Danphnie Major and Minor Visit (Day 2 - Blue)

How to Snorkel, Observe Wildlife, Swim, and Survive Sunburns in the Galapagos

Would you ever want to travel to the Galápagos to snorkel, observe wildlife, and swim? If you want to, you would need to:

·            Wake up early in order to have time for a hardy breakfast.

·            Because we’re located on the equator where the sun directly hits the Earth, use an entire bottle of 75 SPF sunscreen to not get sunburned (you will get burned regardless so just give up and bring aloe vera).

·            Bring two shirts if you plan on not wearing a wetsuit. Robert did not bring two shirts or a wetsuit and was wet the whole time.

·            If you are going to wear a wetsuit, make sure you try it on before leaving for the trip.

·            If you are going to wear a shirt instead of a wetsuit, definitely bring a long-sleeved one to cover your arms from the sun’s rays.

·            Wear Chacos or Tevas because the day revolves around water and your shoes are likely to get wet.

·            Bring sunglasses and a hat in attempt to avoid burning your face off. Ford’s fell off of the boat.

·            Get on the bus and listen to Sandie’s interesting commentary about the island and facts about its unique and remarkable wildlife; only about one of a sea turtle’s 50-150 eggs will survive the journey to the sea after hatching.

·            If you get easily seasick, bring the appropriate medicine to help. Many people in our group brought remedies to seasickness including patches, wristbands, and pills.

·            Take your camera so you can take pictures during our boat ride to the island of Daphne Major, our snorkeling location. 

·            Before getting in the water, put on your flippers and make sure your goggles and snorkel are clean and functioning. Robert’s snorkel and goggles were not working so he was not able to have the ultimate snorkeling experience.

·            Always follow your guide and don’t swim far from the group because there are sharks and dangerous currents.

·            Try and stay a reasonable distance from the wildlife in order to respect the marine wildlife. The Galapagos National Park enforces this rule as well so the biodiversity will not change and also to let the animals live and grow without human intervention.

·            Try your best not to lose any flippers or goggles because in the Galapagos Islands this type of equipment is more than double the price. This is because everything is imported from the mainland.

·            Avoid touching the sea urchins because they will make you feel ill if you are stabbed by one of their thorns. (Josh almost did not notice one of them and almost got stuck by it.)

·            If you want to play with sea lions, allow them to approach you before interacting with them.

·            Before getting back on the boat, take off your flippers and hand them to your guide for safety purposes.

·            Dry off to avoid horse flies and enjoy the next boat ride to the beach.

·            If you ingested a lot of ocean water, don’t drink fresh water because the combination does not settle well in your stomach. Robert knows this from experience.

·            Reapply sunscreen before getting off the boat and going to the beach.

·            Enjoy your time at the beach and make sure to look out for any passing sea turtles, stingrays, pelicans, gulls, and boobies.

·            On your way back to the safari camp, sit on top of the boat for the best experience by being able to see far out at islands and wildlife.

 - Ford Y,  Josh M, and Robert S

Santa Fe Island Visit (Day 4 - Red)

We woke up to the sounds of birds chirping, trees whistling, and alarm clocks buzzing loudly. Unfortunately, it was only 6:45. Exhausted, we stumbled into the bus as the sun glared into our eyes. The bumpy 45-minute bus ride had lots of turbulence and bounced through the Galapagos wild on a gravel road.  Finally, we arrived to the port to board the Santa Fe III. To get on the dinghy, we had to climb down a slippery ramp. We boarded the blue dingy, eight at a time. When we climbed out of the dinghy onto the Santa Fe III, we slipped off our shoes and explored the ship. The wooden accents lined the couches, tables, and chairs of the boat. On the bow, there were three benches, perfect for reclining on the two hour boat ride. Above on the top deck, there was a white plastic picnic table with chairs as well as cream comfy mats like the ones from preschool to lay-out on during the mini trip. When the engine started to rumble, we proceeded on our voyage to the wondrous island of Santa Fe! En route, we jammed to music and basked in the Ecuadorian summer sun. The waves jolted us back and forth like an angry rocking chair. A gull followed us, flying in circles above us and waiting to drop its scat. When we arrived in Santa Fe, we boarded the dinghy carefully clutching our cameras, GoPros, and shoes. Much to our surprise, the sea lions greeted us cheerfully with their playful noises and swam around us. We immediately scrambled off the dinghy, ready to meet our new friends. The sea lions honked at us as we photographed them. Some of them even posed! We had the opportunity to see a two-day old baby sea lion! Its mother nudged the baby to swim, gently nurturing it into the world. As cute as sea lions can be, they were also quite territorial which we learned about through their sounds. We got some angry glares from the alpha male as well as the others stretching out on the sand as they absorbed the sun’s rays. They looked like beefy brown sausages roasting on the yellow sand. After admiring the sea lions, we put back on our shoes and got ready for a short hike along the coast. However, just as we finished dressing, we saw The Placenta. According to our guide, Sandie, The Placenta was less than a day old. The vile aroma of the black and red placenta was a mixture of rotten fish, blood, and feces. After plugging our noses and carefully stepping around The Placenta, we continued on our walk and climbed up the steep, steel gray rocks. The sun beat down on our backs as we navigated our way through the beaten down path. On our journey, we passed sea lion carcasses that were from the sea lions that died of starvation due to El Nino. El Nino is weather phenomenon that makes temperatures rise above normal levels. We also saw yellow Galapagos iguanas that rested in the shade of prickly pear cactuses. Prickly pear cactuses in the Galapagos Islands can grow up to 50 feet tall! After our exploration on the island, we headed back to the boat to get ready for snorkeling. Dressed in our sun shirts and snorkel masks, we hopped into the cool, turquoise water. We followed Sandie along a reef that had many interesting types of fish including a rainbow Parrot fish. In addition to the Parrot fish, we also saw many different schools of small fish. The best part of our snorkel experience was getting to interact and swim with the sea lions.

Sea lion looking for friends with whom to play

One of the sea lions was especially playful and did somersaults along with other members of our group. It blew bubbles back at us and followed us around doing front flips and back flips! A couple people in our group had accidental brushes with the sea lions and got to the feel their sandpaper skin. After 45 minutes, we headed back to the boat and the Captain greeted us with spicy tuna and peppers on crackers and delicious fried fish, yellow rice, and a variety of vegetables. We then disembarked back to our home island, Santa Cruz. 

-  Caroline W., Katherine B., Sax M.

Birthday Party Pictures

Santa Cruz Island (Day 3 - Red)

I expected to be tired, but was instead very well rested.

We went to bed later than we expected but we knew that we would be waking up after the Blue footed boobies which made it infinitely better. Even if we got less sleep than them

I expected the drive to be long to the beach, turns out it was long.

Some say time flies when you are having fun. This is wrong. Even if you are having fun, being on a cramped bus in the Galapagos heat ties a bowling ball to time.

We expected to get sunburned, planned accordingly, and were still cooked to medium rare.

In this area of the world, the sun can turn from being a life-giving orb in the sky to being the death dealing sphere of destruction. No matter how much sunscreen you put on, the sun will find a way to burn your skin to a red crisp. The beach we went to had very little shade so many of us resorted to using our towels as makeshift umbrellas and capes. Some of our group decided to go kayaking which while fun, left them resembling lobsters.

We expected the lunch to be chicken and potatoes, and what do you know, it was.

 It seems like no matter where we go for lunch, we end up with a very similar dish. That dish is chicken. We’ve had it grilled, fried, grilled and grilled. Although we’ve had a bunch of times, it never stops being tender and tasteful. Although, the deserts have all been extremely unique and sugary. Today we had some rich vanilla ice cream with a naranjia smoothie to top it all off.

We expected the lava tunnel to be far away and slightly boring but were surprised to find that it was interesting and expansive.

 We drove up expecting to be restricted to a distance and forced to wonder what it would actually look like. Instead, we got to climb into the tunnels carved by lava.

We expected a museum but instead we arrived at a zoo.

The Charles Darwin Research Center sounds like a museum where you learn about Darwin and his life. Instead, it was filled with a bunch of tortoises and iguanas. The tortoises in particular turned out to be an endangered subspecies of Galapagos Tortoise called the Española tortoises.

We expected the town to be run-down, but instead it was actually pretty lively.

 When you hear the term “town” used to describe an island community, the first term you think of usually isn’t modern. There were tons of shops selling anything from toy (red and blue footed) boobies to neon t-shirts with turtles and iguanas.

We expected a dinner. Instead, we got a birthday!

 Unknown to most of the students on the trip, we had 3 birthdays (Gleith and Merrit today,  and Kennedy tomorrow). We were surprised to find homemade appetizers, piñatas, music, BBQ, and cakes on our return to the camp. We celebrated their birthdays, Played games, and ate candy.

- Dylan P., Thompson B., William A.

Santa Cruz Island (Day 2 - Red)

Dear Mr. Pelican,

            Today was finally the day I would get to see you in person. I woke up with such excitement that I couldn’t hold in a scream. I made my way to breakfast for a delectable meal of delicious island fruits and eggs, all while thinking about the first moment I would get to lay my eyes on you. I shuffled to grab my snorkeling gear and loaded the musty bus with my fellow classmates where I would make my way all knowing I was just that much closer to you. I finally got on the boat and was mesmerized by the blue color of the ocean and the salty smell that lingered in the air. I couldn’t help but think about how we were now watching the soft waves of the same water. The boat kicked into gear and as we made our way to Daphne Major, every birdcall I heard I eagerly looked for you in the distance. I couldn’t believe it. I was just minutes away from finally getting to meet you in person.  As we circled the island, I kept my eyes peeled for your unique body shape and water repellant feathers. Then, it happened. There you were. Out of the corner of my eye I see you swoop down, open your intriguing beak, and swipe a small fish out of the water. I couldn’t believe it. Shaking with excitement, I slipped on my purple wetsuit and blue mask and jumped after you, still being watchful for sea urchins and barnacles attached to the rocks below me. At first the shock of the water along with seeing you for the first time was overwhelming, but then I got a sense of comfort when I heard your masculine call. The white-tipped shark circling below me, and schools of fish passing by were no distraction for me when you were in my sight.  The Nazca Boobies, Blue-footed boobies, Swallowtail gulls, and Terns were no match for your beauty and size. As I climbed back onto the boat and we started to drive away I said a silent goodbye not knowing you would follow me to my next adventure.

            With great glee, we made our way to the white sandy beach, where I was pleasantly surprised to see you once more. I stepped off the boat and made my way across the beach toward you watching out for horse flies, sea turtle nests, and thorns stuck in the sand. When you playfully swooped down a little too close to my friend, I couldn’t help but laugh. It was hard to focus on your beauty because just a few feet away, two sea turtles were “creating life.” I couldn’t help but wonder if the male turtle was good enough for the female to want to reproduce with him because I know the females are able to choose which sperm they will keep. As I ate my lunch of chicken, black bean balls, and potatoes I knew my time with you was coming to an end. I looked to the sky for your familiar flight as the boat drove away. A few hours later as we watched the sunset, we were asked to remember each of the species we encountered today. When we got the group of native species and I passed by your name, I thought of the great day that we had and hoped I would see you some time soon. I count the minutes before I get to see your face once more.

Love,

Your Secret Admirer

- Ava L, Ella M,  Emily T

First Day in Galapagos - Pictures

Saturday - January 9

 Blue group being greeted by a tortoise!

 Red group being greeted by a tortoise!

First Day In Quito - Group pictures

Independence Plaza 

At the equator monument (100 meters away from the actual equator which we visited first)

boys with their souvenirs and Ford with his Egg balancing certificate (he was among a handful of students who were able to balance a raw egg on a nail at the equator)

Ecuadorian traditional dance show and dinner at La Choza

Outside Jesuit church, filled wall-to-wall with gold leaf.

Equator! (The real one)