Boog's Blog

Thursday April 29

Heading back to the Atlantic coast for tomorrow's flight. On the way:

A visit to
http://corkscrew.audubon.org/

Not as good as penguin sex in the Galapagos but with its own charm, mostly the tropical forest, largest ancient (means never been logged) forest in the US. Largest stands of bald Cyprus. Five different species of birds spied, all expected ones from this area.

Last minute decision to stay in fort Lauderdale Beach for a night was ill conceived, should have gone to Miami Beach and had Cuban cuisine. Oh well….

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Monday April 27

Hot, very hot. Heat wave here, about 10 degrees warmer than usual the locals tell us.

Lovely landscape with availability of fresh fish ( red snapper and grouper being ones we had made perfectly), well maintained bike paths, we rented bikes for the duration they being by far the best way around. Ding Darling wildlife reserve was a bit of a letdown.

The bike ride through was too hot for us or other living creatures. After the Galapagos where one had to watch each step so as not to trip on a bird, reptile or other, here we saw few of the local inhabitants. Red mangroves in abundance.

Beachfront room at casa Ybel, an excellent time share place though the beach in Naples is nicer.

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Friday, end of first trip after morning zodiac ride in red mangrove forest. Teaming with wildlife. No surprise.

Boat cleaned while the next group arrived. We are the only ones staying for the northern voyage section.

Fausto arranged bike rentals. On the way to the beach and flamingos, downhill, a 300 meter drop, barely functioning brakes a pedal fell off the bike. Not repairable. The taxi driver suggested I continue with one pedal. Sharon have up her bike so I could ride.

Walked the final 500 metes to the beach on a surprisingly good road. Camping allowed there.

Fine ceviche lunch in town. A town day while the new group visits the giant tortoises.

Final provisioning before e get back on the boat and into internet silence.

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Thursday resending April 16

In caldera, dock in lagoon in the center of the caldera,red footed boobies, frigates with tomato pouched, shrub sized cacti with hair.

Snorkeling in the caldera with hammer head sharks. Prince Phillips steps later, with red billed tropic birds. Short rated own exactly the color of the lava, petals.

Inside the caldera. Morning, very early, before the crack of dawn,walk among the red footed boobies, hundreds of them walking about, making nests, perching on branches. Frigates in large numbers doing their morning calisthenics. Bobbie chicks and boobies underfoot. One trying to steal twigs from a frigate's nest.

Red footed boobies come in two morphs, a point mutation determines if white or brown.. Does not affect mating.

Dry mangrove forest with a large dread pod they cross and pieces the ground and geminates. Main nesting area for the red footed ones. Males go out for nesting twigs and midair the frigates steal the twigs.

Tomato pouched frigates displaying, courting and mating.

A good example of the larger beaked ground finch that is, of course, a taniger.

Zodiac ride around the interior of the caldera. Galapagos fur seals, heads look like bears a bit.

Hike up Prince Phillip steps, they were built for him when he visited, to see petrols, and many red billed tropic birds- cliff dwelling. Not so many tropic birds bit a few to predator short rated owls, one eating a petrol. Once again many nazca and red footed boobies

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Wednesday resending

Chinaman's hat and Sullivan bay. Snorkeling with penguins (no underwater camera) lava fields.

First up was penguin fishing, noddi tracking the penguin to get the missed bits, red billed oyster catcher, and blue heron. One highlight was watching the penguin swim directly under our raft.

Second up a wet landing onto new lava fields, 400 or so years old, cruncy walking along the coral and driftwood bits, many heavily holed by tube worms And other critters at sea.

In a very small bay we found about 15 very young, month or three, sea lion pups. They played with our walking sticks and one even tested out tasted my ankle. Fellow travelers sat in the water and let them play with sticks or hats or body parts. Unique. Went on for quite a while.

Snorkeled while QB did all the laundry and loafed. Fishes of course but the highlight was another Galapagos penguin sitting on a lava rock at waters edge.

Skipped second snorkeling expedition for a lovely nap – somos pingüinos

Afternoon walk on spectacular lava rocks. Basalt lava of the flowing type, there are two, the other being explosive. Formations much more varied than the pictures. Fausto hiding in a tube caused by a flow.

Unique lava cactus. Acid system in roots to get it's little nutrients.

Evening lecture on oceanic currents.

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Tuesday

Viewing of subsided craters, daisy trees evolved from daisies, ranch, giant tortoises, short city visit

First minor injury, an arm, sent off with the person to be xrayed. She is now wearing a cast.

Visit to the South Eastern part of Santa Cruz and it's highland habitat.

Tortoise all the way down. About 5000 of them wild on the island.

Local coffee at the ranch- they did not have the brand we have been waiting to try: lava java.

This is good local town Puerto ayora. Coffee and a quick internet stop. Not silicon valley.

Daisy, as evolved, pictured. Would never have guessed, a classic and one of the best examples of adaptive radiation. Bushes on other islands, many variations.

Lecture, second evolution one. This on the finches and natural selection criteria. Previous on hawks and mocking birds cooperative behavior and how helpers matter, never altruistic.

Interesting dinner discussion on beekeeping.

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Monday

Beach time with the sea lions, snorkeling, and then a long difficult walk to see the albatrosses.

Hood, small uninhabited island which has been discovered a long time ago by many many sea lions. A walk among them with a warning that if you piss one off run quickly

This has turned into a very active trip. Days are designed for walks, swimming, wildlife, hikes on varied surfaces. As each is excellent to spectacular hard to cut any out but the design is such you can do them all but one needs a lot of stamina, a lot.

Excellent swimming on the beach as well as a fine walk among the sea lions. Mocking birds, finches And cute sandpipers. Whale bone pictured as well as a full throated tomato pouched frigate bird.

Albatross cliff walk with making albatrosses and mating colonies of nazca boobies. Cliffs full of pairs and observers

Hard very rocky path with big rocks to scramble over, the route to the cliffs.

Many sea lions on the path blocking the path and at the landing needing to be encouraged to move.

Española marine iguanas everywhere, very different here.

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Sunday

Snorkeling between the towers, beach hike, highlands excursion

Morning snorkeling in clean and clear crystal waters between the rocks charles darwin saw called tiki rocks. An eroded channel idea for viewing swimming turtles, many, and similarly for sea lions which approach to investigate us. Fishes and more fishes.

Afternoon walk on a beautiful beach, swimming, strolling. Oyster catchers adapted to here, used to migrate from north America. Had to change their diets as no oysters here. Converted to sea urchins and barnacles.

Highlands adventure. Chatum tortoises, large and little ones at a conservation center. Hike up to a high lagoon fogged in.

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Friday April 24 trip ends after early morning walk

Explore Seymour island, frigates', both types, land iguanas, doves, etc.

Bonnie's courting, frigate chicks.

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Thursday April 23 last full day of the adventure.

Wake up 5:30 quick breakfast, wet landing, mocking birds, flycatchers, fur seals, lots of different show birds;

The highlight was a flycatcher. Kept trying to nest in camera lenses, landing on walking sticks, fausto's cap, following us about. Cameras clicking with each visitation. Fur seals took third billing though they were the featured act.

Lecture on speciation, its continuum as a process and not just a checklist; a review of recent research showing that natural selection occurs and is consistent with changes in just a small part of the genome. That is mainly the selected part mutates and not the whole genome.

Pinnacle rock, where Master and commander was filmed, zodiaced and snorkeled.
Snorkeling in Bartholemy's bay, after zodiac ride for geology tour and then Daphne.

Penguin sex. Watched as vouyers. Rather unique.

Rounding Daphne Bryde's whales, tropical, sprouting.

Final eve on boat, gibbous moon, clear sky, frigate bird overhead as we cruise towards Baltra.

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