If I Were Going...: Ecuador: A Good Day in Galápagos

Celebrating reaching the summit

One of our Galápagos adventures was a hike on Sierra Negra (Black Mountain), a large shield volcano very close to the Lodge. Our expedition was led by our Naturalist Guide Emma, with our Tour Guide Wilson along for added support, bird spotting and a surprise at the summit. The National Park requires that all tours be led by their certified Naturalists.

Emma was knowledgeable and personable; Galapagos guides are impressive

Rising to an altitude of 3,687 feet, Sierra Negra is one of the most active of the Galápagos volcanoes, last erupting in 2018. It has erupted 11 times since 1813.

2018 eruption; Photo: BBC

I really, really, really would like to see a major eruption like this (I just barely missed Mauna Loa in Hawai’i last year and Fagradalsfjall in Iceland the year before. At least, in Hawai’i, we saw a little bit of lava in Kīlauea. Here, we didn’t even get to see a smoking vent, although there could have been one on the other side.

Sierra Negra vent; Photo: Smithsonian Institution

Isabela's volcanos

Sierra Negra is one of the six volcanos that formed (and are still forming) Isabela Island. They form a chain that clearly delineates where the hotspot below is.

Sierra Negra is the most active and is also the closest to Puerto Villamil, where the majority of the Isabela residents live.

Created 535,000 years ago from a mantle plume that created the hotspot, Sierra Negra rises gently to the summit, unlike other Isabela volcanoes that have steep sides.

Thus, hiking is a bit easier and safer – as long as the volcano is not erupting.

You can see other volcanos from the trailhead

At moderate altitudes, the southern and eastern side of the volcano is covered with lush tropical vegetation and farms; the higher reaches are more barren with bushes and grasses.

The mountainside is very green

The northern side is almost entirely devoid of vegetation (with the exception of some cacti) as it has been “resurfaced” in recent times by lava flows.

The other side; Photo: Lark on the Move

The southern and southeastern slopes are the habitat of the endangered Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise, which is characterized by a saddleback shell.

A captive Sierra Negra Giant Tortoise

Our hike, which was within the National Park, was a couple of miles up the southern flank, where we viewed the volcano’s giant caldera. It is possible to hike many miles along the rim and actually traverse parts of the caldera, but we didn’t do that. That’s a relief because I don’t know that the view changes that much.

The vast caldera

Before we headed out, I was excited to see a couple of birds, including a large wading bird that I hoped was a Bristle-thighed Curlew, but turned out to be a Whimbrel.

I’ve seen Whimbrels multiple places, including Colorado and Iceland

I also saw some Small Ground-Finches, so we were off to a great start.

I saw them one the trail and at the entrance

The wide, even trail was somewhat steep at the beginning, but leveled out after about a mile or so.

The trail

Emma pointed out the vegetation of the area, much of which is introduced and has supplanted indigenous trees and bushes.

Imported hydrangeas and guavas

The Park Service is working on – in some cases – eradication and – in other cases – containment to bring the environment back to what it was in order to protect native flora and fauna.

Emma also told us to be on the lookout for Vermilion Flycatchers. Seeing one on Sierra Negra is considered good luck.

Providing information along the way

Well, weren’t we lucky? It didn’t take long to see two …

A juvenile male

An adult male

According to eBird, they were actually a subspecies called a Brujo Flycatcher, which counts as a separate bird from the Vermilions I have seen in Arizona (and one in Colorado!). They look identical to me. But, it was a Lifer!

We saw the Flycatchers while Emma was explaining a program the Park is running to provide nesting materials for the Flycatchers because invasive species have made it more difficult for them to build their nests. Large mesh enclosures filled with feathers are sprinkled around the grounds.

Some Ground-Finches were helping themselves as we watched

Further up the trail (and again in the same spot when we were returning), we saw several Smooth-billed Anis, large, noisy black birds with giant bills and long, flat tails.

I had seen some of these in Costa Rica

There are little critters, too.

I almost stepped on these two millipedes

Finally, we reached the enormous caldera, which, at six-by-four-and-a-half-miles wide, is the largest volcanic crater in Galápagos and the second largest in the World behind the Yellowstone caldera.

Beautiful place on a beautiful day

Filled with fairly recent lava, the ground is crumbly black rock crisscrossed by cracks that indicate the sites of recent eruptions and vents.

The caldera floor tells a story

We walked down a short trail to the edge to look at the caldera more closely and take photos.

Gotta get some shots

Then, we returned to an area by the main trail where Wilson miraculously produced a lovely snack of fresh pineapple, crackers and cheese. As we rested and munched (and chased off a random hiker who swooped by and snagged part of our repast), Emma provided some background on the volcano.

The trail is quite close to the caldera

While she talked, we also watched two Galápagos Mockingbirds that were hard at work building a nest in a lone small tree right at the entrance of the trail to the edge.

Very industrious

From a safety point of view, the birds could not have picked a worse spot unless, of course, they decided to drop a couple of eggs right on the trail. But, they were certainly enthusiastic.

Lots of determination

After our little rest, we thought we were going to head back, but Wilson led us a bit further up the trail. Why? I thought we were done and I didn’t see the view getting any better.

Oh! Another Galápagos Giant Tortoise!

This one was resting in the bushes right off the trail

Wilson and Emma said it was a pretty rare sighting because there aren’t many wild Tortoises in the area. Interestingly, this one was also a Cerro Azul, characterized by its domed shell.

A bit more vivacious than the last one

The Tortoises named after this volcano (Sierra Negra) have concave shells.

As we headed back down, I became obsessed with trying to get a good photo of some of the hundreds of Galápagos Sulphur Butterflies that were flitting through the foliage on the sides of the trail. They were elusive, but I got a few pictures. In the process, the rest of the hikers, except Tony and Wilson, got way ahead of us. Oh, well, they’d just have to wait.

These Butterflies were cute!

Then, when I rounded the final bend, I saw that Jenny had stopped in front of a huge group of the pretty yellow Galápagos Sulphur Butterflies.

A group of Butterflies is called a flight, rabble, flutter or kaleidoscope

They appeared to be feeding on some kind of mineral deposit.

And, I thought I wouldn't get a photo!

Such a nice ending to a lovely hike.

Ceviche!

A Native Dish

When we returned to the Lodge, we got to make our own lunch!

It was a brief lesson in how to make ceviche, a Latin American dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, most often lime or lemon. Ceviche is usually spiced with ají, chili peppers, red onions, salt, cilantro and other seasonings.

Because it is not cooked with heat, it must be prepared fresh and eaten immediately to minimize the risk of food poisoning.

But, the recipe we made used pre-cooked fish and shrimp, which, after Scott’s oyster issues, I appreciated.

Both Peru and Ecuador claim to have invented ceviche, but the technique of macerating raw fish and meat in vinegar, citrus and spices was actually brought to the Americas from Spain and is linked to the Muslim heritage in Spanish cuisine. The dish’s name probably comes from the Spanish “escabeche.”

But, don’t despair, Ecuador!

The ingredients (including mustard and peanut butter)

Archeologists suggest that a dish resembling ceviche may have been eaten in western South America as early as 2,000 years ago.

Scott often makes ceviche, so the concept wasn’t new. But, the regional recipe was: it added table mustard and peanut butter.

Garnishes/toppings included rice, toasted corn kernels (like corn nuts) and fried thinly sliced plantain chips called chifles.

Ready to add

It was beautifully arranged by the Lodge and delicious!

Turtle Breeding Center

Following lunch, we visited the Arnaldo Tupiza-Chamaidan Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about the National Park's conservation programs to save the iconic Galápagos Tortoises from extinction.

Next stop!

The various subspecies of Galápagos Giant Tortoise range in IUCN classification from Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable. Re-establishing sufficient wild populations is difficult because the Tortoises have a slow growth rate and late sexual maturity and, in the wild, high infant mortality. Plus, because the islands are so far apart, the subspecies are genetically isolated. The Galápagos Giant Tortoise is a flagship species for conservation efforts throughout the Galápagos.

One of the residents

In 1936, the Ecuadorian government listed the Giant Tortoise as a protected and, in 1959, declared all uninhabited areas in the Galápagos to be a National Park. The Charles Darwin Foundation was established the same year as the National Park. In 1970, it outlawed capturing or exporting captive or wild Tortoises or their eggs from Ecuador.

Breeding and release programs began in 1965 and have successfully brought seven of eight endangered subspecies up to less perilous population levels. The most significant population recovery was that of the Española Tortoise, which, with a population of three males and 12 females in the wild, faced near-certain extinction.

The enclosures are large

Efforts are now underway to repopulate islands formerly inhabited by Tortoises to restore their ecosystems to their condition before humans arrived. Tortoises are essential to this because they act as “ecosystem engineers” by dispersing plant seeds and trampling down brush and thinning the understory of vegetation to allow light to penetrate and germination to occur.

Their grazing helps the environment

The Arnaldo Tupiza-Chamaidan Giant Tortoise Breeding Center is one of the primary breeding centers, concentrating on the species present on Isabela Island.

Isabela is the only island with several species of Tortoises and all five can be seen at the Center. This includes Cerro Azul, Alcedo and Darwin Tortoises that have domed shells and short legs, indicative of the easy-to-reach food in their habitat.

A domed Tortoise virtually running (top speed is 0.3 miles an hour)

Conversely, the Sierra Negra and the Wolf Tortoises have saddleback shells and longer limbs and necks needed to reach the pads of prickly pear cactus that is their primary food source.

Saddleback Tortoises

The Breeding Center has Tortoises in various stages of development, including eggs, hatchlings, juveniles and subadults. Resident Tortoises are in large enclosures where they feed, move about and mate. The staff keeps track of where females dig nests. Because the mothers provide no care after the eggs are deposited and buried, it is easy for staff to dig them up shortly after they are laid. They move them to incubators where they are monitored and tended for the four to eight months it takes the eggs to develop.

Emma explains the incubation process

When they hatch, they are less than three inches long and weigh less than two ounces. In the wild, this small size means vey high mortality rates. At the Center, the tiny Tortoises are put in mesh cages to be fed and protected from predators, primarily rats (another invasive species).

It doesn't look comfy; but, it's safe

When they are bigger, the youngsters are moved to the open-air enclosures where they live with other Tortoises until they are big enough to survive on their own, at which point they are reintroduced to the wild. Generally, this is when they are about five years old.

This little one my be ready soon

The staff does everything they can to protect their charges.

Bugs, especially Paper Wasps, are a threat, so they trap and drown them

Without this and similar facilities on other islands, some of these species might not still be with us.

So now, we’d seen a lot of Giant Tortoises, including two wild ones.

A fine specimen

But, the day wasn’t over yet.

Pretty in Pink

Next, we headed to Puerto Villamil, the biggest town on southern Isabela. We took a short walk along the Poza Puerto del Jeli boardwalk at the edge of town.

Right on the edge of town

After navigating past a colony of Marine Iguanas …

They're everywhere

... with a guard on the path …

We had to step over this one

… Emma, in the lead, took off rapidly with most of the group in tow. I got very behind the group as I photographed some more Black-necked Stilts ...

A pretty bird

... plus a very, very close Semipalmated Plover ...

A cute bird

When I caught up with the group, they were watching another American Flamingo (I think this was the spot we were supposed to see them).

This one was gorgeous

Just one this time, but fun to watch as it moved about to feed.

Methodically covering the bottom of the lagoon

I gave you a little background on American Flamingos earlier, but here’s the rest: The largest Flamingos in the Americas, they stand 47 to 57 inches tall, but generally weigh less than six lbs. Most of their plumage is pink (their former name was Rosy Flamingo).

They are smaller and much pinker than the Greater Flamingo

The wing coverts are red, and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black.

A good look at those flight feathers

The bill is pink and white with an extensive black tip. The legs are entirely pink. Their call is a goose-like honking.

An interesting perspective on the bill

The American Flamingo has several adaptations to its shallow-water environment: long legs and large webbed feet to wade and stir up the bottom of the water for food and a downward-hooked beak adapted for filtering out differently sized food.

Because the ones in Galápagos do not migrate, their wings have evolved over time, so that they cannot fly long distances.

They like saline lagoons, mudflats and shallow, brackish coastal or inland lakes where they eat small crustaceans, mollusks, worms, nematodes, insects and their larvae, small fish, grass, seeds and algae. Sometimes, they strain mud for microorganisms and bacteria.

They submerge their heads, holding their breath, to retrieve food

Because they eat saltwater creatures and drink mostly salt water, they have a salt gland in the beak that excretes excess salt.

Long life expectancy

They may reach sexual maturity as early as three years, but usually don’t reproduce until they are six. Their life expectancy of 40 years is one of the longest in birds.

One of the most distinctive attributes of American Flamingos is the “unipedal stance,” the tendency to stand on one leg. Most likely, this helps regulate body temperature as they stand in water much cooler than ambient temperature. By holding one leg up against the surface of the body, the Flamingo lowers the surface area by which heat exits the body.

The classic one-legged stance actually has a purpose

During periods of increased temperatures such as mid-day, they tend to stand on both legs.

The Flamingo lagoon also had a contingent of White-cheeked Pintail Ducks that were fluctuating between calmly preening and zipping around in a frenzied pursuit of dinner.