A Marine Iguana on the beach at Puerto Villamil, the only port on the island. We are anchored in the bay, but prohibited from even snorkelling unless accompanied by an official Guide. They are doing all they can to combine visitors and conservation.
The Sea Lions make themselves at home, but their population is kept down here by sharks and whales.
The Dual Carriageway from the port to the town of Villamil. After about half a mile it turns into single carriage way of hard packed sand!
One of the few things you can do without a guide is rent a bicycle and cycle about 5 miles along the coast past some absolutely stunning beaches where you are allowed to swim. We cycled to the end of the track and then walked to the Wall of Tears, the only remaining evidence of a Penal Colony that existed here between 1946 and 1959.
The Wall of Tears. The prisoners were forced to build the Prison with their bare hands using the very sharp lava rocks and once it was completed they had to build this totally pointless wall, which is 190m long, 9m high and 6m wide. Many prisoners died during the construction.
The footpath continues beyond the Wall of Tears to a lookout point with a stunning view along the coast. There used to be an American Radar station here during WW II.
We headed back to town, stopping at the various approved points of interest on the way back. Nothing really compares to finding a Giant Tortoise wandering along the footpath with you!
Our route back to town took us past a Lava Tunnel that extends into the sea. Part of the roof has collapsed, and you can climb inside this tunnel.
Inside the Lava Tunnel - you could hear the sea crashing into the far end, which was a little disconcerting. There were also a few fish swimming around my feet.
Our next stop was a Marine Iguana Conservation site - it seemed to be very successful, there were Iguanas everywhere!
In order to see more of the island we decided to go on an organised snorkelling trip to some partially submerged lava tunnels - at $110 per head, it was an expensive trip, but it really did exceed expectations. It involved a 45 minute high speed boat trip during which we saw several very large manta rays - their wing span was between 4 and 5 metres, they were coming up to the surface and exposing the tips of their wings as well as swimming upside down, showing their white bellies.
We arrived at the tunnels, which were expressive in themselves - you could snorkel through them.
And there were literally dozens of White Tipped Reef Sharks down there - fortunately they are nocturnal, so were not particularly interested in us.
The final part of our trip was on land, where we were lucky enough to watch Blue Footed Boobies dance - their mating ritual. One or two eggs are laid directly on the rocks, incubated for 28 to 30 days, and then the chicks are fed by the parents for about 6 months - a strong and trustworthy mate is essential!
The dance begins ...
She comes over to have a closer look
He offers her a twig
And he bows - this can continue for a long time, other males come over and strut their stuff - and eventually the female makes her choice of partner.
The next highlight of our trip to Isabela was a hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano - we went with Hugh and Annie from the Yacht Vega. The trip started in an open sided bus that took us to the start of the trail. 8km later we reached the lip of the caldera, we were told that it was the second largest caldera in the world (after Yellowstone National Park, USA) although even our Guide was a little sceptical ...
The Sierra Negra Caldera - Approximately 10km in diameter and filled with black lava it is very dramatic, but we did not find any other evidence to support the local claim about it's size status. We walked round the rim and on to Volcano Chico through some very wild and inhospitable terrain.
A big contrast to the green slopes of the Sierra Negra - the view over the West coast of Isabela from Volcan Chico
A few cacti manage to survive here
A small lava tube on the way to Volcan Chico
After a short rest at the top of the volcano we headed back to the start of the trek, where instead of a ride in an open sided bus we had a lift in the back of a pick up truck!
We couldn't resist going for a final dive in the Galapagos, so we went on a trip out to Tortuga Island, a couple of miles off the coast of Isabela.
It was wonderful - more hammerheads than you could count - this one was about 3m long.
Our trip to Galápagos is nearly at an end now, and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. Contrary to Cruiser's Rumour, a visit does not have to cost a fortune, there are an abundance of expensive trips but there are also plenty of sites that can be visited at minimal cost. Our Agent, Jonny Romero provided us with an excellent service - including sending 5 officials on a 2 hour ferry trip from Santa Cruz Island to Isabela in order to complete our exit paperwork and stamp our passports. Although the insistence on being accompanied by a Local Guide can initially seem a little un-necessary, it does mean that the islands are preserved as much as possible from the impact of humans - you are totally prohibited from touching any wildlife or going anywhere other than approved footpaths ... even on a volcano!
Isabela Island - where you can watch hundreds of pelicans and boobies diving for fish, sea lions playing in the surf and drink an excellent Mojito. This beach is also one of the few where you can swim and surf with out a Local Guide.
No comments:
Post a Comment