Day 4 (1/4/20):
Today we traveled from the island of Santa Cruz to Isabela. Since these two islands are not very far apart we traveled by speedboat. The two-hour-long speedboat ride was not exactly a pleasant experience but luckily I packed plenty of Dramamine! Shortly after arriving on Isabela our busy day began. Our first activity was kayaking and snorkeling off of a beach. The first thing I noticed when we got to the beach was all of the Galapagos fur seals lounging around right next to beachgoers. Some of the seals were even lying across benches and under a tree. It was great to see one way that humans and animals on the islands co-exist. Standing only a few feet away from a seal I was handed a paddle and sent off on a kayak. We followed a guide through the water to a more secluded area free from boats for snorkeling.
Snorkeling in the waters off Isabela was a fantastic experience. Growing up along the east coast I’ve been in the ocean many times but I had never seen so many fish. While snorkeling some of my favorite marine life I saw included a ray, a sea turtle, and a blue chin parrotfish. After snorkeling, we headed back to shore on the kayaks and saw a Galapagos penguin! The Galapagos is the only region where penguins can be found above the equator. This is due to the Humboldt current which brings colder waters to the region and plenty of nutrients.
Later in the day, we set out on a bike ride to Centro de Crianza, a turtle breeding center. On the way to the center, we made a stop at Flamingo island. While observing the flamingos our Galapagos tour guide shared some interesting facts about them. One can see long marks in the shallow sections of the sand within the large pond they were standing in. These marks are from the flamingos scraping their feet along the ground while searching for food. Flamingos have the ability to rest half of their body at a time. If they are standing on one leg this indicates the body is only half active. Flamingos mate for life and they will only produce offspring once every three years.
Across from the flamingo habitat is the island’s desalination plant. The desalination plant currently is not functioning because the membrane component is broken. Since the plant is not functioning, all of the drinking water on Isabella island is imported. Those who don’t have access to clean water are at risk. Drinking water with high salt content has negative health effects such as hypertension and stroke. Importing drinking water to the island is not sustainable and is costly as well. The plant uses reverse osmosis to filter the water which is why the special membrane component is required. I tried to research what the membrane component costs but could not find a value. While talking about the desalination plant later in the day with my professor we discussed how the plant is not the only sustainability issue on the island. For example, there is no waste management plant. This leads to people burning trash and pollution leaching into the groundwater. Another sustainability issue the island faces is a large number of unpaved roads. Unpaved roads increase erosion rates significantly which can also affect water quality. I also learned that in an area with limited freshwater they do not utilize grey water which could greatly reduce their ecological footprint. Although the islands have good policies in place such as the one banning single-use plastic bags, they have a long way to go towards a sustainable future.
At Centro de Crianza the turtle breeding center we learned more about why Galapagos land tortoises need to be protected and bred. As soon as the tortoise eggs are laid the lives of the young tortoises are at risk. Female tortoises will dig a hole in the sand, lay their eggs, cover the hole, urinate on the sand, and then the mother leaves to never meet her offspring. Since these eggs are left unguarded they are at risk. Rats, dogs, cats, fire ants, mules, and pigs all prey on the eggs/hatchlings. It is interesting to note that almost all of these animals were introduced to the island by humans. Young tortoises are vulnerable until their shells become hardened at seven years old, so the breeding center keeps all of the tortoises until they reach that age. After reaching this age the Galapagos tortoise has no natural predators, however volcanic eruptions on the more active islands like Fernandina remain a threat. Volcanic eruptions and human predation in the past resulted in a large decline within tortoise populations. Galapagos tortoise breeding centers exist because scientists recognized the importance of biodiversity and preserving the species endemic to the islands.
Later in the day Jess and Julianne gave a presentation titled “The Galapagos Islands and Climate Change”. Their presentation began by discussing how species arrived on the islands and what environmental factors influence the climate that allows for a significant amount of biodiversity. The Humboldt current and El Nino/La Nina events were both mentioned as factors that significantly influence the environment. The main takeaway from their presentation was that climate change will dramatically alter the biodiversity of the islands. For example, if the seawater increases in temperature due to climate change upwelling of cool water and nutrients will decrease. This would cause many species to lose their home like the Galapagos penguin.
Snorkeling in the waters off Isabela was a fantastic experience. Growing up along the east coast I’ve been in the ocean many times but I had never seen so many fish. While snorkeling some of my favorite marine life I saw included a ray, a sea turtle, and a blue chin parrotfish. After snorkeling, we headed back to shore on the kayaks and saw a Galapagos penguin! The Galapagos is the only region where penguins can be found above the equator. This is due to the Humboldt current which brings colder waters to the region and plenty of nutrients.
Later in the day, we set out on a bike ride to Centro de Crianza, a turtle breeding center. On the way to the center, we made a stop at Flamingo island. While observing the flamingos our Galapagos tour guide shared some interesting facts about them. One can see long marks in the shallow sections of the sand within the large pond they were standing in. These marks are from the flamingos scraping their feet along the ground while searching for food. Flamingos have the ability to rest half of their body at a time. If they are standing on one leg this indicates the body is only half active. Flamingos mate for life and they will only produce offspring once every three years.
Across from the flamingo habitat is the island’s desalination plant. The desalination plant currently is not functioning because the membrane component is broken. Since the plant is not functioning, all of the drinking water on Isabella island is imported. Those who don’t have access to clean water are at risk. Drinking water with high salt content has negative health effects such as hypertension and stroke. Importing drinking water to the island is not sustainable and is costly as well. The plant uses reverse osmosis to filter the water which is why the special membrane component is required. I tried to research what the membrane component costs but could not find a value. While talking about the desalination plant later in the day with my professor we discussed how the plant is not the only sustainability issue on the island. For example, there is no waste management plant. This leads to people burning trash and pollution leaching into the groundwater. Another sustainability issue the island faces is a large number of unpaved roads. Unpaved roads increase erosion rates significantly which can also affect water quality. I also learned that in an area with limited freshwater they do not utilize grey water which could greatly reduce their ecological footprint. Although the islands have good policies in place such as the one banning single-use plastic bags, they have a long way to go towards a sustainable future.
At Centro de Crianza the turtle breeding center we learned more about why Galapagos land tortoises need to be protected and bred. As soon as the tortoise eggs are laid the lives of the young tortoises are at risk. Female tortoises will dig a hole in the sand, lay their eggs, cover the hole, urinate on the sand, and then the mother leaves to never meet her offspring. Since these eggs are left unguarded they are at risk. Rats, dogs, cats, fire ants, mules, and pigs all prey on the eggs/hatchlings. It is interesting to note that almost all of these animals were introduced to the island by humans. Young tortoises are vulnerable until their shells become hardened at seven years old, so the breeding center keeps all of the tortoises until they reach that age. After reaching this age the Galapagos tortoise has no natural predators, however volcanic eruptions on the more active islands like Fernandina remain a threat. Volcanic eruptions and human predation in the past resulted in a large decline within tortoise populations. Galapagos tortoise breeding centers exist because scientists recognized the importance of biodiversity and preserving the species endemic to the islands.
Later in the day Jess and Julianne gave a presentation titled “The Galapagos Islands and Climate Change”. Their presentation began by discussing how species arrived on the islands and what environmental factors influence the climate that allows for a significant amount of biodiversity. The Humboldt current and El Nino/La Nina events were both mentioned as factors that significantly influence the environment. The main takeaway from their presentation was that climate change will dramatically alter the biodiversity of the islands. For example, if the seawater increases in temperature due to climate change upwelling of cool water and nutrients will decrease. This would cause many species to lose their home like the Galapagos penguin.