Day 3 (1/3/20):
Stepping onto the plane today I could barely contain my excitement. I had just arrived in Ecuador last night and this morning we left to head to the Galapagos Islands. Our trip to the Galapagos began with a short plane ride to Baltra airport. After getting off the plane we boarded a bus to take us to a small boat. Immediately the wildlife was stunning. Passing over a canal on the bus we spotted a tiger shark. As we pulled up to the dock, large pelicans were circling about and we even spotted some Blue Footed Boobies! The Galapagos adventure started right away for us and after getting off the boat in Santa Cruz we headed towards another bus. We made a short stop at Los Gemelos (the twins) which is a set of sinkholes. The sinkholes developed on Santa Cruz many years ago due to volcanic activity which resulted in portions of the ground caving in. After this brief stop, we reached our first destination, El Chato Tortoise Reserve. The Galapagos land tortoise is an animal that I always found fascinating and it was a wonderful experience to finally see this animal in a natural environment. Since El Chato is a reserve the tortoises are free to roam around. The reserve was very lush and tortoises were enjoying the abundance of greenery for lunch. I knew from previous research that these tortoises are quite large but it was still fascinating to see their actual size in person. Although the adult tortoise has no natural predators, there are tortoise reserves in the Galapagos because the young are always at risk of predation. Additionally, the tortoise population on the islands has been low since humans started to populate the region and interact with wildlife. Pirates are one of the main reasons the tortoise population declined. The Galapagos land tortoise can live up to a year without any food or water which made them an ideal food source for pirates who spent long months at sea. At the reserve, we also had the opportunity to walk through a lava tunnel. This is an underground tunnel that was formed during a volcanic eruption. It was completely dark within the tunnel and very uneven. As we walked through the tunnel it was raining outside. We learned that water permeates into the tunnel but nothing grows due to the lack of light.
After leaving the reserve we checked in at the hotel and prepared to go on a short hike to visit Las Grietas. Las Grietas is a grotto that was formed from a deep crack in the lava rock. It is a popular tourist attraction as it is visually stunning and due to the wildlife that may be found there. Many fish when they are young live within the waters in the grotto as it provides protection from larger predators. However, at Las Grietas larger fish may be found as the small fish which found protection in the grotto matured and grew in size. Larger fish can not easily swim in or out so they remain trapped in the area. Unfortunately, we arrived at the area to swim as the park ranger was clearing the area for the day but we still got to hike to a few lookout points on the way back. We also stopped at a beach to swim! I enjoyed the hike back because I got to see many marine iguanas. I also got to see different types of plant life such as the Prickly Pear cactus. We ended our day with a presentation from Isabel Timpe who works at the Charles Darwin Research Foundation with GMAaRE. GMaRE stands for Galapagos Marine Research and Exploration Program. GMaRE’s website provides a clear description of the group, “GMaRE is a joint research group integrated by members of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos CDF, an international not-for-profit scientific organization, and Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral ESPOL, a top-ranked University in Ecuador”. Isabel is working towards her masters in Climate Change at ESPOL. Currently, GMaRE is primarily researching ocean acidification. The oceans absorb about 20-30 % of anthropogenic CO2. When the CO2. reacts with the water the calcium carbonate becomes trapped and then the PH is reduced (increasing the acidity of the water). There is a Galapagos Ocean Acidification Monitoring Program to assess the changes in PH. Currently, the water surrounding the Galapagos islands has a PH of 7.9. To collect data on ocean acidification, there is a “natural laboratory” and a control site as a reference. They dive to collect samples at the site and look at total alkalinity and dissolved carbon. They also use a camera to analyze the seafloor for physical characteristics and species present. GMaRE also has environmental education initiatives and helps improve the knowledge of the marine and coastal ecosystems of the Galapagos. The main objective of GMaRE as a whole is to provide the national park with information to help them properly manage the area. One of my main takeaways from Isabel's presentation is that collaboration is the key to success. GMaRE has been very successful as it is composed of multiple groups that all add something valuable to the research efforts. However, Isabel acknowledged that there is one policy that has been hindering the program’s research efforts. In the Galapagos, there is a government policy that allows researchers to only stay on the island for five consecutive years. After five years, researchers must wait two more years before applying for another (or the same) research project and requesting temporary residence. This restriction was initially set as a method to combat an increasing population however, there are unintentional consequences such as research getting lost. One other important point that Isabel made during her presentation is that even though the basics of research may not seem exciting, they are essential and important to thorough and extensive research. She explained how people have requested her assistance in the past when faced with difficulties in advancing a project. Isabel was an excellent speaker and it was encouraging to see how passionate she is about her work and studies. |