Galapagos. The enchanted Isles (Sumer 2001, vol. 6 # 2)

by Ellsworth Boyd

Early sailors called the Galapagos the Enchanted Isles. Buffeting by trade winds and the continual tug-of-war between the tropically warm Panama Current and the Antarctic's Humboldt created a land of many mysteries on this string of volcanic islands spanning the equator 600 miles / 965 kilometers off Ecuador in the Pacific. Mountaintops, often desolate elsewhere in the world, are capped with vegetation. And below, where this growth might be expected, is a largely arid sand populated by an odd assortment of hardy plants and creatures unique to these rugged islands.

Plants and animals of the Galapagos are the survivors in Charles Darwin's On the Origin of the Species. Isolation of the 60 islands in the chain, both from any landmass and from one another, made the Galapagos an ideal laboratory for Darwin, whose observations in 1835 led to theories on evolution and survival of the fittest. Blue-footed boobies populate one island, while red-footed ones inhabit another. Albatross mating dances vary from island to island. Jet black marine iguanas bask on sun-healed lava rocks in between dives that last up to an hour. Penguins that arrived during the last Ice Age then became stranded learned, like all other creatures here, the island's simple lesson: adapt or die. Considering the theories Darwin was able to distill from this topside diversity, it's too had he could not have slipped on a scuba tank to take notes below.
Currents are rivers of nutrients and the islands, rising from abyssal depths, create eddies where sea creatures can feed and provide foundations for plants to grow in the rich waters. Upwelling deliver plankton from the depths to become the basis for dinner for every life form up the food chain. Scalloped hammerhead sharks sometimes cruise overhead as if on a highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic. A close look may reveal scars from mating rituals, but be aware that this majestic predator is easily frightened away by bubbles.
Sealife is densest closer to the surface. In 6 to 60 feet / 2 to 18 meters, divers can expect to see schools of grunts, jacks, mullet and mackerel near the surface, while royal grammas, Moorish idols, yellowtail surgeonfish and bumphead parrotfish forage below to the craggy rock slopes. Eagle and manta rays and sea turtles glide through the waters. Marbled hawkfish and cabrilla lay still, camouflaged on the algae-covered rocks. Cracks, crevices and stunted caves harbor the 16 species of morays found on the islands, some sharing their dens with spiny lobsters. Sea lions are a Galapagos phenomenon. They zoom in. come to a screeching halt inches from divers' masks, then zip away in a display of underwater acrobatics. Pups often accompany their mothers, imitating their antics.
The Humboldt Current pumps cool water lo the islands from July through December and keeps water temperatures at about 68 F / 20 C, lower than that which produces a burgeoning coral reef system. When the current's force stirs occasional upwellings, viz can drop to 3 feet / 1 meter from the usual 60 feet /18 meters. The cool water chills the air directly above, causing warm winds to push above cooler sea-level air and bask higher elevations in warm mists, while the air at sea level remains dry and cool. This cycle, called the garua season, ends when southeast trade winds pick up in January, pushing the Humboldt away and allowing the Jamaican Current to warm the water to 78 F / 20 C through June. El Nino alters the clockwork every 10 lo 15 years, bringing warmer water to the islands and disrupting the entire food chain. Birds and sea life — particularly sharks and sea lions — that depend on the nutrient-rich cooler waters experience breeding failures. Yet enough survive to bounce buck at the end of the climatic event to maintain their populations, as creatures here have been doing since the chain begun forming 3 million to 5 million years ago.
Volcanoes pushed up from the seafloor, spreading out as they grew and looking like massive sandhills. This gives rise to a gentle sloping contour, providing myriad walls that, are a diver's delight. However, the rugged-looking, crusty terrain only appears to be durable and tough. It really is very fragile, just like its counterpart on land. The weight of a single fin brushing against the low-density rocks can break up formations that took eons to form, a point stressed regularly by dive guides. Although sea life seems to thin out at depth, the craggy lava formations beckon, especially to divers with interests in geology. Deep diving is best off Enderby islet near Floeana. Gordon Rocks on the external wall of the crater, cousins Rock, Wolf and Daphne Minor sites. It's easy to find an abyss in the Galapagos, since most of the sites are volcanic drop-offs. Deco diving is generally permitted by those who are qualified. However, the nearest recompression chamber is 6OO miles / 965 kilometers away, so it's wise to err on the side of conservative diving.
Live aboard dive boats are the ideal way to visit the Galapagos. They allow divers to sample a whole range of sites throughout the chain, and to disembark for land-based tours of individual islands, each with its own unique ecosystem lo explore. As the boat goes from site to site, it's not unusual to cross the equator several limes dining a week-long trip, celebrated on board with a visit from "King Neptune" and his court on at least the initial crossing that begins the tour of these enchanted islands and their surrounding seas.
Ellsworth Boyd is a Whitehall MD, underwater writer/photographer, who profiled Nauticos president David Jourdan in the Summer 1999 issue. Bermuda Salvor Teddy Tucker in the Summer 2000 issue, and the wrecks of Martinique in the Fall 1998 issue.

TRAVEL ADVISORY
Divers should seriously consider live-aboard boat accommodations to visit the Galapagos. They allow visitors to experience a wide range of sites throughout the 60-island chain, and offer topside excursions to see the complex life that formed the basis for Charles Darwin's theories on evolution and survival. Three boats currently run trips to the islands: the Galapagos Explorer II and the Galapagos Aggressor I and II.
The 277-foot / 84-meter Galapagos Explorer II is the largest and most luxurious of the liveaboards. Its twin 2.800-horscpowcr engines can transport passengers to outer islands beyond the usual reach of smaller boats. The air-conditioned vessel has queen- and twin-sized beds in staterooms appointed with marble baths, full-length wardrobes, televisions, refrigerators, 110- and 220-volt outlets, couches and easy chairs. The five-tier vessel has a pool and Jacuzzi, library, boutique, two bars and a meeting room. This is a grand hotel afloat.
The 100-foot / 30-rnetoT Galapagos Aggressor 1 and II have a technical advantage for some divers. since they offer nitrox 32. 34 and 36 to add safety to shallower dives or to be used during deco stops sifter deep dives. For a S100 fee, divers can get unlimited nitrox fills throughout the week or get the fills at $7 a tank.
Divers visiting during garua, the cold season from July through December, should be prepared for water temperatures in the upper 60s F / low 20s C. A 1/4-inch / 7-millimetcr wetsuit with hood and gloves might suffice, but a dry-suit will be appreciated by anyone who logs days of multiple dives. From January through June, the water warms to the upper 70s F / mid-2Os C], when some divers may get by with a 1/8-inch / 5-millimeter wetsuit. Thermoclines can drop these surface temperatures by 10 degrees. Viz averages 60 feet /18 meters, although upwellings of nutrient-rich deep waters can sometimes drop viz to 3 feet / 1 meter. Some viz may be sacrificed in exchange for more prolific sea life from November to May.
Topside, July through December is dry and cool, while January through June is warmer and wetter. Any rain is usually only a light afternoon shower. Of the many guidebooks about the islands, a really handy one is A Traveler's Guide la the Galapagos Islands by Bary Boyce, Galapagos Travel, San Jose, Calif.
American dollars are not only accepted, they are preferred. Before using a credit card, ask if this will add a tax to your bill or purchase. Some smaller shops can lack oil up to 12 percent tax on credit card purchases.
American and Continental Airlines have direct flights from Miami and Houston to either Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador. Ecuatoriana Airlines flies from New York's JFK Airport to Guayaquil in a little more than six hours. However, there are no same-day connecting flights from Ecuador's airports lo the Galapagos, so travelers must stay overnight to catch the Tame Airlines' one-and-a-half-hour flight to San Cristobal.