Final Galapagos

We got a chance to score a few more of the unique species of the Galapagos before setting our eyes on the big kahuna itself. We had a number of encounters with the Galapagos Hawk. We had a chance to watch it hunt for an opportunity to grab an unsuspecting Marine Iguana. We didn’t actually see it grab its prey, but we did see it satisfaction after it finished.

While not endemic to the Galapagos, we did get to see a number of American Oystercatchers. We had not had a chance to ever spot these before, so it was one for the bird list for us. The eyes on these guys are totally spooky!

On Balta we headed for the high ground to find the Galapagos Tortoise. I assumed we were going to see them in a managed persevere – in my parlance, as zoo. But when we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised. The landowners in this area were farmers, but have learned that they can make more money allowing their land to be a home for the Tortoise, and charging tourists a modest fee to access their land.

The Galapagos Tortoise roam wild at this elevation, well at least the males do. Females actually descend to the ocean in order to lay their eggs and raise their young. The males hang at high elevations where food is abundant. Galapagos Tortoise live well beyond 100 years in general, with the oldest documented being a bit over 170 years. They are massive, the largest weighing over 900 pounds. They don’t move quickly, but maybe that is the key to their longevity.

In the middle of the Islands we visited Post Office Bay. Allegedly, this may be the oldest post office in the world – supposedly in operation since the early 1700’s. Early Europeans plied these waters looking for the prolific whales that came here, taking advantage of the waters rich with food. They placed a barrel here with written instructions that whalers could place letters there, and that others visiting the barrel, if they would be going to the area where a letter was addressed, would take the letter and hand deliver it when they got to their destination. No postage is needed – delivery is all on the honor system.

Interestingly this played a role in the War of 1812. In 1813 the US Frigate Essex anchored in Post Office Bay and Captain David Porter scoured the contents of the barrel. The letters gave him essentially a list of British whaling vessels in the area, allowing Porter to capture a considerable number of British assets. Sadly, Porter also released 4 domestic goats on the island, which are still creating the need to eradicate their destructive influence still today.

Tomorrow we head back to the mainland to visit Peru – can’t wait!

Talk to you soon.