2007 Galapagos Trip Report
June 18, Baltra Island
Were standing at the dock, waiting for the pangas to take us to the boat. The benches are inscribed with Welcome to the Galapagos but we cannot take a seat. They are occupied by the local population of sea lions, too sleepy to care about this latest arrival of turistas. We find them charming. A delightful welcome indeed.
Later Ruly gives his first of many briefings. He concludes by saying he hopes that the islands will sprinkle some of their magic upon us. We hang on his words, eyes as shiny and bright as children on Christmas Eve.
Dive #1 Baltra Straights
A quick skills check and then we are off to enjoy the calm, cool water. A sea lion whooshes by. A white tip shark hovers just out of range. Lots of unfamiliar fish
well be studying our ID books later tonight. A bright blue sea star waves its leg as I glide past.
June 19, Isabela Island
We woke this morning to the boat rocking full speed ahead towards Marshalls Cape. Well be diving off this island three times today. The water is gray and choppy exactly what we expected. The topography of Isabela is untamed and mountainous, scarred with deep lava flows: this land is still evolving. Everything is different, wonderful and carved from another world.
Dive #2 Cabo Marshall
Right at the start a magnificent yellow fin tuna 5 long. Another sea lion whizzes by. Lots of beautiful blue, yellow and red sea stars. We drift into a school of bluestriped chub, so large it blocks out the sun.
Dive #3 Cabo Marshall
We descend through another large school this time amberstripe scad. These are new to us; they resemble small wahoo. A marbled ray nestles in the sand below us while a spotted eagle ray floats out towards the blue. We see more sea stars: blue, chocolate chip and bright orange cushions.
Dive #4 Cabo Marshall
The now ubiquitous sea lions bark at us from the rocks above. We are overwhelmed by the abundance of life. A clam peaks up from a rock, a Mexican hogfish swims straight towards our mask, guineafowl puffers, both the yellow and black & white phases, are everywhere. Wahoo float above our heads, we spy a bravo clinid camouflaged against the rocks, orange triggerfish whir by, a Galapagos pikeblenny suspended on the wall.
We return to the boat and gather on the second floor sundeck. We consult our ID books and compare digital photos. So many new fish we repeat the names awkwardly: loosetooth parrotfish, gringos, leather bass. Ok, Wil says. Now we must write.
June 20
Dive # 5 - Darwins Arch, Darwin Island
Backwards roll off the panga, kick down and grab onto the rocks. The current threatens to tear our hands away. A lone Galapagos shark silently floats by. Our senses are overloaded. Massive schools of creolefish are everywhere. I nestle into the rocks and glance around a moray is nibbling at my fin. A green sea turtle hangs above me, a long fishing line dangling from his mouth. One, two, then three scalloped hammerheads appear out of nowhere, bodies silhouetted against the surface. A big tuna passes followed by a pair of wahoo. Suddenly Ruly shakes his rattle: a whale shark. At 40 shes as big as a school bus. She barely notices us as she swims by.
Dive #6 Darwins Arch
We cant wait to get back into the water. Another adrenaline-charged descent and before were even to the rocks we drop through a school of Galapagos sharks. They ignore us. We back into the crevasses and watch. A parade of hammerheads passes by. They are more curious some look our way. One tank is not enough too soon we begin our ascent. At 25 another whale shark! This time so close I could touch her with my fins.
I climb onto the panga. In broken Spanish I say no vocablo, muy bonito
no vocablo. Its too beautiful, I am speechless. Words are superfluous in the face of such raw nature.
Dive #7 Darwins Arch
The schooling Galapagos sharks and hammerheads begin the parade before were even settled on the rocks. The currents are stronger than this morning, with lots of particulate in the water. Im afraid our photos will not be as clear as our memories. A school of bluefin trevally surrounds us. We are escorted by wahoo on our safety stop while big Galapagos sharks circle below.
Dive #8 Darwins Arch
Current like nothing weve seen. Hang on for dear life and watch the show. Schooling hammerheads drift along, seemingly motionless in the fierce current. A sea turtle flies by. I look beneath me a spotted moray lies coiled like a snake in the rocks. A trumpetfish above me, a reef cornetfish hangs out with the schooling creolefish in the blue. I glance to my left: a school of butterflyfish with one king angel in their midst.
Our first day on the Arch has been heart-pounding and incredible. There are more fish than one can imagine everywhere we look our senses are overloaded. There is such variety we dont even bother with the commonplace there is too much to see, too much to absorb. We cant check off our ID lists fast enough. We have many book cover photos. Dolphins and sea turtles escort us to and from the dive sites - foretelling what is to come. Back on the boat sea lions play in the water beside us. We are giddy; the magic of the Galapagos is upon us.
June 21
Dive #9 Darwins Arch
Same dive plan as yesterday totally different dive. The currents are strong. We wonder: is that Rulys rattle or sand scraping across the rocks? A few circling hammerheads and Galapagos sharks drift by. We swim out to the blue looking for her. But she does not answer us this morning. We head back to the rocks and I am caught in a rip current. My group disappears in an instant. I am surrounded by blue and bubbles. Just as quickly I am pulled down in tumbling summersaults. I am confused; I do not recognize the down draft. Around 100 Im suddenly heading back up. I safely ascend. A panga is there to pick me up. Later the group surfaces far from the boat. It takes the pangas 20 minutes to find them.
Dive #10 Darwins Arch
The plan is simple: head to the rocks and stay put. The current is the fiercest yet. Barnacles pull off in our hands as we try to hang on. A massive school of bigeye trevally swims by. We see turtles, morays and Mexican hogfish. Ruly signals to move so we let go and fly past fish safely tucked in the rocks. A fin in front of me bumps a scorpionfish. I can almost hear the ha-rumph as he resettles. We finally stop at the Theater another dive site on the Arch. Were barely there and a manta ray drifts silently, majestically above our heads. As he disappears a lone hammerhead rises from the depths. We are again escorted by wahoo on our safety stop.
Were pulling anchor and heading for Wolf. After two dives with rapidly deteriorating conditions, the decision has been made to move on. A few divers are disappointed hoping for another glimpse of the whale shark. But by moving now we stand a better chance of getting two dives at Wolf this afternoon. I, for one, am thrilled. Two whale sharks, multiple hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, turtles, dolphins, sea lions and every fish in the book! And then on this last dive, a manta ray. How much more do we dare ask for?
We arrive at Wolf. The basalt rock cliffs rise dramatically above us, up to 600 feet. Frigate birds and boobies soar over our heads. Dolphins and sea lions play along side the boat, popping up their heads to look at us before moving on. The wildlife is abundant and amazing.
Dive #11 Landslide, Wolf Island
We have dubbed this dive turtle mania. They are beside us in the pangas, along the dive and hovering on our safety stop. We drop to depth and see hammerheads and Galapagos sharks. We move out from the rocks and are caught in the current soaring along at a breakneck pace too fast to absorb all that we see. The fish are a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that blur as we fly by.
Dive #12 The Anchorage, Wolf Island
The last few days have been adrenaline-charged rides. Tonight is just plain fun. We giant-stride off the back of the boat and drop down. A turtle, then a slipper lobster appear in the dark water. Ruly says if we see one redlipped batfish we will see many. We see one, and then another and another. At one point were trying to take a picture of five together. We climb back on the boat. Soon after a batfish surfaces next to the dive platform. Those who passed on this night get to see the shy fish after all. Chuck exclaims for everyone: Check!
June 22
The dives have been challenging with fierce currents, strong surge, cool temperatures and low visibility. Many in our group are having ear trouble. We understand now why they say that the Galapagos are not for the novice diver. But what wildlife! Were checking off our ID lists as fast as we can dive.
Dive #13 Landslide, Wolf Island
Strongest surge of the trip but not as much current. We stay close to the rocks and let the water push us forward. A big ray drifts by, then a lone Galapagos shark. We look around at the rocks beneath us. They are alive! Eels everywhere. Tiny crabs peeking out beside sea urchins. A lobster covered in jewels. Fanged blenny using their fins as feet. A squadron of five Moorish idols. I grab a rock to get close to a banded sea star. Oops, its a stone scorpionfish. I jerk my hand away in time. The surge moves us along as schools of tiny rainbow wrasse dance underneath.
Dive #14 Shark Bay, Wolf Island
Fast current. We cling to the rocks and wait for the parade of hammerheads. They school in front of us we can barely make them out in the particle-filled water. A turtle heads towards the blue. AJ is in her path. I laugh as she bumps him she will not alter her course. He jerks back in alarm.
Dive #15 Shark Bay, Wolf Island
Lots of strong current but turtles everywhere! We never thought wed say just another turtle. Two hammerheads swim close over head; as they pass they split and go their separate ways. A school of Galapagos sharks glides in front of us. A spotted eagle ray appears out of the blue. We cling to the rocks, careful of the pencil urchins and watch the turtles floating in the currents. As we ascend I look down. Is that a turtle or a ray nestled in the rocks? We are up and away before I can say for certain.
Dive #16 Shark Bay, Wolf Island
Once again we are speechless. The dive started as all today: ripping currents, clinging to the rocks for dear life. We skip along: eels, angelfish, puffers, clams and butterfly damsels tangled in our vision as we fly past. We find another spot to hang on. A lone hammerhead swims by. A turtle swims out towards the blue. Without warning, the symphony begins. Hundreds of hammerheads drift past us far too many to count. We watch, amazed. One leaves the school and approaches me. Shes curious about my blonde hair. Shes so close I can see the whites of her eyes. I hope that someone gets a picture. We stare down for an eternity. Finally, unnerved, I put my beanie back on. She swims away. Later the parade ends. And a lone turtle swims back from the blue.
We have crossed the equator twice as we journey north to Darwin and back. Late one night we climb to the top deck. Rees has promised to show us Southern Cross. It is there, high above the horizon, like a tilted kite.
June 23
Dive #17 Cousins Rock, Santiago Island
Easy current after the heart-pounding rides of Darwin and Wolf. Just as we descend to 30 a whitetip shark silently glides out from under the rock ledge. Were looking for seahorse and frogfish. We spy many seahorses, hidden in the tall grass. The corals form beautiful flower gardens. A blue octopus focuses into view. We ascend to sea lions and fur seals snoozing on the rocks above us.
Dive #18 Cousins Rock, Santiago
Still hunting for the elusive frogfish we see several more seahorses. A huge scorpionfish lies on a ledge. We ascend to 20 and a sea turtle indulges me. Together we pose for the camera before he gracefully swims away. The frogfish will have to wait.
June 24, San Cristobel Island
Our last day on the boat. Tomorrow we fly to Quito before heading home. We need at least 24 hours to gas off so no diving today. We take a bus to the tortoise sanctuary. Ruly talks about the conversation of the islands before we head out to watch the giant tortoises at the feeding station. One crawls over the low rock wall and stops on Daves foot. Ruly says you must not move, even if she bites. Luckily for Dave, she doesnt.
We drive up to the top of El Junco, a crater lake. The highlands are so different than the arid land at the coast: lush, green and cool. A light mist covers the morning sunshine.
We pile into taxis and head to the beach. The waves are crashing against the rocky shore. Sea lions are everywhere. I get too close to a bull and his harem. He roars at me to back off. Sorry! I cry and move away. Further down the coast we find marine iguanas, their bodies as shiny and black as the rocks they sit upon. Sally lightfoots scurry about. Santiago tells us the crabs were named by English sailors, after a beautiful woman who danced all night.
Our gear has been rinsed clean and is scattered about the boat drying. A baby sea lion has crawled onto the dive platform. She is sleepy but has treated us to as many photos as we wish. Bookends of the trip: sea lions welcomed us the first day on the pangas and now a sea lion has climbed aboard to say farewell.
