In Darwin's footsteps | Published: 01/04/2007 |
What makes them so special is that 97 percent of the area, now a national park, has been allowed to exist as it has done since the beginning of time – the terrain, animals, fauna, wild and marine life.
There are no vets to help when wounded, no water brought when the temperatures soar to over 100 degrees, and virtually no shade on many of the islands. It is fascinating that although the islands are all comparatively near each other, no two are the same – that is the actual land surface – what grows on it, and even the animals and birds will vary from island to island. This is very much because the islands lie at the meeting point of the wind and ocean currents coming from the North to the South.
This determines the climate and distribution and abundance of the species. Although you would expect a tropical climate, Ecuador is on the Equator, the majority of the land is arid, although there is lush vegetation growing in the highlands of the larger mountains.
Another aspect which can be confusing is that they only experience two seasons, dry and wet, with the latter between December and May being the better time, as although it rains, this is only likely for a short period, and makes the area lusher. What is particularly exciting is the close proximity you can get to the animals who, although living in the wild, have no fear of human beings.
The number of people allowed on the islands is very closely monitored and no large ships are allowed in the area. Our ship, one of the bigger ones, the Santa Cruz, held 90 passengers plus crew. There were no frills aboard except for a bar and small jacuzzi.
The day started early with a wake-up call, often at 6am, and an itinerary that included land visits and lectures, which left you exhausted by the time you have had dinner. Guests come from all over the world, with 14 different nationalities on board when we first arrived. Ages vary from a group of university students to the mature traveller.
Guests are divided into groups for the land visits, each with their own naturalist, dependent on their native language. English and Spanish appear to be the most prominent. Our expedition – we were not allowed to call the voyage a cruise – started on San Cristóbal, the official capital, and one of the older islands. This is where Charles Darwin came ashore in September 1835. The ship sails from one island to another, or to a different part of the same island every day, so each time you go out, you are enjoying a different experience.
From the ship, we were transported to land in pangas. On several of the islands, such as Española, the ground is covered in lava rock, and is very uneven. For anyone needing assistance, walking sticks are available on board. We trekked about one and a half miles over lava rocks which, if it is raining, can make the going rather treacherous.
However, we saw lots of wildlife, including sea lions – some with babies, marine iguanas in shades of red, blue and green, and blue-footed and Nazca boobies. The babies of the latter are particularly sweet, covered in white down. There are two types of iguanas: marine and land. These change in colour on different islands to blend in with their background.
At one point we saw what looked like smoke in the distance, which turned out to be a blow hole – a hole in the rock formation – where a strong wave creates an amazing fountain of water. On San Cristóbal the sand is white from the coral, whereas on Floreana, the sand is black from the volcanic lava.
On the latter are water lagoons where we saw flamingos among other migratory and shore birds. Several days later we visited Rabida where, because of the high iron content, the sand is red.
Starting early is a necessity as it gets hotter towards midday, and there is no shade. Where possible, we were allowed to swim or snorkel. The 40 miles around the islands are dedicated to a marine reserve, and make up part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, of which the islands in the archipelago are also part. Those who had not brought their own gear were given snorkelling equipment.
The naturalists who accompanied us are often too busy to help anyone inexperienced. Initially, I had to rely on one of the other guests to show me what to do. However, once I got the hang of it, seeing the marine life at close hand was just wonderful. Even snorkelling from the beach can be interesting, particularly near the rocks.
There is also the opportunity to deep sea snorkel, where I swam through shoals of black-striped salema fish, and even saw a shark. I was told that as long as no-one antagonises them, you do not have to be afraid, although I didn’t hang around to find out!
The islands are still volcanic, and in 1968 there was both an earthquake and a volcanic eruption on Fernandina, the youngest island. The surface of the island was lifted, and different formations to the other islands were created: ‘Pahoehoe’ – lots of ridges – and ‘ahah’ lava which looks like pieces of dug-up soil.
Algae and rock pools attract fish, and black marine iguanas sun themselves on the rocks. Because of the cool currents in the sea, we also saw penguins and enormous sea turtles. The latter were spied, from our panga, floating just below the surface of the water. Every two to three years, the turtle makes a nest by digging a large hole in the sand and lays up to 80 eggs. It then covers the nest with sand. It is, therefore, very important to only walk in designated areas to make sure we did not disturb or walk on one by mistake. In fact, whichever island we were on, we had to keep to a laid-out path.
Bringing a pair of binoculars is a good idea so that you can maximise on seeing as much as possible. Even if you thought bird watching was not of particular interest, as the naturalist points something out, you too will want to see close up what they are talking about. For example, there are several different types of finches on the islands, and depending on the location, their beaks will vary in length to help them get their food
On Santa Cruz, we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station and saw giant tortoises being reared in captivity. This is mainly due to their near extinction, as many of them had been killed for food before the islands were protected. Of the four inhabited islands, this is one of the largest. The lush highlands, which are not part of the nature reserve, were where we saw tortoises close up.
If keeping the best till last, then it must be North Seymour Island, where we came close to sea lions basking in the sun, nearly tripped over land iguanas, who are a sandy colour to blend in with the path, and admired male black frigate birds with their puffed-up red balloon fronts. Our trip started in Quito, the biggest colonial city in the Americas, and 9,300 feet above sea level. As well as being the capital of Ecuador, it is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been particularly well preserved despite having been the victim of volcanic eruptions. The city, based at the foot of the Pichincha volcano, is in the Andes, whose range of mountains run through the country.
Predominantly Catholic, there are 87 churches in Quito, including La Compania de Jesus, built from volcanic rock and covered in gold leaf. Sited in a very active volcanic area, access to the old town is via extremely steep roads. Although they consider themselves multi-ethnic, there is a strong Indian influence. A 45-minute drive took us to the San Antoniode Pichincha, which stands on the Equator line, allowing you to stand with one foot on either side of the hemisphere.
An ethnographic museum shows the many groups of people, in their traditional attire, who live in the various regions of the country. To get a real flavour of Ecuadorian life, we visited Otavalo, famous for its craft market, where we were able to buy ponchos and flexible Panama hats. The currency is United States dollars, with an obligatory $100 needed to enter the national park. A $26 tax (this can fluctuate), both in cash, is also needed to leave the country. Our flights were with Iberia, and if you have to travel with them, it is certainly worth taking your own food.
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