Day 14: Santa Cruz & Baltra, Galapagos Islands: May 11th
After an early morning walk around town, we toured the Darwin Station, learned how sugarcane and coffee are made, took a dinghy ride to our ship, followed by a hike and snorkeling. It’s an adventure everyday!
We went to the fishing pier at Puerto Ayora at 7 AM where three fishermen were prepping their morning catch and throwing the waste pieces to the sea lion. He was quite adapt at catching the pieces. Other sea lions were there also awaiting their turn for the snacks.
There were also pelicans hanging on the pier out trying to grab some waste pieces of fish, as the fisherman prepped their catch.
While we were eating breakfast, this sea lion blew over the sea wall into our hotel pool for a few laps and then a nap. It happen so fast, I wasn’t able to video it. Apparently this is very common in this town.
We toured the Darwin Research Station which in addition to being a tourist destination, provides scientific knowledge and technical advice to the Government of Ecuador to ensure the conservation of Galapagos.
There were Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia Cactus) found only in the Galapagos Islands at the Center.
They raise baby tortoises, some were about three months old. It is hard to believe they will grow to over 700 pounds! The Research Center insures that the species of tortoises from each of the Islands continues to procreate.
Some of the adult tortoises were over 100 years old.
We got a nice close-up photo of a Galapagos Lava Lizard.
Later on we stopped by a farm that raises coffee and sugar cane. Gary and Abbie provided the muscle to squeeze the sugarcane juice out of the stalks. You can just make out Peter on the right in blue, working the other end of sugarcane press
The sugarcane juice is then boiled to a syrup stage and made into candy. Some of the raw juice is fermented and is distilled into two kinds of white-lightning: a softer Anis liquor, and the raw, unfiltered Sugar Cane Liquor. Alcohol Content: 50 percent, or roughly 100 proof!
The Ecuadorian owner of the small sugarcane and coffee farm proved the alcohol content by tossing a few tablespoons onto the fire.
Let me tell you, this stuff was strong and packed quite the punch. It definitely needs to be mixed with juices.
This farmer also grows coffee beans. The is what they look like in his fields.
Dried coffee beans were pounded to break the shells off. The wooden “motar” weighed 20 pounds.
The crew from The Galaxy, our home for the next few days, picked us up in zodiac dinghies for the trip across the bay.
We snorkeled along the north shore of Baltra in the late afternoon and saw all kinds of fish and coral. This particular fish was different colors in different light.
There was a US Navy base there during WWII and the water was still full of junk tossed into the ocean.
I’m fairly certain that we saw a Holacanthus passer (king angelfish or passer angelfish). We love the electric blue outline. There were hundreds of these in the waters of the bay.
There were marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile. In this shot, a Sally Lightfoot crab is hitching a ride!
We hiked on a sandbar called Mosquera and found all these sea lions basking in the sun.
Isn’t this one adorable? They just love rolling in the sand.