The Galapagos Sky

Recently, I decided to focus my camera on the sky in the Galapagos Islands.  Our sky is a phenomenon unto itself.  Together the ocean currents, the volcanic mountains and the wind create constant natural forces that affect and change the sky above us.  The mornings may be overcast or sunny. There may be a rainbow or glistening sun over a volcano.  As the sun rises in the sky, it may be covered in haze, blazing in a bright blue sky, or filled with puffy white clouds.



At sunset, the ball of fire sets in arrays of oranges, yellows and reds, sometimes bathing the surrounding lava in a golden glow.  At any time of day, it's filled with marine birds.  The sky here is always changing and always beautiful.

San Cristobal's Wind Project - The Galapagos Eco-Lodge's Commitment to Fuel Conservation

The Galapagos Eco-Lodge is committed to the environment and sustainability in more than words. It is not just our personal philosophy, but a pledge that we put into action every single day.

At the heart of this commitment is the elimination of environmental impact from the use of fossil fuels. Already, fully 60% of our power usage is from wind turbines.

San Cristobal Island is my home and the location of the Galapagos Eco-Lodge. It is also the site of one of the most dramatic and important conservation efforts anywhere in the world – the San Cristobal Wind Project. As such, it makes it an ideal spot for the eco-tourist and, indeed, for anyone interested in preservation and conservation of our planet.

What I Learned From a New York City Poet

This is a very personal post. This is a short story of how I learn something from my guests on every journey.  It's also a story about how I continue to appreciate and love not only the Galapagos Islands, but the unique position I find myself in as I am able to share with my guests this wonderful world I call my home.

Recently, a friend of mine was in New York City when she came upon a sign at Battery Park, the place where you take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. She sent me a picture because, she said, I would find it ironic. She was right.

Here’s the photo:

I can’t even enjoy a blade of grass unless I know there’s a subway handy, 
or a record store or some other sign that people do not totally regret life. Poem by Frank O'Hara.

I have to admit, the poem shocked me. When I first read it, what I felt is that whoever wrote that urban poem and I have totally different life visions. We approach life from opposite perspectives. We would never see eye-to-eye on nature and the environment, conservation and preservation, peaceful existence and comfort, fulfillment and satisfaction, ecology and evolution.

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.