Galapagos - Adventures of an English “Marine Aquarist”!

SPR

Well-Known Member
We woke on the morning of 22nd May 2019 at Santiago Island at Puerto Egas Galápagos

At 0500 we boarded the inflatables and headed for the beach for a ‘wet’ landing.

A bit of background on this place, Santiago actually consists of two coalesced volcanoes: a typical shield volcano on the northwest end and a low, linear fissure volcano on the southeast end. Life is abundant near the shore. Lava lizards are common on many parts of Santiago, as well as the other islands. Marine iguanas and lots of sally light-foot crabs are around, along with Galápagos penguin, blue-footed boobies, and the lava heron.

Vegetation in the interior of the island had been decimated by feral goats, estimated to number as many as 50,000 or more. Goats have inhabited Santiago since at least 1813 when Caption Porter of the USS Essex allowed four of them to escape. The resulting loss of food sources threatens not only the native vegetation but the native animals such as the giant tortoise and land iguana as well.

In 2001 they started goat eradication, and by 2005 the last feral goat was removed from Santiago Island and they used Judas Goats as well

As goats are social animals, sterilised Judas goats, fitted with radio collars and then released into the population, would seek out the remaining feral goats, allowing them to be located through radio telemetry and then eliminated.

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SPR

Well-Known Member
As the sun began to rise, we started our walk around at Santiago Island at Puerto Egas Galapagos. It was 22nd May 2019.

The landscape was simple stunning.....

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SPR

Well-Known Member
We started to make our way back to the beach ready for the short trip in the inflatables to the Catchalotte Explorer. It was still early morning at Santiago Island Puerto Egas Galapagos 22nd May 2019.

And we were shortly to be heading back out to the high seas......

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SPR

Well-Known Member
Just before midday on 22nd May 2019 we were back on board the Catchalotte Explorer, leaving the small cove of Santiago Island Puerto Egas Galapagos and heading back out to sea.

We were sailing towards Bartolome Island.

We were joined by a group of Frigate birds who followed the boat all the way

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SPR

Well-Known Member
Early afternoon on 22nd May 2019 the boat anchored just off shore at Bartolome Island Galapagos

We boarded the inflatables and headed toward our landing spot, shown in the first picture below, to begin the start of our adventure walking around this beautiful island

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SPR

Well-Known Member
We started our climb up the wooden path from the landing area were the inflatables had left us a few minutes earlier. This is Bartolome Island Galapagos early afternoon on 22nd May 2019.

The sea here is such an incredible colour

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nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Just watch an hour long National Geographic show on
Galapagos was comparing to all your beautiful pics :) such a cool place !
 
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SPR

Well-Known Member
Just watch an hour long National Geographic show on
Galapagos was comparing to all your beautiful pics :) such a cool place !
It’s very cool Glenn, infact when we were there, we couldn’t believe we actually were there!

I’ve got 1000’s of pictures the ones here are just some of them

I went because of the David Attenborough documentary and I still have all 3 of the series and watch them from times to time
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Bartolome Island Galapagos is quiet baron, although the seas are a gorgeous colour, this is 22nd May 2019 as we climbed higher up

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SPR

Well-Known Member
We headed back down the path from the top of Bartolome Island Galapagos. This is 22nd May 2019, the heat was intense and the sea looked absolutely beautiful

The island is unpopulated by humans and was named after a naturalist friend of Charles Darwin, named Sir Bartholomew James Sullivan, who worked on the HMS Beagle

The usual wild life is present including the Galapagos penguins, reef sharks etc

You can see our pick up point at the bottom of the steps were the inflatables would soon arrive

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