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| "The natural history of these islands is eminently curious,
and well deserves attention"
Charles Darwin (1809-1892), The Voyage of the Beagle.
This engaging understatement, very much in Darwin's style, referred to an archipelago that has had an impact like few other places in
Man's thinking about the natural world and his place in it. However, the
Galápagos didn't make much of an impression on young Darwin during his first
and only visit in 1835. He found them barren, scorched, and unappealing,
famously comparing them to ".what we might imagine the cultivated parts of the
Infernal regions to be". It wasn't until later, safely back in rural England, that he fully understood the significance of what he had seen. His observations
and the specimens he had collected on the islands, especially the finches, played
a main part in the development of his theory of evolution and natural selection.
 Galápagos Sea Lions, Isla Baltra
The Galápagos Islands weren't on my
priority list of wildlife destinations, mainly due to my growing aversion for
organized tours: nowadays there's simply no other way to visit them. However,
my friend Josele Saiz was co-leading a group for the British company Birdseekers,
so I decided to tag along; at least I would be in a group of people with
similar interests, rather than just tourists.
And after all it is thanks to the
strict control to which all visitors are subjected that the place is so well
preserved, so much so that most of the parts I visited remain very similar to
what Darwin saw in 1835.
 Sally Lightfoot Crab
It turned out to be an excellent decision. Another
friend of mine, Adam Riley from Rockjumper, who has pioneered trips to
some of the most remote places on Earth, told me to forget my prejudices and
enjoy one of the most amazing wildlife experiences to be found in the world
today - and he was right. The Galapagos are all they're cracked up to
be, and more.
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| The beautiful endemic Swallow-tailed Gull |
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| Land Iguana territory, Isla Isabela |
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Hood Mockingbird
investigating tourists’ belongings, Isla Española |
Marine Iguana gathering,
Isla Fernandina |
Josele Saiz (left) and a Sea Lion |
Palo Santo landscape,
Isla Santa Cruz |
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In order to see every single endemic bird
in the archipelago, the itinerary consisted on visits to eight islands: Baltra, Santa Cruz,
Genovesa, Fernandina,
Espańola, Floreana
Isabela, and Seymour. In order to
achieve this we spent nine days on board the San José, a large and comfortable
boat, and sailed for up to 20 hours, often on rough seas.
This can be rather
trying if, like me, one's not much of a seafaring person. The Galápagos are the
largest national park in the World, and many visitors fail to realize that distances
between some of the islands are surprisingly long.
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| The San José
in front of Isla Isabela |
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Cloudy weather in Isabela |
Whale skeleton, Fernandina |
Waved Albatross, Española |
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Books:
The best general reading I have found about the islands in a single
book is Galápagos: a Natural History, by John Kricher, published
by the Smithsonian Natural History Series. It covers everything,
from history and geology to fauna and flora, in a concise and very
entertaining style. Fun to read, and an excellent choice for the
long flight from home.
On the Galápagos:
-As a field guide, the best choice is Collins'
Safari Guide to the Wildlife of the Galápagos, by Julian Fitter et al.
A pocket-sized book, it nonetheless contains excellent and detailed accounts on
every native animal and plant species, plus very good information about the
history, ecology and conservation of the islands.
-The recently published Birds, Mammals and
reptiles of the Galápagos Islands by Andy Swash and Rob Still (Helm Wild
Guides) is in my opinion a little disappointing. It devotes too much space to
vagrant species that the casual visitor is unlikely to see, and the texts are
too succinct.
-Lonesome George: the life and loves of a
conservation icon, by Henry Nicholls (Macmillan),
is a very interesting account on the last remaining Pinta Giant Tortoise, and
an excellent introduction to the Galápagos tortoises in general.
On Ecuador:
-Traveller's Wildlife Guides: Ecuador and the
Galápagos Islands by David L. Pearson and Les Beletsky
is a very good introduction to the country's ecology and fauna, with detailed
accounts of the most representative animals by geographical region. Although no
substitute for a full bird field guide, it can be a useful reference for the
more casual visitor.
-The Birds of Ecuador: Field Guideby Robert S. Ridgely and Paul J. Greenfield (Cornell University Press). Part of the huge, two-volume work on the country's avifauna, it's
indispensable for the birding visitor, although rather bulky to carry around.
-As usual, Lonely Planet's Ecuador & the
Galápagos Islands is the best and most complete traveller's reference to
the country.
-Ecuador, by
photographers Pete Oxford and Reneé Bish, is a superb coffee-table book with
the best collection of images on Ecuador and the Galápagos to be found
anywhere. A true visual feast, it can be bought at the Charles Darwin Research
Station (CDRS) in Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz.
What follows is
a personal account of the birds and animals I found more interesting during the
trip.
Click here for the Birdseekers' official, day-to-day trip report
by Josele Saiz.
Hood Mockingbirds, Isla Española |
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| Sea Lions, Isabela |
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Josele photographing
a Galápagos Mockingbird, Genovesa |
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| Great Blue Heron, Santa Cruz |
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