If we seek a mysterious destination in South America Galapagos Islands is certainly a good candidate. The traveler and scientist Charles Darwin expected to find there the solution to the "mystery of mysteries", as he called the Origin of Species. But after just over five weeks left with more questions than answers.
We left the luggage in our cabin in a hurry to go on deck and enjoy the sailing. The camera in one hand and the English naturalist's journal on the other. Above us the sun beating down Ecuador, but was fresh air by the effect of current Humboldt that brings cold waters of southern Chile. As important is the effect which allows the life of penguins and sea lions in the tropics. A whole mystery, in? To cast off the rock iguanas watching us with little interest. Some jumped into the water. Another mystery: are the only marine iguanas on the planet, Why?
By errors in the maps, many of the sailors who sought these islands could not find; so they called the Enchanted Islands
The discovery of these islands, so far from the coast of the continent, was due purely to chance. More 400 years ago the Bishop of Panama, Tomas de Berlanga,had received a mission in Peru but the treacherous winds of it away offshore area. With each passing day the water shortage became critical. Luckily one of the sailors sighted islands. Down. They found no water. Despaired. They went from island to island. When they thought all was lost the most precious treasure found: water. Saved. After this, by errors in the maps, many of the sailors who sought these islands could not find; so they called the Enchanted Islands. Certainly had some magic.
"There! Did you see that?”, exclaimed my wife while having a matte argentinísimo the ship's stern. "He jumped a manta ray and walked around in the air". I did not seem too skeptical and looked in the direction she indicated to me. Suddenly, from the waves, a huge manta ray jumped into the air and rolled over before falling in the water. I was dumbfounded and my wife is happy that I did not think ill of her and her imagination.
Like the Beagle, We also went from island to island, but not drawing maps, or looking for drinking water, loading and giant tortoises
Surely when Charles Darwin came to Galapagos also thought that the islands were delighted, but for him the magic was in the animals. Species found there similar to the American continent far. Surely, he surmised, had arrived long before pushed by the Humboldt Current. But the strange thing was that these species are not equal to those of mainland. Had they changed? That was the seed of the Theory of Evolution.
Like the Beagle, We also went from island to island but not drawing maps, or looking for water or carrying giant tortoises for food for a very long Pacific crossing. We wanted to see the differences in the fauna of an island to the other. Hundreds of species of birds, iguanas, turtles, Penguins, sea ??lions and countless marine species up there a natural laboratory of evolution.
All species of Galapagos is not only not afraid of man but totally ignore, a paradise for the photographer
Three species of boobies live in a single island. Their lifestyle is similar but its legs, their beaks and feathers show clear differences. A couple of them performed, on a rock, a ritual. The male got up every one of his celestial legs in a slow, circular, then moved the bill and opened the wings. Then his partner was copying his moves. It looked like a procession in which they displayed their differences from other species of boobies. But the amazing thing was that we left a few inches closer to. Generally, all species of Galapagos is not only not afraid of man but totally ignore. A photographer's paradise.
These islands, arising from the seabed some five million years, Animals that received, competing against each other for food, were differentiated. At first Darwin did not understand this, but shortly before leaving the lieutenant governor heard first hand that was possible to know which island was just watching a turtle with the shell. There were more than thirteen species of giant tortoises. Even on some islands was a kind of tortoise highlands and lowlands another which differed because one had in his shell a much sharper bend that allows you to eat leaves of higher plants. The young Charles was able to corroborate that assertion as the Beagle put over 70 live turtles for meat fresh on his way to Polynesia. But nothing caught the eye of the famous finches. So different were from island to island he thought that some of them were of another species. He only knew that they were finches years later, England, and they would base his thesis on the evolution.
One of these turtles was "Harriet", the Beagle left in Australia and survived more than 170 years to die in the 2006
Just the last day of our stay we saw giant tortoises. This led us to a reservation where the breeding seeking to multiply their number because they were a hair's breadth of extinction. If tens of thousands were just a few hundred. This is because the loaded ships, until Ecuador began to control. A couple of species became extinct. Others were saved by some zoos around the world held one or two that a boat stopped when it reached its destination. One of these turtles was "Harriet", the Beagle left in Australia and survived more than 170 years to die in the 2006.
After one week we took the plane to take us back to Quito. Luckily for us, we wanted more and more of Galapagos, the commander of the aircraft rolled over to give them one last look. I refused to say goodbye. I promised to return to the magic of the Enchanted Islands.
