The Evolution of Cruising. Silver Origin to the Galapagos Islands

[twangster]

Montemar is a private company so this will be the first time we aren't under the auspices of the National Park of the Galapagos. 

It is a bit of a cultivated experience compared to our other stops but I imagine that has a lot to do with ensuring guests can actually see Giant Tortoises on a consistent basis as opposed to taking a hundred guests to a field somewhere and hoping to see one Giant Tortoise.   

As it so happens the land of Montemar is on the migration path of the Giant Tortoise as they make their way to the sea to lay eggs before returning to the Highlands of Santa Cruz.  In this respect it's not a zoo with caged animals that can't ever leave.  These are wild Tortoises that do leave and make the 50 mile trek to the sea every year to lay eggs near the beach before returning to the Highlands.

It doesn't take long to find what we are looking for. 

They are everywhere in every direction.

Our guide offers to take photos with our phones after explaining how to circle around behind the Tortoise while keeping a distance.

[twangster]

We remain in our small groups of ten or so with our guides from the ship who we pretty much know on a first name basis at this point.

Another group from our ship is with their guide who may have led a snorkel or land tour for me at one stop or another.

Tortoises love mud baths.  Since they are slow moving and low to the ground they are easy targets for ticks and other pests but a coating of mud helps to protect their underbellies.

[twangster]

Tortoises are everywhere!

A neighboring part of land has horses.

Our guide has a seed pod from a local tree.  Since we are on private land our guides are able to show us some things they would not be able to out in the Galapagos park. 

We continue to explore the private land into an area with coffee bean trees.

Oh look, a Giant Tortoise is lumbering through the forest.

[twangster]

We continue to explore the area.

The horses a bit closer.

Montemar also is a coffee plantation.  They host a coffee tasting for our benefit.

A Montemar representative walks us through the coffee tasting process.

Afterwards we are free to wander on our own, do some shopping with the local artisans they brought in or use the bathroom.

The view to the sea from our perch in the highlands of Santa Cruz.  The Tortoises make the fifty mile trek to lay their eggs. 

[twangster]

We board our bus back to the harbor.

The bus was comfortable with air conditioning.

A Sea Turtle makes a meal cleaning the growth off the dock.

After our zodiac ride back to the ship Ecuadorian chocolate is waiting for us as we step on board.

Along with some sparkling wine.

[twangster]

Lunch before we ride back to shore for the afternoon excursion, shopping, both or staying on board to do whatever.

 

[WAAAYTOOO]

Your pace sounds exhausting !  Hope you’re having some “down” time, too.

[twangster]

After lunch it was back on the zodiacs for a ride into town for a visit to the breeding center for Giant Tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

A guide escorted us to waiting busses for a 10 minute ride through to the edge of town.

Busses are not allowed within the research station so it was a 10 minute walk into the park.

[twangster]

The Tortoises here are markedly different than the Giant Tortoises we saw in the morning.  There are a number of different species of Galapagos Giant Tortoises.  The breeding center makes a point of managing hatchlings from different islands to maintain and in some cases reintroduce a variation from a specific island.

[twangster]

The baby Tortoises are kept safe within a breeding enclosure until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

The babies in this enclosure are from the island of Espanola and were born in 2020.  Soon they will be moved to the island of Espanola where they will live for the rest of their lives.

Another group from the island of Floreana born in 2023.

These are from the variation found on the island of Santiago also born in 2023.

Just a few years old but you already see they are miniature versions of what we have been seeing up to this point.

[Ampurp85]

I love this adventure; I also love all the turtle pictures 

[twangster]

Our Silver Origin guide Jeffo explains how the breeding center works taking freshly laid eggs and bringing them back to the breeding station where they are carefully incubated with a higher success rate then they would achieve if left alone in nature. 

They can control the sex of the hatchlings by controlling the temperature, 28°C produces males and 29.5°C produces females.  When they are trying to rebuild a population they tend to produce more females than males by a three to one ratio. 

 

[twangster]

Lonesome George is a famous Giant Tortoise who was discovered in the 1970's alone on a Galapagos island having had the entire Giant Tortoise population on that island wiped out by humans.  It was widely thought there were no more of his kind in existence.   

In the early 1970's a researcher working unrelated to Giant Tortoises was on Pinta island.  He set up camp only to find this Giant Tortoise coming into his camp and trying to eat some of his things.  This went on night after night until it was time for the researcher to go back to the research station.   Once there he was telling stories about this Giant Tortoise on Pinta that was coming into is camp every day.  Unaware of the plight of the Pinta Giant Tortoises other researchers at first didn't believe him so they went off to the darkroom to develop some film.  

Imagine the excitement among Giant Tortoise researchers when they discovered a living Giant Tortoise on Pinta.  Unfortunately we was the last of his species and so he lived out the rest of his life at the Charles Darwin Research Station hoping one day they might find a female from Pinta.  That never happened and in 2012 he died.  

In honor of Lonesome George and to highlight the importance of conservation efforts they have set up a viewing area for him.

[twangster]

Afterwards we were free to continue exploring the area of the research station, we could ride the bus back to the ship or we could walk the 1km back to the ship down the main street of town past restaurants and shops.

I chose the walking on my own option.

It wasn't long until I found my way back to the pier where our zodiacs were waiting.

I saw some baby black tipped sharks but wasn't fast enough to capture them.  Instead it's our old friend the Sea Lion.

Back on the ship I set out my shopping for the day including some Montemar coffee, a small Blue Footed Booby carving and a print I purchased in the town on the walk back.

The artist, Sarah Darling, who painted it was in her shop and she talked about her art and various pieces around her shop.

[twangster]

Another fascinating lecture in the evening followed by our destination talk for tomorrow.  Four excursions tomorrow.  A nature walk, morning snorkel, afternoon snorkel and a zodiac tour.  

Afterwards I somehow found myself in the company of four lovely ladies for dinner at The Grill on deck 7.

Hot Rocks - Ecuadorian Pork with a number of wonderful Ecuadorian appetizers we all shared.

The lights of Puerto Ayora as I ventured to the aft of the ship before heading to my suite.

[teddy]

Your pictures are amazing. Thank you. 

[Gilley]

Thank you.  These pictures made my day.  Thanks so much for sharing.

[twangster]

It's currently the last night of the cruise and I'm two days behind.  It's been a busy two days so I haven't had a lot of time to post.  

Early time off the ship and flight back to Guayaquil tomorrow so it may be a day or two before I continue. 

[FireFishII]

Just joining.  This has been FANTASTIC!  I have always been interested in the Galapagos Islands.  It went from being interested in to being on my bucket list.

[FionaMG]

20 hours ago, twangster said:

It's currently the last night of the cruise and I'm two days behind.  It's been a busy two days so I haven't had a lot of time to post.  

Early time off the ship and flight back to Guayaquil tomorrow so it may be a day or two before I continue. 

Safe travels. Looking forward to the rest.

[twangster]

Day Six - Santa Fe and Gardner Bay, Española

We start today with a nature walk on Sante Fe island followed by a snorkel, lunch on the ship while we reposition to Española for an afternoon snorkel and zodiac tour.  

It starts with a wet landing on the beach.  We were advised to bring hiking footwear to change into but I could have done the hike in my closed toe water shoes.

Surprise!  There are Sea Lions on the beach. 

Our guide is once again Jeffo.

The Prickly Pear Cactus is very common here.

 

[twangster]

The Santa Fe Land Iguana is endemic to the Galapagos meaning they only exist here.

 

A young Prickly Pear Cactus.  If all goes well this will turn into the tree looking taller cactus already pictured.

Galapagos Dove.

Blue Footed Boobies taking a break from fishing.

A Mockingbird darts from tree to tree.

[twangster]

What appears to be a tree trunk on the Prickly Pear Cactus is nothing more than these individual plates that will collapse and compress down to form what appears to be a tree trunk. These cactus don't really have a tree trunk, it's just cactus through and through.

A Finch carrying a twig presumably for a nest.

[twangster]

The terrain changes into more of a meadow we cross.

 

[twangster]

Turning a corner in the trail and we come to different beach.

Surprise!  More Sea Lions.  Didn't see that coming.

A male Sea Lion keeps order on the beach.

A Galapagos Hawk keeps an eye on us.

From here our zodiac picks us up.  In the background you can see an alternate kayak excursion you could choose instead of the nature walk.

[twangster]

Back on board I change and head back down for a morning snorkel.  As it turns out our guide is Jeffo again.

Jeffo points out a Diamond Stingray.

Naturally a Sea Lion joins us.

A school of young Pelican Barracuda swims past.

Water was pretty clear and there was a lot of marine life.

Jeffo excitedly points out a Hawksbill Turtle.  He tells us they are pretty rare.  He hasn't seen one anywhere for a couple of years.

 

[twangster]

There are hundreds of small fish.

And hundreds more of slightly larger fish.

Jeffo has spotted something.

It's the shell of a Galapagos Spiny Lobster.

[twangster]

A Spotted Eagle Ray swims past us at a distance. 

With that it's time to leave.  It was a very enjoyable snorkel. 

[twangster]

Lunch you know where as we reposition to Española.

[twangster]

The afternoon snorkel was quite popular and they used almost every guide and zodiac to get us all out today.

JC will be our guide.

Can you spot the fish?

We spotted a turtle on the bottom.

Then the turtle moved.

Then the turtle swam right for us.

we weren't chasing the turtle or trying to follow it, it decided to swim with us.

That was pretty amazing.

[twangster]

JC points out a Moray Eel in the rocks.

It was moving through the rocks 

Next he finds another Diamond Stingray for us.

And then he finds us a Stone Fish.  This fish is a master of camouflage.  He lays in wait for something tempting to come along and strikes like lightning.

[twangster]

We come to the cave I spotted from the zodiac on the ride in.

It's not a very deep cave but it was packed with marine life.

Guess what else joined us in the cave?

What an amazing snorkel.  But it was time to head back, there is yet another excursion that needs the zodiacs.

[cruisellama]

I'm amazed how you're able to curate your cruise experience seemingly  real time..  This one is really great.

[twangster]

After a quick change it was back on the zodiacs for a coastal tour.  I've come to really enjoy these tours.

There is a species of Mockingbird unique to Española and they would become a big part of this tour today.

[twangster]

Of course the Blue Footed Booby is never too far.

Today is more about the Española Mockingbird.

We must have stumbled into their communal home because one quickly turned into many.

They seemed to be fascinated with us.

They were buzzing around us like they were going to land on one of us but instead one landed on the bow of the zodiac.

Seeing how we didn't attack the first brave scout, another one landed on the zodiac.

From my seat up front I was just pointing my camera in their direction and hoping I was getting something.

Thern one landed on the AIS antenna.

It was like they had been given an assignment to study us.

Two on the bow turned into three.

It's simply amazing how they had no fear of us.

What an amazing experience.

[twangster]

Another zodiac arrived so we moved off to give another group the same opportunity.

[twangster]

We sped up the coast to see what else we could find.  It didn't take long to find something.

Our zodiac driver spotted something in a tree near the beach.

The Galapagos Hawk is an apex predator and pretty much the top of the food chain here in the Galapagos.

Despite being at the top of the food chain the Mockingbirds showed no fear around the Hawk.  Some Finches were also nearby.

Can you find all eight birds in this next photo?

More Mockingbirds were on the beach in plain sight of the Hawk.

[twangster]

Our zodiac driver spotted something on the beach.

It is a Sea Turtle (and a Mockingbird).

More Mockingbird research?  An inspection?

Time to fly!

[twangster]

A Blue Footed Booby always warrants some attention.

The zodiacs have made this trip into the experience it has become.  

Without zodiacs I don't know how we could have managed to see and experience so much.

Our guides have been amazing but the zodiac drivers have also been fantastic.   They have made this trip.

[twangster]

After a warm shower and a cold drink delivered by my butler it was time to head down to the Explorers Lounge for another lecture and our final destination talk.

The Bloody Baroness (see drink menu posted much earlier).

After the talk it was dinner in the dining room.  I managed to slip in before anyone else so here are some pictures of the dining room aboard the Silver Origin.

 Dinner menu: