The Galapagos-Santa Cruz and Floreana Islands

Upon arriving in the Galapagos, I met my fellow passengers. About half of them booked last minute deals. Because of the economy, many people have cancelled their vacation, which is a bonus for last minute tour seekers like myself. We then drove off to see the Giant Tortoises that freely roam on the Santa Cruz island. They are enormous and old (some a couple hundred years old); their age can be determined by the diminshing lines on their shell. The shell grows with them as their spine is incorporated into the shell. Within several feet of them, we watched them eat, walk, and swim around. They are an endangered species and many efforts have been made to protect them with several tortoise centers on the islands which I will discuss later.

The next day on Floreana at Punta Cormorant, we watched flamingoes use their toes and mouth to kick up the sand in search of creatures to eat. My guide explained that the spot where the flamingo bends his leg is actually the start of their foot and one of their toes which is why the toe bends backwards instead of forward like a knee. Their pink color is derived from the beta carotene that they receive from the shrimp they eat.

Following a trail nearby led to a white sand beach of ground coral where Green Sea Turtles nest their eggs. They are usually found in the water and only crawl onto land to lay their eggs.


We passed by Post Office bay which is the original post office of the islands. In the 18th century, British sailors left notes for other sailors to pick up. Since then, tourists can leave letters and post cards in a wooden box. Other tourists will pick them up and personally drop them off if the address is near them. All without using postage. I saw a couple SF addresses, but since I wasn't sure when I would return home, I left them there.

At another part of the island called Devil's Crown, I swam with sea lions. 5 juvenile sea lions swam around waiting to play with tourists. We gladly obliged them. They swam right up to our faces and then switched directions and swam around us in circles. Juvenile sea lions are the most curious and gregarious of the animals in the Galapagos. Humans don't hunt them here and so they have no fear of us. Instead, they find us funny to watch swimming about with plastic flippers while they are natural swimmers who can even surf the waves.