Isabela Island- Puerto Villamil, the Tortoise Breeding center, and Sierra Negra Volcano
Today was the first of two days visiting sites on Isabela Island. We landed at the harbor for Puerto Villamil, the town on Isabela, and with all the rain, our bus was late. So we explored the area, walking the trails and the beach.
A sea lion slept next to the trail. I could hear her inhale and exhale. It's so cute the way they tuck their flippers in when they rest. They hunt at night, so they aren't actually lazy...this is just bedtime for them!
This walk is when I determined that I am, in fact, a Disney princess. *giggle* I always had a feeling I was, but the animals didn't seem to want to cooperate. Here, the birds oftentimes come over to check you out. Yet, I never witnessed anyone feeding them.
On the beach, some locals were painting their boats, and sea lions lounged under the umbrellas and on the benches. Pelicans dove into the deep. Penguins floated, looking kind of like ducks, as a snorkeler snapped their picture.
We made friends with a few locals.
Marine Iguana Facts: They are the only seafaring lizard in the world. Darwin called them 'imps of darkness'. (He actually proved to himself they could swim by grabbing one and tossing it into the ocean. Hmmm...) They can dive up to 45 minutes, 50 feet deep or more. They eat 5 species of algae and seaweed. Size varies by island and conditions--on Isabela, up to 26 pounds and on Genovesa, maybe 2 or 3 pounds...it depends on algae and sea temperature. Adult males weigh 70% more than females and usually are the ones to dive off-shore. Smaller males and females feed at low tide. Eggs incubate for three months, buried in sand or volcanic ash. Babies are on their own! Iguanas have two eyes, two nostrils, and...two penises. Yes, you read correctly. Apparently, mating isn't consentual, and having two doubles the male's chances of success.
They expell salt through their nostrils. During famines, marine iguanas shrink...not just thinner but shorter. They literally digest parts of their bones to survive! They can switch from growth to shrinkage repeatedly throughout their lifetime. They live around 40 years. Watching these creatures immerge from the ocean and sun themselves on the rocks was a dream come true for me.
Our bus finally arrived, and we were off! We headed up into the highlands, passing lush, green jungle-looking landscapes. By the time we reached the trailhead, it was obvious we were going to be working against the weather.
Our group decided to go anyway, and we hiked up the hill! Mint grows among the plants, and sometimes I could catch a whiff of it as someone crushed it under their shoe.
We were rewarded with an amazing view of the volcano!
A pretty messy walk.
We had to hike down very carefully to keep from slipping and sliding down the mountain!
We visited a lagoon known for flamingos, and weren't disappointed.
We then went and visited the Tortoise Breeding Center, and it was aptly named!
This group of tortoises were rescued from a volcanic eruption by helicopter! You could see the damage to their shells.
We walked back to town down an interesting trail.
We shopped in the town for a bit. Sand streets, funky little bars and FREE WIFI! (Wifi anywhere in Galapagos is SLOW and FRUSTRATING. FYI.)
Murals EVERYWHERE! As an artist, I can appreciate it!
A really awesome church in town!
A tiring but fun day! More photos of this experience in the album...
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.