind one of the most interesting places in Galápagoss: Isabela Island and its mysterious volcanoes.

Day 6 - Floreana Island

We rocked and rolled a bit last night as we traveled the distance between southern Isabela and Floreana Islands. But by the time we heard the optional early wake-up call at 6:00 a.m., we were peacefully anchored at Post Office Bay. The pre-breakfast outing to the P.O. barrel that has been used as a hand delivered mail system since the 1790’s, was combined with a short Zodiac cruise around tiny islets called La Loberia, a sea lion nursery. What a lovely area! And the perfect time of the day to explore it. We were eager for breakfast by the time we returned to the ship.

The snorkeling at Champion Island, to the east of Floreana, was fabulous. Though the water was choppy and the current pushed us along, there were huge schools of colorful fish: yellow-tailed razor fish, king angel fish and some sassy young sea lion teenagers that twirled and spun and dove around us, making us feel like the clumsy terrestrial creatures we are. For the bird lovers among us, we offered a Zodiac cruise around Champion. In particular we went in search of red-billed tropic birds and the rare and elusive Floreana mocking bird. We found and photographed the tropicbirds; what a gorgeous creature of glowing white and glossy black feathers completed by its fire-engine red bill. But we really had to work to find a mockingbird. At last we spotted one, feeding on a cactus flower not too high above us on the cliff. Everyone got a great look at it and we happily returned to the ship for lunch.

What a lunch we found, arranged in the dining room as a magnificent buffet! There were traditional Ecuadorian dishes from both the coast and highlands of the country and we tried mightily to taste all that was offered. In the afternoon we hiked a cindery trail behind a greenish, olivine beach and to the edge of a brackish lagoon where brilliant pink flamingoes were feeding. We crossed a rise to the white sand beach that is used by sea turtles for nesting. Back on the olivine beach we had time for a swim before taking the pangas back to Islander.

It is hard to believe this is Christmas Eve, but to our delight Santa Claus appeared in the bar just before dinner. He had on the traditional red outfit and cap, and had a huge white beard. Funny latino accent however…? Oh well. Just another lovely day in paradise.

Day 7 - Hood Island

Today we enjoyed a full day on the south-eastern most side of the Galápagos archipelago, Hood Island. Here, we had the incredible opportunity to see many different species that we haven’t seen during our current week. From the geological point of view, this is the oldest island in the Galápagos. With an estimation of four million years of age, several “endemic” species of animals and plants have been able to arrive and established successfully in this part of the archipelago.

We started our day on the north shore of Hood, on a very special location known as Gardner bay. Try to imagine a long, white sandy beach, and fill it up with many sea lions doing nothing else but enjoying the simple pleasures in life: resting, playing or simply sunbathing on the shoreline. In addition, the color of the water is amazingly light- turquoise and pleasantly warm. Taking advantage of the ocean water conditions, some of our guests went to what is known as “Turtle islet” for snorkeling. This small island happens to be full of several species of fish, and our guest enjoyed an adventure of a lifetime when finding white-tipped reef sharks, rays, sea lions and lots of sea stars just few feet beneath their legs.

After such a great snorkeling experience, we all met at the beach. Equipped with cameras and tripods, our guests enjoyed the rest of the morning among Hood mockingbirds hopping around the cameras, lava lizards fighting for territory and marine iguanas lying motionless on the sand.

Our walk in the afternoon was set at the western side of Hood Island on a place called Punta Suarez. As we headed to shore, some sea lions claimed their territory and took over what it was suppose to be our landing site. This cemented dock looks very inviting when you are a sea lion looking for comfort. The sea lions “siesta time” ruined our possibilities for landing on the dock, instead, we choose not to disturb their dreams even when it meant for us landing on the rocky shore, but hey…anything to please the wildlife!

We finally manage to get onto the island and started our walk through a Nazca boobies’ nesting ground. The highlight of the walk was probably to see some of the chicks and newly hatched Nazca booby babies. This was also the last chance to take some pictures of sally light-foot crabs, while many marine iguanas were also observed showing their red and green colors, typical of the mating season.

During our walk we also found some of the last Galápagos waved albatross. Almost all of them are gone by now heading to their feeding grounds off shore the Ecuadorian and Peruvian coast. They will only return by the end of March to find back their mates, and start the breeding cycle again.

Just when we thought we had seen it all, the Galápagos hawk was spotted hovering around our heads looking for food.

When we finished with our walk, we came back to our home, the Islander, to enjoy and share some of the most wonderful memories and highlights during our voyage on these incredible islands. We all came into a single conclusion: this was an unforgettable experience; not only for us all, but especially for the young kids that we had onboard this cruise because it would enrich their lives forever.

Day 9 - Bartolome Island

Today our journey in the Galápagos Islands took us to a very enchanted area, Bartolome Island. Located at the center of the archipelago, this small island is considered to be an open text-book for geology. The settings were perfect and the sky was clear, we could have not wish for a better way to start a day.

An announcement at six o’clock in the morning (no, we are not kidding!) made us get up from our comfortable beds, just to find an incredible view of the famous “pinnacle rock” sitting not too far away from our ship.

By six fifteen we all were already on the island climbing the side hills of a partly-eroded tuff cone. The view from the summit was breath-taking and it was surely worth the effort of climbing over three hundred wooden steps to conquer it.

After a well deserved breakfast, we all headed out to a tiny bay full of sparkling, golden grains of sand.

The snorkeling around the pinnacle rock offered us our first opportunity to see white-reef shark and penguins under water.

It was hard to leave such an amazing place behind, but the island of Santiago awaited us. With open arms (or should I say open hills?) the bay received us, and in almost no time we were landing on the black shores of the bay. As we walked along the shores, the peacefulness felt on the island’s surroundings invaded our very souls. It was such a magical time that I am sure everybody enjoyed. Some of us decided to sit down and just observe the sea lions’ behavior.

As the sun started to set on the west the light got better and, it was like a photographers’ dream to see the soft-golden light bathing the island and its inhabitants. Luckily, this is not a dream, and even if it is, we still have another five days of it…

Day 10 - Santa Cruz Island

Today without any doubt was an incredible day; we went to the northwestern area of Santa Cruz Island in the central area of the archipelago and during the afternoon to North Seymour Island that it is also located in the central region just a few miles north of Baltra Island.

Our day began with a pre-breakfast outing to Dragon Hill and it was amazing especially because of the light is just perfect for photography and also many of the land birds were very active, we encounter also some of the migratory birds around a brackish water lagoon as least sandpipers, common stilts, and ruddy turnstones.

Our main goal was also accomplished as we encounter the Galápagos land iguanas, endemic to the archipelago and these were starting to warm up under the first sunrays and many were very active. We found some males with their very distinctive bright yellow coloration and large body size, they like to feed on prickly pear cactus flowers and fruits, and a few of these iguanas were patiently waiting under some of these giant trees like cacti.

We returned then to our vessel to put some energies back with a delicious breakfast and went out again for an amazing Zodiac ride that took us through some channels surrounded by mangroves, we found there lots of white tipped reef sharks, a school of spotted eagle rays, and some Pacific green sea turtles were also seen around the same place.

One of the highlights here was a group of blue-footed booby’s plunge diving in the middle of a school of small black stripped salemas; we were able to see some of these boobies with the fish in their beaks.

After an excellent typical Ecuadorian lunch we had some time to rest before going for a snorkeling outing that became for some the most wonderful experience as they were swimming and playing with juveniles Galápagos sea lions and thousands of fish.

After returning from this amazing snorkel we went on shore to visit North Seymour Island and we found some males magnificent and great frigate birds with their gular pouches inflated and ready to start their breeding season. In the case of the magnificent frigate bird they nest all through the year while the great one prefers to nest around this time of the year up until May.

We spotted some couples of blue footed boobies beginning their courtship and it means that many others will come and nest soon.

As you can imagine this was a wonderful day with lots of new experiences.

Day 11 - Northern Isabela and Fernandina

By 7:00 am I was already positive that today was going to be a superb and totally successful day… Very early we found a pod of well dispersed, feeding and leaping common dolphins and navigated among them on a azure and lovely calm sea. The sun was rising, an orange globe, behind us and the nearly full moon dropping towards the horizon ahead. I risked a shipwide wake-up call and was delighted that it paid off: we stayed with the dolphins for about 20 minutes and then spotted the wispy blow of a Bryde’s whale mother and calf pair. This was all long before breakfast was even announced! At breakfast, among many options, we tasted delicious “ayacas,” a local tamale, made with plantain banana flour and wrapped in plantain leaves.

Captain Robalino called me by radio: he had slowed the ship and maneuvered alongside three huge mola molas, ocean sun fish. We could see their tall, swaying dorsal fins, as they paddled near the surface. In Galápagos these large, vertically flattened fish get up to 6 or 7 feet in diameter and weigh a couple thousand pounds. They feed on jellies and other invertebrates and are often rather shy. Happily, these three were not shy, and we all got a good look at them.

We loaded into the Zodiacs and explored along the rugged coast line. We found the largest marine iguanas in the archipelago, endemic fur seals once almost decimated for their pelts, the two species of flightless sea birds – penguins and cormorants, and we enjoyed the spectacular scenery at the base of the 1000 foot high cliffs of Punta Vicente Roca. Later, many of us wiggled into our wet suits and spent the next 45 minutes snorkeling with sea turtles, an octopus and a couple of penguins.

After lunch and a needed siesta, (in lieu of siesta a lot of the younger guests played cards in the Islander’s comfortable lounge) we disembarked on the black basalt shore of Punta Espinoza (“spiny point”), Fernandina. Here we found more enormous, lethargic marine iguanas, sea lions, a species of lava lizard found only on this island, many brilliant red sally light foot crabs, penguins, cormorants….the list goes on and on…. Yep, a full and satisfying day for all of us on Lindblad’s ship, Islander, in her brand new home: the enchanted Galápagos Islands.

Day 12 - Southern Isabela

This morning, while we were having breakfast on the Islander, we anchored off the small but beautiful town of Puerto Villamil. A large group of our guests were excited today, because we had some different plans: we were going to climb one of the largest active calderas in the world. Volcan Sierra Negra is one the five actives volcanoes on Isabela Island. To reach its summit is not easy; so first we took pick-up truck taxis and drove into highlands. From the trucks we had the opportunity to see the different zones of vegetation and the agriculture zone, which is not considered part of the National Park. Luckily for us, today because the road was dry, the pick-ups took us almost to the rim of the crater and cut about 2 miles off our total walk.

We hiked for an hour to reach the summit where we had a spectacular view of the immense caldera. Many lava flows told us a story of great volcanic activity during the past centuries. As I gazed at this crater, I thought about the huge amount of lava that has violently erupted from these volcanoes and I contemplated the power of nature. We humans are so insignificant in comparison.

We continued around the rim to Volcan Chico, which erupted in 1979. Here we tread carefully on the recent lava flows. They ran like hardened lava rivers which had forced their way through and over lava deposited during previous explosions. The landscape was impressive; it looks like a scene from “hell,” especially on a hot and sunny day.

The trail back seemed to go on for ever, but finally we reached where the trucks awaited us. Back in town, we visited the tortoise rearing center at the Darwin Station facilities. Here several sub-species of giant tortoises that are endangered in the wild, are being raised in captivity. When they are a few years old they will be repatriated to their natural habitat. To finish off a full and enjoyable day, we had beers in a local restaurant or took a swim from the beautiful beach. Both of these activities were incredibly refreshing for our tired bodies after the long hike. Everyone was very happy that we had made it to Volcan Chico successfully.

Day 13 - Floreana Island

I can’t think of any better way to spend the last day of the year 2004. This morning we dropped anchor in a calm, little bay called Post Office. This area has been visited by sailors since the 1790’s, and associated with it, is one of the oldest hand mail delivery systems in the world. We added our own post cards to an impressive stack of them, which we sorted through, taking any that our group promised to take to its destination.

After breakfast we boarded the Zodiacs and went snorkeling. By now many of us are avid deep water snorkelers and today’s outing at Champion Islet was simply incredible. There were hundreds – probably thousands – of colorful fish: king angels and moorish idols being two of the most lovely species we saw. And then there were the sea lions! Several playful teenage sea lions escorted us along the island, twirling and spinning and diving among and around us. We have had some great snorkeling this week, and it is hard to choose, but today’s might just have been, the very best.

In the afternoon, following siesta and a slide presentation that I made on my experiences while doing my PhD research living on Volcan Alcedo, we made a wet landing on a brownish-green beach of olivine crystal and tuff sand. We found bright pink flamingoes in a shallow lagoon behind the beach and then hiked across to a fine white sand beach where sea turtles nest. There was a chance to swim and snorkel before we returned to the ship.

If that sounds like a long and satisfying day, well, it was. But wait until you hear about what we did after dark! Following our evening recap and briefing in the lounge, we climbed to the sky deck where our Hotel Manager, kitchen and dining room staff had set up a scrumptious New Year’s turkey plus barbeque buffet. What a feast and what a fiesta! All of us on the Islander celebrated together: passengers, staff, officers and crew. The night was clear and breezy and the crew taught us to dance salsa and meringue under the stars. The Islander rocked a bit at anchor, but that just gave us an excuse for any mis-steps in our footwork as we learned to dance latino style.

Shortly before midnight our head waiter Angel appeared, dressed in woman’s clothes and wailing loudly: he was the “viuda,” the widow of the old year. The Islander’s old year puppet, a traditional human size doll that represents something that you are ready to do away with, was the “Lord of the Highlands” our ship in her past life navigating in Europe. We toasted the incoming year with champagne, shared hugs all around, and then watched while the old year puppet burned (carefully arranged on a metal ladder held far off from the ship). Hotel Manager, Alexa and I led those of us who hope to travel during 2005 (and this was most of us) around the ship carrying our suitcases: another Ecuadorian New Year’s tradition. And then, we all went to bed – very happy, and rather exhausted! HAPPY NEW YEAR!