China Hat (Sombrero Chino)

A stand-alone visitor destination in Galapagos, a small islet near Santiago Island, China Hat, also known as Sombrero Chino, is another island absolutely filled with things to see. As you can see from this photo, the island gets its name from its shape. In my last post, I told you about the tiny island of South Plaza. This island is equally tiny, less than 1/4 kilometer, but also equally exciting.

Santa Cruz Island - Academy Bay - Clearest Waters in the World

Puerto Ayora, Academy Bay

If you haven't been to Academy Bay, it deserves a visit.  Located just outside of Puerto Ayora, it is the most populous location in the Galapagos Islands.

Crystal Clear Waters of Academy Bay

Not only that: Academy Bay has been ranked as one of the most crystal clear beaches in the entire world.

Pinta Island - The Northernmost Island

Satellite View of Pinta Island

Pinta Island (also known as Abington, but better known as named after Columbus' ship The Pinta) is a tiny spot representing less than 1% of the entire Galapagos land reserve (it is just 60 km in area). Its highest point is 2550 feet above sea level. Pinta is a shield volcano with numerous young cones and lava flows. Not only is Pinta the most northern of the Galapagos Islands, but also it hosts no visitor sites, other than one boat landing site, used primarily by scientists, on its northern shore called Punta Neros.

Volcanic Formations on Pinta

Pinta is an important island from the viewpoint of conservancy, preservation and species evolution. It is renowned for two significant reasons. It is best known for being the home of Lonesome George, the iconic Galapagos tortoise, the last of his species, who died in June 2012. Second, though remote and very small, this marvelous gem hosts nearly 1/3 of the native terrestrial plants in the Galapagos.

Why Can't I See That Animal - Camouflage on the Galapagos Islands

The heads of these marine iguanas basking in the sun look just like the surrounding rocks.

Survival of the fittest. Adaptation of the species.

Familiar phrases, but what do they mean? In the simplest terms, they mean that animals have, over time, changed in ways that give them the ability to survive despite challenges in their environment. One such adaptation is the ability to change color to blend into the surrounding landscape, thus offering protection from predators. The volcanic land masses on the Galapagos Islands are predominantly shades of earthy tones in browns, tans, blacks, siennas, whites, grays and dusty greens. With few exceptions, this means the birds and wild life blend into their surroundings, protecting them from hawks and other prey.

In this post, I share with you some of my photos that graphically show how millions of years of adaptation protect our precious life forms.

You might walk by this bird's nest dozens of times before realizing its presence.

A little boobie chick hiding in the bushes.

  

It's May - Paradise for Waved Albatross

This is a most exciting time of year for Punta Suarez on Espanola Island.  Though there is never a bad time to visit this island, in springtime, visitors get to see all of the Waved Albatross in the world settle here, engage in their ritual dance, mate, and care for their babies.  I've written about Punta Suarez before.  See that post, here.  And, I'm sure you'll hear more about it again, because it differs from season to season.  Sometimes the blue footed boobies' nursery is the centerpiece.  Now though, in springtime, it's the amazing, wondrous Waved Albatross.


Here's one now - greeting us head on - completely unafraid - posing for the camera.

Mating Area

Mariners have long associated albatross with good luck because when a sailor sees an albatross, land is near.  If you visit Punta Suarez on Espanola Island from the beginning of spring through November, and see these dramatic and unique birds, you’ll believe that they bring good luck too.  Your landing by panga on Espanola will barely hint at the wonder you are about to experience.  The initial path is rocky and dry, typical of the volcanic formation of the Galapagos Islands.  Soon though it opens up to a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean, pounding seas, dramatic blow holes, and, most special of all, the world’s only Waved Albatross mating area.

Genovesa (Tower) Island Visitor Sites

Genovesa Island - Darwin Bay
Photograph from Galapagos National Park Service

Frigate Bird Chic

The remote and isolated island of Genovesa is located on the north-east edge of the Galapagos archipelago. The fact of its remoteness contributes to its remaining among the most pristine of the islands, as well as one of the most coveted. Small, horseshoe shaped and precious in its unique blend of harsh volcanic terrain and natural beauty, it boasts a vast amount of birdlife; literally thousands of birds frequent this remote refuge and rely on it as their nesting site. While birdlife abounds, the island has no native land animals and no reptiles other than a small subspecies of marine iguana. Sea lions do lounge on the beaches. The pelagic birdlife that rely on Genovesa as a nesting site includes Frigatebirds, Red-Footed Boobies, Swallow-Tailed Gulls and Petrels by the thousands.

Floreana Island

Sorting the Mail at the Post Office on Floreana Island

Post Office Bay and Floreana Post Office

Evidence of Previous Visitors to the Post Office

Floreana, one of the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, and first settled in 1832, is named after Juan Jose Flores, the first president of Ecuador. Now, it is best known for the post office located at Post Office Bay, a brown sand beach inhabited by the ever-present Galapagos sea lions lounging in the sun. For nearly 2 ½ centuries – since 1793 – this unique Galapagos Island post office has been operating in the same fashion. Bring your mail and drop it off, addressed to go anywhere in the world. (On a cruise, your guide will likely provide you with brightly-colored post cards of indigenous animals for this purpose). Then, it’s your job to take a look through the mail that has been left by earlier visitors. If you come across a letter you are able to hand-deliver or mail to someone from your home town, you become the personal mail carrier. Hopefully, someone else will soon come along to carry your mail to your friend or family in the same way.  It’s as easy as that.

Fernandina Island - Espinosa Point and Mangle Point

Fernandina on the Left; Isabela on the Right
Photograph From WikiCommons

Fernandina's Core Erupting in 2009 from Nasa Image

The youngest of the Galapagos Islands, at just about 1,000,000 years old, Fernandina remains on the hot spot that created all of the islands. It is considered to be an active shield volcano with a large caldera, although the caldera collapsed in 1968. Fernandina is the westernmost and third largest of the Galapagos Islands. It most recently erupted in 2005 and 2009. The Island's landscape is dominated by La Cumbre Volcano.  The volcano's lava fields stretch all the way from the top of the volcano to the sea itself.

The Galapagos Conservancy and National Park are determined to keep Fernandina as pristine and untouched by humans and other non-endemic creatures as possible. So, although the Island is literally teeming with bird and marine life, there is only one approved visitation spot on the Island. But, it is really something special.

Bartolome Island - Pinnacle Rock and Beautiful Beaches

Bartolome Island; Pinnacle Rock
Photographed by AquaSurround

Bartholome Island has no human population, but is the home to one of the most recognized and photographed sites in all of the Galapagos Islands: Pinnacle Rock. The Island itself is located in Sullivan Bay to the east of Santiago Island. Because it offers such a spectacular view, most Galapagos travelers will find themselves enjoying the splendors of this island.

Steps on Bartolome with Galapagos Hawk Above
Photograph by AquaSurround

The Galapagos Conservancy has built a 600 meter wooden pathway with more than 300 steps to ensure that visitors are guided to the best spots with as little impact on the surrounding endemic vegetation, animal and birdlife as possible. Look carefully at the rock and lava formations on your way up the climb as you will see very interesting volcanic formations of spatter and tuff cones and lava flows.

San Cristobal Island, Nearby Visitor Sites

Kicker Rock at Sunset

I’ve written all about the marvelous spots available for traveling on San Cristobal Island itself in my post entitled San Cristobal Island Visitor Sites. Among them are the main town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, La Loberia, The Interpretation Center, Frigatebird Hill, Darwin Bay, La Galapaguera, El Junco and San Joaquin Hill, Puerto Chino, Mann Beach, Punta Carola Beach (sometimes called Cape Horn Beach) and Colorado Hill Lookout. You can learn all about these sites by visiting my earlier post and also on the website for the Galapagos Eco-Lodge.

While the sites on the island itself are all treasures, the beauty and magic of what lies a short boat ride from the harbor is truly dazzling. The first of these sites, and truly an iconic place in all of the Galapagos Islands, is Kicker Rock, sometimes called Leon Dormido. This is such a spectacular location, breathtaking at any time of day, that it warrants an entire post of its own, Kicker Rock.

San Cristobal Island Visitor Sites

The Hillside and Center of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
on San Cristobal from the Harbor at Sunrise

The beautiful and versatile San Cristobal Island is one of the most eastern and oldest of the Galapagos Islands. It is moderately-sized, at 195 square miles. But, that land area is filled with some of the most visited and remarkable sites anywhere in the world. This versatility also accounts for the fact that San Cristobal is the second most populated of the Islands; about 8000 people live on San Cristobal. While all of the Galapagos Islands is dedicated to conservancy and maintaining the tenuous ecological balance discovered by Charles Darwin, nowhere is this more true than the Island of San Cristobal itself. It is a forerunner in the quest for renewable energy; at least 60 percent of its energy already is generated by wind and solar power. You will see the wind towers from the harbor and as you drive throughout the island.