Special side trip

We made arrangements to fly from Tampa (near Dunedin) to catch the Silver Galapagos for a 7-day cruise of the Galapagos Islands. Even before we boarded the ship in San Cristobal, we were greeted by one of the more famous of the residents of the islands – the Blue Footed Booby. Its blue feet come from carotenoid pigments from eating only fresh fish. The healthier a Booby is, the bluer its feet get, so this guy looks quite healthy.

The Galapagos are volcanic islands with little or no fresh water, making human residency difficult. That is why in 1832 when Ecuador claimed them, nobody really cared, so no disputes over title arose. Plants and animals, many arriving on debris floating from South America, developed very unique adaptations to successfully live in this hostile environment. That is why Charles Darwin developed much of his theories on the Origin of Species here. While he never mentioned this, I am sure he found the sunsets as beautiful as we did.

Since food supply on the islands is limited, some of the iguana learned to swim so they could dive to the ocean floor for their food source, primarily algae. On some of the islands you can hardly walk without almost stepping on one of the Galapagos Marine Iguanas. Some we saw are upward of 4 feet long, and so darn ugly they bordered on being cute.

The Galapagos Land Iguana never developed the skill to swim. They are about the only animal that can eat Prickly Pear Cactus despite the abundant needles, and get most of their water by eating them. Scientists believe that both the Land and Marine Iguanas descended from a common ancestor, but developed very different skills in order to survive in their new habitat. These guys are nearly as ugly as the Galapagos Marine Iguana, but are much more colorful.

Talk to you soon.