The Exotic Galapagos. A display of evolution (Sep./Oct 1999)

by Melissa Nessenson

We quickly veered to the side as a stampede of wild beasts roared past us. The frenzy was unlike anything I've ever seen before. Each blood-thirsty creature jockeyed for prime position. How could so many diverse species co-exist in such a trying environment? No, I wasn't in the Galapagos Islands yet. I was just trying to find a parking spot at the Miami International Airport, What an adventure! We almost missed our Saeta Airlines flight to Ecuador...

It was my Aunt Sherri's lifelong dream to visit the Galapagos Islands, so when 1 received an opportunity to travel there, 1 immediately asked her to join me. A well known jewelry artist, Sherri’s Ness is an adventurous 60s flower child. She is also partially disabled. But without hesitation, Sherri accepted my offer. We soon found ourselves navigating the rocky trails and difficult terrain of the Galapagos, an isolated mass of thirteen islands and over forty inlets, some of which are no greater than large rocks. Located on one of the most volcanic regions of the earth, the islands date back to nearly 5 million years ago (the youngest as recent as 1 million), and arc still being formed by a volcanic center which erupts Basalt lava on several of the islands.
The name Galapagos comes from a Spanish word for tortoise, the "E.T. faced" creatures that amazed naturalists such as Charles Darwin, who first visited the islands in the early 1830s. Set in the Pacific Ocean, over 570 miles west of Ecuador, the islands are known as the "Laboratory of Evolution." By studying the wildlife of the Galapagos, Darwin identified 13 species of Finch that had evolved in isolation from a common ancestor. To this day, none of these species can be found anywhere else on earth.
While Darwin's theories are widely accepted in the science field, they are also surrounded with controversy. The Kansas Board of Education has publicly announced that teaching evolution in public schools and telling children they are products of a "survival of the fittest" leaves students with a sense of purposelessness and hopelessness. State-wide curriculum now requires that any reference to evolution and its related concepts such as natural selection, common ancestors and the age and origins of the universe must be eliminated (A science course without any reference of evolution? Isn't that like teaching the bible without talking about God?). Be glad we're not in Kansas, Dorothy.
The Galapagos Islands are easily reachable from the mainland of Ecuador. After an overnight stay in Guayaquil, we took a short flight to San Cristobal Island's airport: a small, thatched roof but located on a dusty landing strip near the water's edge. Although there are several small boats which take tourists to the islands, Canodros Cruise Line's Galapagos Explorer II (G.E. II) is the best choice, providing one of the world's most exciting travel experiences. Built in 1990, the 100 passenger luxury cruise ship is the newest and most elegant of these waters. But don't let that intimidate you. The crew of the G.E. II is warm and friendly and the ship's atmosphere is comfortable. The only place for semi-formal wear is in the dining room. T-shirrs, shorts, safari hats and bathing suits are the usual mode at most other times.
We took a short bus ride to Sea Lions Beach, where we met the Galapagos Explorer II. The G.E.II's itinerary is fascinating, reaching into the most remote areas of the Galapagos and visiting multiple islands each day. On our 5 Day/4 Night sea safari, we journeyed to Cero Brujo, San Cristobal; Bartholome; Puerto Egas, St. James; Taugus Cove, Isabela; Punta Epinoza, Fetnandina; Rabida; Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz and back to San Cristobal for our flight back to the mainland. Daily onboard activities featured informal lectures and briefings by a licensed Naturalist Guide, Fillippe, who accompanied the voyages ashore. It is illegal to enter the Galapagos Islands without an official guide and groups over 15 are not permitted. G.E.II's passengers are organized into small groups for shore excursions. I was placed in the "Boobies" group (not due to my rubenesque bust— the Blue Footed Boobie is an endemic bird of the Galapagos).
Getting ashore is an adventure in itself! A narrow staircase is lowered to a floating platform at the waters edge, and passengers are assisted onto a Pango boat, a small landing craft. Upon our first arrival, I quickly realized that there are no piers in paradise (there are no bathrooms either). To get ashore, passengers have wet landings in knee deep water or dry landings onto large rocks, depending on the terrain of the shoreline. Canodros recommends that passengers be in reasonably good physical condition and they discourage persons with any sort of disability since many of the landings and trails are extremely challenging. But they probably never met anyone like Sherri, who (with the aid of a few Buddhist chants) quickly proved to be a shinning example of adaptation and determination.
The memories we made in me Galapagos Islands will last us a lifetime. Our days were filled with hikes to the top of volcanoes, leisurely coast-line Pango rides, snorkeling with sea lions, penguins, marine iguanas, sting rays and other wildlife and watching for Boobies (the bird), Comerands, Albatrosses, Brown Pelicans, Pink Flamingos and more. We even toured the world-famous Charles Darwin Research Center, which strives to preserve and repopulate the nearly extinct giant tortoises. The wealth of knowledge we acquired in the Galapagos Islands could never be reached through mere text books or pictures. The amazing displays of evolution that I witnessed on the islands gave me a stronger bond with this planet, as well as the universe. I challenge the Kansas Board of Education, and anyone else for that matter, to take a trip through the Galapagos Islands before further suppressing Darwin's important observations.
A round of applause goes out to Canodros Cruise line of Ecuador for their part in helping preserve the natural state of the ecologically sensitive Galapagos Islands, while also making it possible for visitors from far away lands to experience their beauty and mystery. Canodros has a wonderful request of all its passengers: Don't bring anything to the islands that does not belong there. Take only photographs and leave only your footsteps. Sherri and I were more than glad to comply.