ZECO TRAVEL TALK

A much-revered Galapagos Islands resident, the giant tortoise “Lonesome George” was thought to be the last of his kind. That this conservation icon might soon produce offspring has created as much buzz in the naturalist world as Brad and Angelina’s offspring have in Hollywood. The importance of the impending event reaches back to Charles Darwin who was the first to notice distinctions among tortoises from different islands in the Galápagos, further advancing his theory of evolution.

Found in 1972 on Pinta island, George is estimated to be in his 70s—middle age for a giant tortoise. The Galapagos National Park recently announced that a female tortoise, keeping company with George since 1993, has laid three intact eggs presently being cared for in an artificial incubator. The female belongs to the closest existing phenotype to that of George. It will take about four months to know precisely whether the eggs bear George’s offspring. Considered by many to be the world’s rarest creature, George has given us new hope!

We awoke to another stellar sunrise, warm breezes, and the standard early morning wake-up call. After a delicious breakfast and much appreciated coffee, we prepared for our landing on Tower Island. We immediately found ourselves in a swirl of wildlife – frigate birds and red footed boobies greeted us, filling the sky overhead. The number of birds was almost overwhelming. Sea lions were lounging on the beach and lifted their heads briefly in greeting as we passed. Exploring the island on foot, we ended up at a gorgeous lagoon with only knee-deep water, allowing us to walk through it. Flanked by a high rock wall on one side and a forested beach on the other, we were joined by a huge male sea lion, barking loudly as he swam circles around us. The birders were pleased to capture some outstanding pictures of baby boobies and the day ended on a high note as we spotted the elusive short eared owl. We had seen a pair of mating Galapagos hawks earlier on the voyage but I think this perhaps trumped that show. The snorkelers have also been thrilled, swimming with sea lions and turtles, and spotting the Galapagos shark, octopus, and scorpion fish. As one of our guides said on our first day “Welcome to the biological Disneyland!”

Larry Taylor explored Melanesia & Micronesia onboard the Clipper Odyssey with Zegrahm Expeditions and wrote an insightful article about his travels in the region. As Larry so cleverly explains it ‘Going from one intense experience to the next–that is travel at its best.’ Read the article, Sailing the South Seas to Fun and Adventure for his views on the myriad of natural wonders and friendly islanders he encountered along the way.