Get any photos you have to me by Thursday, please! Today’s set is by Joe Dickinson from the Galápagos. If you haven’t gone there, I recommend it very highly. When I went a few years back, I thought, as a jaded evolutionist, it wouldn’t be all that exciting. Boy, was I wrong!
Joe’s notes are indented:
Here are some file photos from a Galapagos trip about ten years ago. There are many more that I can send when/if you need them.
This is a land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus). Much like Darwin, I failed to keep track of which “specimens” (i.e., photos) are from which island, so I can’t specify subspecies.
A pair of magnificent frigate birds (Fregata magnificens), the male with throat pouch pretty much inflated.
Here are some waved albatross (Phoebastria irroata) engaging in a mating ritual. It is my understanding that this often is rather like a “renewal of vows” between an already pair-bonded couple. Is the third bird a “witness”?
The iconic blue footed booby (Sula nebouxii).
A pair of Nazca booby (Sula granti).
A young, very sandy, Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki).
The colorful Sally lightfoot crab (Grapsus grapsus).
An American oystercatcher (Heamatopus palliatus).
Another young sea lion.
A lava lizard (Microlophus ?). Again, failure to keep track of the island makes identification to species impossible (for me).
The unique and famous marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus).
And two more sea lions. I think of them as brothers, but have no evidence for that proposal.
The Galapagos – an ultimate bucket list item. No chance I’ll ever make it there so I really like these kind of photo series.
I was there on a dive trip years ago and I recognize all these species. Underwater we also saw several whale sharks, hammerheads, Galapagos sharks, and some lovely golden rays. I may have pictures somewhere…
Excellent. I REALLY want to visit the Galapagos.
Regarding identifying subspecies from your locations, if your photos have metadata you can determine the date and time, and then cross-reference with your itinerary.
That’s a nice pair of boobies (Never thought I’d say that on WEIT).
Wow! These are terrific photos! Thanks to your wildlife photographer friends for these! Striking! 👍💕
Fabulous! I too would drop a lot for the chance to go there.
Was … … 7 – 1/2 years ago for one person,
Dr Sturtevant, not as much dosh as I had
always assumed it would be: start to finish
including flights back then ? $4,125.00.
Blue
At a block party in early June 2010, I was
tossing back a hard limeade when first
I heard from one there that she was going.
I whined. “O, I wanna.wanna, too.”
Within eight days’ more time then after
racing home to i) call the boss and ii) check
the up – to – dateness on m’passport, I was
on a flight to Miami, then Quito, then
Guayaquil, then on over ~600 more miles back
within to my own home’s time zone to … … the
first of seven isles toured o’the Galápagan
Archipelago’s 27 such ones !
Not only was it utterly of The Coolest but
also is … … standing upon the equator just
north of Quito: one foot in the Northern
Hemisphere and one within the Southern.
Literally. I, the only one of our gang,
obtained The Certificate thereof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVf9sEEuTxg
the nailhead balance of an egg !
Thank YOU, Dr Dickinson, for the
pix’ memories !
Blue
One CAN do within a short, short period
of preparation time ! GO !
Blue
Maybe I should go. Even my dentist went and loved it (except for seasickness)!
You can minimize seasickness by taking a land based tour. There are four islands with places to stay and eat, but you do need to take boats between the islands. You spend less time on boats and thus less exposure to being sick. You can hire guides locally, but the quality may not be there. Seventh Day Adventists have made inroads on the Galapagos and I have read that there are some guides who are creationist.
A couple of companies specialize in land based tours. My wife and I booked a tour through a New Zealand based company called Active Adventures. They in turn are affiliated with a company on the islands called Galakiwi. Our guide was excellent. Downside was that we only went to four islands. There are other companies that do land based tours, but I don’t know how good they are.
Not everyone gets seasick. I was on an 11 day boat trip, and never was seasick or even took any medication. Neither did my husband, daughter, or son-in-law. The only real rough passage (usually) is swinging around the southwest from Isabella to Floreana.
Nice photos!
Very enjoyable set of pics. I’d so love to go there!
I love photos from the Galapagos and these are some of the best I’ve seen. But I miss not seeing a tortoise. 😉
I’ll get around to some tortoises, and much more, but maybe not until Jerry gets back from India.
Great memories; thanks!
Thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos!
I’d love to go to the Galapagos. The biodiversity is simply amazing.
Great photos; best picture of a blue-footed booby I’ve ever seen.