sv evi

Easter, 2007

It looks like we are now committed to the big crossing. After clearing in at Isla San Cristobal (00 53.79 S 89 36.68 W) we bypassed the busier Santa Cruz for the last land mass before reaching the Marquesas which lie WSW about 3000nm away. We look forward to what is usually the longest leg of any passage encountered on a cruising circumnavigation.

Happy to be in the Galapagos and experiencing all the natural wonders it is famous for, we are slightly surprised at the amount of people, businesses, discotecs, cars, fishing charters…….yep…..you can fish the Galapagos, that inhabit the 4 populated islands. There is some gray area on all the regulations required for fishing but there are many fishing boats in the various bays. There is a reported approx. 25,000 locals on the four main islands and about another 100 uninhabited islands and islets in the park area. Our taxi driver/guide, an Ecuadoran aptly named Darwin, told us there are over 200 taxis on his island alone….and we saw more unloaded from the mainland barges that frequently supply the islands with nearly everything needed for modern survival, mostly crates full of Pilsener. I never realized nor expected to see the extent of development here but nearly all the human use areas are concentrated. Fortunately of the 7882sqkm, 97% is park area or more specific a biosphere reserve which has the highest level of protection.

On San Cristobal we anchored with about a dozen other cruisers, the roll call constantly changing, and explored the usual sites. Toured the Giant Galapagos Turtle center for an up-close look at the gentle giants (when they are not hissing at you) as well as spitting iguanas, pooping birds and indigenous flora, poison to the touch. Also hiked to the fresh-water filled crater lagoon and body-surfed at a hidden beach. I will save explaining the size, life-expectancy, dietary habits, etc of the various creatures and the geography of these islands, which is very interesting but please google for the detailed, better written reports.

A great surprise was the day of surfing I had here. The large swell brings overhead, machine like peeling waves that unfortunately break mostly on the lava rock. The usual happened here with me deferring to the better surfers on their little boards but i did manage to get a couple of attempts and one good ride on the steep, fast waves that managed to break the boards of two different surf ninjas this day. The dinghy approach was adventure enough, splitting the outside and inside reef breaks to reach the surf beach, anchoring beyond the swell and paddling in from the backside. So far the Avon/8hpNissan combo has worked magic in these situations. I hope the trend continues thru the south pacific with their many reefs and atolls.

A foggy overnight passage put us in the more relaxed, remote Isabela which offers a small hook for boats to squeeze in. Unique equatorial penguins and sea lions dart under Guava’s belly in the clear, shallow aquamarine water. Our first approach to shore was sidetracked to observe a pilot whale floating in the shallow reef. Old, ill or something it appeared to not be stuck but here on his own accord. We heard a report that about 14 whales were doing the same thing last week and the locals managed to coax 8 of them back to the open ocean while the others refused to cooperate and died there. Can’t seem to get a reason why from any park people. Finally on friday the 13th, diving was on the docket. Isla Tortuga, an atoll like volcanic crater was the site of the next adventure. With a small group, a spaniard tourist, the guide and myself we were sure to not scare off too many sights before we came upon them. Fully suited in the same gear I wear in the Puget Sound, minus a hood, we submerged at the backside of the island with about a 2 knot current. Immediatly confronted with a huge bait ball my partners disappeared in the enormous circling school of fish. Nearly close enough to touch, my dive buddies were obscured behind a solid wall of fins and scales. Emerging we regrouped to view hammerhead sharks passing in the distance and then sensed nightfall as the bait ball hovered overhead instantly blocking all light from the sun. The remainder of our dive was spent flying weightless in the current observing turtles, rays, eels, large conch, many varieties of urchins and sea stars as well as the many interesting, tiny creatures that put me in the mind frame of “Horton Hears A Who” by Dr. Seuss.