The Galapagos Island

The Galápagos Islands

a pearl in the pacific ocean

Text Sylwia Kosmalska-Juriewicz

Photos Adrian Juriewicz

Once my friend said that if I do not set off upon a journey, an adventure will not come to me. Since that conversation a lot of time has passed and I have visited many beautiful places in the world. Each of them was absolutely unique and unrepeatable. However, there is a nook on the Earth which has particularly influenced me and the way I perceive the world.

perfectdiver No. 2/2018

Icall this place perfect, the Holy Grail, a work of art, a white whale… These are the Galápagos Islands, which belong to Ecuador.

"Good morning to you", says the captain again."Please, fasten safety belts, in twenty minutes wewill land at the airport of San Cristobal. The airtemperature is 25°C, light clouds, we have a niceweather for landing". On the Galapagos we arrive in the early afternoon, pick up our luggage and go to the gates, where the airport staff scan our bags. No organic products such as fruit or seeds may be brought into the Galápagos territory. This could negatively impact the flora in this region of the world.

Michael, the manager of the boat on which we willsail on a seven-day cruise on the Galápagos welcomesus at the airport. We get on a bus and go to the port, the entire journey lasts only five minutes. On the spot is waiting for us not only a beautiful boat but something that we totally did not expect, a real surprise! On the rocks and sand there are lying down sea lions, iguanas, seals. The presence of humans completely does not bother them. They are playing, feeding young, swimming, and are close, within reach. A beautiful beginning of our trip.

We get on the boat moored in the port, the crew is bustling about like crazy. All the bags are already in place, arranged on the lower deck. We are drinking a welcome fruit cocktail and getting to know the boat procedures. Michael speaks and presents the crew and the dive guides one by one. They warn us that during the cruise there will be no access to the Internet or GSM coverage… If you want to send someone a text message or call someone this is the last chance. We fill in the necessary documents, and when formalities are done, we go to unpack our bags, put the diving equipment in the special boxes, so that the crew could stow the empty suitcases below deck. After lunch, we dive, a short check dive that will allow us to check the equipment and choose the right amount of ballast for the dry suits we took with us. The water temperature at the Galápagos ranges between 18°C and 24°C depending on the dive site. A dry suit plus thermal underwear is a great solution.

After a short siesta, we divide ourselves into two groups: "The Whale Sharks" and "The Hammerhead Sharks", but when Michael asked the question: "which of you wants to be a hammer?" – all burst into laughter and no one signed up… we eventually changed the name of the group to "Dolphins". Each group has its own zodiac boat and a captain, who always helps. Along with the diving guide we get on an inflatable boat and sail to the first diving stop. We stop at a small island on which one huge tree grows and under it there are napping sea lions and seals. Jump into the water, and then plunge several meters. The mammals that have been resting so far on the surface also decided to go swimming. We dive in the company of seals and sea lions, it is a fascinating and incredible experience. Both seals and sea lions, although awkward on the surface, become extremely agile and fast under water. They are also very curious about people and love playing. Therefore, they do not leave but swing around in front of us and they do backflips and feats. This is another surprise in such a short period of time, which the nature has prepared for us.

We come back on the boat late in the afternoon, the Sun sets slowly. The briefing and delicious dinner are ahead of us. On a white board Michael wrote the plan for the next day, including a land tour. A wake-up at 6:00, a small snack, a briefing and at 6:40 we jump into the water… we get also the GPS transmitters and buoys in case a strong current catches us. The waters surrounding the islands of Wolf and Darwin are extremely rich in ocean life, but they also have very strong currents that can pull a diver into the depths of the ocean. In that case, with high waves on the surface, you need the GPS locator to locate a person. Michael explains in great detail the way the transmitter works, and shows how to operate it, when the need arises.

For several hours we have been sailing towards the setting sun. The view is splendid. The next day we will reach the island of Wolf, which owes its name to the German geologist and researcher Theodor Wolf. In 1978, the archipelago was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The island is located to the northwest of the main islands of the archipelago. It is a true paradise for sea birds, which in an unusual way have adapted to the area's climate. A perfect example is the Darwin's finch, who developed unusual eating habits: he eats mainly the blood and eggs of other birds, especially the Nazca booby. The reasons for this behaviour can be seen in the very dry and harsh climate that prevails here.

In the morning we arrive to the island of Wolf. After turning off the engines, a blissful silence comes, you can hear only the sounds of birds and sound of waves crashing on the rocky shore. We get up at 6:00 sharp. The climate on the island in the morning is dark and mysterious, the rocks and everything else around are covered by fog.

For this moment we have been waiting for a long time, the first immersion at the coast of the island of Wolf. We jump into the water with a negative buoyancy and immediately plunge to the depth of 20 meters. We sail along the rock wall. What appears to our eyes after a while is unbelievable. The herd of hammerhead sharks emerge from the depths, they swim one after another in a compact array. The current is getting stronger, we are grabbing the rocks and waiting, watching what is happening around us. Giant eagle rays, turtles, the endless schools of fish join the sharks. Tunas and barracudas appear. We are looking at it as if hypnotized admiring the richness of the Pacific Ocean. No description that I had read about this place was exaggerated. After

50 minutes, we are back on the boat, excited and happy. On this day, we will dive here twice more, and a land trip is also waiting for us.

After lunch we visit the second largest island of the archipelago, Santa Cruz. On the beach we go over the rocks, which are teeming with red crabs of different sizes. The land in this part of the island is very dry and orange. Here and there, low, lightbarked trees grow, called palo santo. You can also see prickly pears, which are resistant to high temperatures prevailing here. The latter enjoy great popularity among Galápagos land iguanas. This massive, orange-grey reptile feeds only on plants and cacti that he devours with spikes. On the rocks and sand there are giant sea lions, feeding the young and resting. The presence of humans does not bother them at all. Santa Cruz is an ideal place for photographers, researchers and ornithologists. We can observe mammals, reptiles and birds in their natural environment without limitation. You will not find here cages, fences, or any restrictions, but there is freedom in its pure form, so beautiful and pure, it truly moves me…

We are looking at it as if hypnotized admiring the richness of the Pacific Ocean. No description that I had read about this place was exaggerated.

A few days old sea lion is calling her mother with a characteristic call. It is awkwardly moving on the sand, stumbles, falls over. Its mother went hunting, must ensure food for herself and her baby. For this purpose, she dives in the ocean, and her streamlined and elongated body shape makes it very agile underwater. They mainly hunt for fish, but do not disregard also squids and krills. Not always all sea lions, sea lions or seals return to the shore, some

are prey to sharks that fish off the coast of the island. On dark rocks, marine iguanas are basking. They can be found in the Galápagos in different places, but always they rest close to the water. To get food they dive in the ocean. Their diet is very simple, they feed mainly on sea algae, which they detach from the rocks and swallow quickly. Diving with sea iguanas is a real treat for divers, dreams come true.

On the island numerous bird species live and reproduce, but one in particular stands out against the other inhabitants of the island, it's a booby. Perhaps fate has mocked him by painting his "feet" with the blue colour? I think it wanted to make the world even more beautiful and that is why it created a booby. It is called so quite inappropriately, because in fact it is a wise and smart bird. He owes his unfortunate name to "naivety" that characterises him. He never showed any fear of man and could easily be caught.

I cannot ignore the magnificent frigate bird. It is one of the largest birds on the island, which prepares for mating in a special way. The frigate male, wanting to impress his partner and show off his best side, puffs a large, red, slightly feathered sac under his throat.

The Galápagos Islands are famous for their unique flora and fauna characteristic for this region of the world. To read about it is one thing, but to experience and see it for yourself, this is just an unbelievable experience.

Next day, before dawn we reach the Darwin's Island, which owes its name to the famous investigator and naturalist, Charles Darwin. It is the northernmost island of the archipelago. In fact, it is the peak of the undersea volcano. The harsh climate on the island makes it uninhabited. The only residents that we can admire from the boats are birds and sea lions sunning on the rocks. You can see that

the climate serves them and they are settled here. The island, although not accessible to people, is a true paradise for divers. The best diving takes place on the south east from the island around the characteristic Darwin’s Arch. Here come the largest schools of hammerhead sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, common molas and whale sharks. Most often underwater we see giant females of this species that come to give birth to the young.

The week before our expedition to the Galápagos, a group of French researchers flew here to examine the water surrounding the islands of Wolf and Darwin. No one so far has managed to determine where whale sharks really come into the world and where they later depart. The expedition took place, but no one solved the puzzle hidden for thousands of years. The expedition nearly had a tragic ending. The zodiac boat with one of the researchers dangerously approached the rocks surrounding Darwin's Arch. The current in this place turned out to be too strong, and the waves were too high and the boat crashed into the rocks every now and then. The situation ended with broken ribs and teeth. The beautiful thing about our planet is that we know so much about it but there is still so much to discover.

Scuba diving by Darwin's Arch is a real challenge, the currents are very strong and, as in the case of the island of Wolf, we also plunge quickly and jump into the water with a negative buoyancy. Sometimes it is so hard that we have to climb over the rocks, and the bubbles from the exhaled air fly to the sides instead of flying to the top. I have an impression that a strong current will immediately break my mask from my face and will tear the camera out of my hand. It does not matter, however, because what the Pacific Ocean reveals to us is worth every effort. Hundreds of hammerhead sharks surround us on all sides. From time to time we get ourselves off the rocks and go to the depths to closely admire the whale sharks, which are equal in their size to buses. Countless schools

The best diving takes place on the south east from the island around the characteristic Darwin’s Arch. Here come the largest schools of hammerhead sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, common molas and whale sharks.

of fish are circling above our heads, and Galápagos sharks flow under us. An impassive turtle tears off the reef pieces and crushes them in its mouth, calmly swallowing its meal. On the way up we encounter a group of dolphins, which disappears as soon as it appeared. Positively tired, we return to the boat with a small break for a photo session at Darwin's Arch.

Our cruise on the waters of the Pacific Ocean lasted seven days, four of which we spent scuba diving on the islands of Wolf and Darwin. Next day we visited the island of Santa Cruz, which is inhabited by some of the largest turtles in the world – Galápagos tortoises. These beautiful giants feed mainly on plants, fruit and cacti. The largest found representative of this species weighed 400 kg and its length was 1.87 meters. Over the centuries, the turtles were an easy prey for sailors, whalers and pirates, who sailed across the water of the Pacific Ocean. The females were caught most often while they were laying their eggs in the sand near the coast. That is why they rarely occur in nature. The Government of Ecuador is doing what it can to protect the heritage from destruction. Numerous reserves and foundations have been created for the protection of fauna and flora in this region of the world.