Today’s blog entry comes from Abby Garner, Member Society Liaison for the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Read on for Abby’s account of her trip to the Galápagos Islands.
Just after turning 21, I found myself island hopping off the coast of South America. No, this was not an extravagant birthday celebration – there would be no 21 shots of anything on this trip. I was studying abroad and this excursion was part of a month-long course in coastal ecology. For ten glorious days I lived on a ship (think somewhere between a yacht and a cruise liner) that traveled from island to island in a mysterious archipelago off the coast of Ecuador. I was in the Galápagos.
I have been fascinated with the Galápagos Islands since the fifth grade when I wrote a paper about one of their most famed residents, Lonesome George. LG (as I call him) is the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoises - one of eleven subspecies of Galápagos giant tortoises. The rest of the Pinta tortoises were wiped out over the centuries by whalers and pirates looking for a square meal. In the early 70’s, LG was sent to the central island of Santa Cruz, where he has remained ever since at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Today he is pushing 90 years old and is considered to be one of the rarest creatures on earth.
Meeting LG was pretty cool, I’ll admit, but what I found most fascinating about the islands were the birds. The Galápagos is home to three varieties of boobies - Blue-Footed, Red-Footed, and Masked Boobies. One of my absolute favorite moments from the trip was watching two blue-footed boobies perform their elaborate mating ritual. It goes something like this: The male raises one blue foot in the air, then the other, as he struts in front of the female. Both the male and female stretch their necks and point their bills to the sky. The male spreads his wings and whistles and, if he is so inclined, gently places a stick on the female’s bright blue foot as an offering. I could have watched these funny creatures the entire trip, but there was so much more to see.
I’ll never forget the playful sea lions who lazed about the islands like they own the place; or the marine iguanas who Darwin described as “large, disgusting clumsy lizards” (and I kind of agree); or the tiny penguins - yes, there are penguins living on the equator; and of course those finches who inspired that little known theory we call evolution by natural selection. Yes, the Galápagos Islands are truly a special place.
At a time when nature and biodiversity have been severely degraded around the world, the Galápagos Islands still retain more than 95% of their natural biodiversity. It is one of the few places in the world that remains relatively untouched by human exploitation. And it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that it stays that way.
If you ever have the chance to visit the islands (and you should, you really, really should), be sure to follow these rules created by the Galápagos National Park. And if you’re interested in volunteering while you’re there, check out this amazing volunteer opportunity on WSPA's Compassionate Travel website.
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