March of the Sea Lion!

Going...

Going...

Gone!

Catch Up

Haven't been blogging lately--way too busy with articles and the island itself. Isabela is my corner of paradise. I'm learning far more about the Galapagos environment, life and myself than I thought I would. This place refreshes you--a home away from home. I've never felt more cozy while traveling.In this small, approachable town, everyone knows one another. They ride bikes to get around, give friendly greetings, buy their bread from the same shop--the only one in town. They constantly interact throughout the day. The idea of carrying a cell phone in my pocket quickly became obsolete.

The daily activities stretch us individually and also help us bond as a whole. So far, we have hiked and snorkeled in Los Tintoreras, where we saw all the well known Galapagos animals in one brisk morning. Marine Iguanas lounged on the lava rocks, while lava lizards sun bathed on their heads. Sandy Lightfoot crabs scuttled across the rocks near the shore. Overhead,we saw blue-footed boobies perched on lava. In a semi-secluded bay, sea lions played as a white tipped shark slithered through a tiny channel between the lava formations. You might wonder how these animals coexist peacefully. The answer is that the Galapagos Islands' diverse and plentiful marine life, particularly fish, the larger mammals and other predators satisfy their diets on fish alone. These animals coexist so peacefully, since none of them are each others' prey. Having the chance to see such diverse fauna so close together simultaneously creates a paradisaical ambiance on the Islands.

The Wall of tears was a bit of a downer. We saw the four year work in progress that never met it's goal--a huge lava rock wall built to imprison the very people who were laboring away at it--the worst of Ecuador's criminals. It's not the most spectacular sight, especially after hearing the story. But there is a bit of a happy ending. After two unsuccessful escapes, after which the prisoners would violently pillage the island, the prison project finally got closed down, and the more reformed prisoners adapted to legitimate lifestyles on the island, starting from scratch. Supposedly one of them is still living on one of the islands.

On a free day I went scuba diving, and thoroughly enjoyed swimming in a vortex of ten-foot hammerhead sharks, sea lions, sea turtles and an array fish, courtesy of Maximo from Isabela Dive Center. Once again, it is the sole diving center on the island. This was my first dive that required a full wet suit, and I must admit I became so claustrophobic. I needed to wrap my feet in plastic bags just to squeeze them through the legs of the wetsuit! I almost just said "forget it." I'm glad I didn't though.

Then, there was the all day volcano hike on Sierra Negra, the world's largest active caldera, which is a sunken volcano. It felt so good to stretch my legs and my lungs, and I had a great conversation with our tour guide, Daniella, about whether or not people and their effect on the world should be considered just as natural as nature without our influence. She had a compelling point--that humans are organisms with evolutions in behaviors and lifestyles like anything else that was originally here on earth. This idea put me at ease for a few moments, because I could see myself as a living entity, a part of a whole, and that took some stress off my mind.

Do human's have a natural right to evolve and effect the planet, being at the top of the food chain? What responsibilities does that give us in our attitudes toward the environment?

Awareness is a great start. To be cognizant of our environment is to eventually understand it better than we have been. I paid more attention to taking a closer look at the animals and plants that I encountered throughout my days. It's been an amazing trip so far.