Ecuador V: Camera-toting Boobies

Amigos y amigas.  As some of you know...

 

I left cuenca on a Wednesday, which meant salsa dancing at La Mesa until 1 AM before catching the 1:30 bus to Guayaquil. I slept soundly. And by 10 AM local time I was in Baltra...

 

I spent much of the last week on the Sea Man (an unfortunate name, I admit) motor yacht, flitting back and forth across the equator and around the Galapagos Islands. There were 15 passengers, myself included, 6 crew members, and Galo, our enthusiastically endemic and moderately hyperactive guide.

 

Each night we got briefed on the next day's activities. For example, the bell sounded at 6:45 the first night, just before dinner, and Galo clapped his hands once everyone was assembled and said, 'tomorrow we going to see the rrrred footed boobies for everywhere! An we going to see the frigate birds an the sea lions.' And we did see them. For everywhere. That's the strange and surreal thing about the Galapagos-- it's like a giant zoo, with strange and unique species confined to specific ecosystems on specific islands. And there are no large natural predators for many of the species, so they have no fear of humans. Their blasé attitude as a band of snapshot-happy tourists comes tramping along is almost disappointing. Where's the thrill of the chase?  I felt vaguely as though we were smut-searching paparazzi and our subjects were porn stars only too willing to comply.

 

 

 

But let's not be too negative. These critters big and small were weird and fun and, in the end, wild (during our last snorkel with sea lions 3 people got bitten. Jackasses). 

 

So there are 3 kinds of boobies in galapagos 'Endemic! you find nowhere else on earth!' (one of Galo's most oft uttered phrases). I personally feel that the rrrrred footed and nazca boobies are brilliant and have gotten shoddy press coverage, but the blue footed ones are certainly proud of their feet.

 

It had been a while since I'd snorkeled and I'd forgotten the strangeness of it.  'Abort! Abort!' my instincts screamed, 'You can't breathe under water, fool!'  But after a bit i was feeling mermaid-esque with my speedy flippers and underwater grace.  then i saw the sea lions. And it occurred to me that if the ocean is a circus, they are the acrobats and we are the clowns.  They dip and dive and twirl around each other as we pedal awkwardly out of the way, all plastic edges and goofy face-masks.

 

I'm in Quito now, going to Baños for some near-death experiences (I hope) before coming home in a week.