|
Without the diving technology that exists today, Darwin was unable to observe life below the surface. Today one can dive and find oneself a hand's width from the fabulous creatures of the Galápagos, as Jenny, our daring Philippine journalist, did when she spent eight days sailing the waters of Ecuador's most important tourist attraction.
Text and Photos: Jenny Chua
 The waves struck the zodiac as we put on our diving gear and readied ourselves to plunge into the open water. Carlos, our Class III naturalist guide, told us the best places to observe underwater life. On the count of three we all tipped ourselves backwards into the water and began to swim against the current. Carlos was right, immediately we found ourselves in the company of white tip sharks, which love strong currents. We chased them to get as close as possible without touching them. Aside from the fact that touching the fauna is prohibited, the sharks swam too fast for us. The current took us far from the magnificent sharks and we had to struggle twice to get back and see them again. As we fought to return we came across three sea turtles, two of which were mating underwater.
 Dancing with Sea Lions
It is surprising to see how the animals that helped Darwin to develop his theory of evolution can still be seen just as they were when the scientist first set foot on the islands 176 years ago. The man who would bring such fame to the Galapagos was profoundly interested in animals and was an assiduous observer. "One day, on tearing off some old bark, I saw two rare beetles, and seized one in each hand; then I saw a third and new kind, which I could not bear to lose, so that I popped the one which I held in my right hand into my mouth. Alas! It ejected some intensely acrid fluid, which burnt my tongue so that I was forced to spit the beetle out, which was lost, as was the third one." (Autobiography 62).
While the sea lions threw themselves backwards and forwards we began to let bubbles escape from our masks and this immediately caused the sea lions to approach us. It was a trick that Carlos had taught us. I started to engage in some underwater acrobatics to see if the sea lions would imitate me. As this was just one of the many encounters with sea lions that we enjoyed during the trip, we swam away to observe the life forms hanging from the rocks in Santa Fe bay. The marine iguanas sunned themselves like statues, while birds flew over our heads.
Unforgettable Spectacle
 Suddenly green-eyed Kevin, who was handling the zodiac, began to call out to us: "Come back, I'll take you, over there... blurb, blurb!" The water splashed into my ears. I called back: "No! We've seen enough sea turtles!" But he insisted and some of us climbed back into the zodiac and he took us to a dark spot in the midst of the turquoise waters. Suddenly enthusiastic again, I swam down, using my flippers to propel me, and I was met by forty eagle rays gliding along together, practically flying underwater. Following their slow and calm movement, we were lucky enough to be able to swim with the rays with relative ease for fifteen minutes. We were about fifty feet down, the bottom was very clear and the sand very white. The eagle rays filled our field of vision above and below us, and as far as we could see. Reluctantly, we broke off from this encounter when Kevin informed us that they were calling us to return to the yacht.
What makes the Galapagos so miraculous is their magnificent location. These small islands are situated precisely where three ocean currents converge. Thanks to the cold Humboldt ocean current, Antarctic species such as penguins and seals share space with sun-loving sea lions down from California via the warm Panama current. The Humboldt current also brings krill, the staple diet of migrant whales from August to October. The Cromwell current, a rebellious ocean phenomenon that flows in the opposite direction to the surface currents, provides the penguins of the Galapagos with fish. And, periodically, the El Niño current arrives, impacting on the entire food chain and proving that even for the creatures of the ocean life will always throw up surprises.
 One of the most unforgettable spectacles was seeing animals in action underwater. Twice we saw an experienced sea lion submerge and swim straight down to us, a hundred feet below the surface. Another vision, too fast to be caught on camera, was that of a booby (Family: Sulidae / Genus: Sula) diving into the middle of a shoal of fish, with its head stretched forward, while the fish fled from its path, forming a circle around the bird, which then sat on the ocean bed for about thirty seconds with its prey in its beak, before propelling itself to the surface again.
Front Row Viewing
 For those who love the sea and are content with the rocky murmur of the Pacific Ocean and a boat with cramped cabins for sixteen people (who leap from their bunks as soon as the door is opened), the best way to discover the Galapagos Islands is by yacht, for it enables one to see the phenomenon of an orange moon rising from the water, gaze at stars from the deck while the boat sails through the marine night, and find new friends among the few other people living onboard. A more comfortable option is the service provided by the bigger vessels, or one can stay on land and explore the islands on daily walks, diving at leisure, which is also a cheaper option.
The turquoise blue waters of the Galapagos keep their promise to bring us closer to an enormous variety of friendly marine fauna, huge in number and often huge in size, as well as terrestrial species. But I also discovered what occurs behind all that and gained a front row viewing of the complete cycle of life on the islands in the few days I was there. From scenes of courtship, to mating, the relationship between a mother and its young and, inevitably, death and decomposition. The Galapagos Islands are, without a doubt, a great laboratory of life.
|
