Galapagos Part 1: Kingdom of Reptiles
I’ve seen many turtles in the water and on the beach in my career. I’ve seen loggerhead turtles fight with fish for lobster heads and leatherback turtles go the wrong way up a freshwater creek. I’ve seen mating and feeding from above and nesting close up. But I’ve never seen anything like what I saw at Loberia Beach on one of our first days in the incomparable Galapagos Islands – a sea lion playing with a turtle like it was its toy.
My partner and I arrived a few days early to explore San Cristobal before the group coming on our Galapagos Turtles & Tortoises trip arrived to get to know the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and ease into the trip. This was my first time to this island, our previous trip only visited the islands of Isabela and Santa Cruz. Upon arrival, we made our way to the home of my friend Juan Pablo Muñoz and Daniela Alarcon, marine biologists working at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, an Ecuadorean university that has a research station on the island.
We were cashing in a week-long visit I won through an auction at the International Sea Turtle Symposium to raise funds for student participation. Their tiny home was a wonderful way to spend the week. Nestled in a wooded area in town, it was a peaceful oasis from which to explore. Our first night in town was out with Juan Pablo and Daniela for a fantastic meal and then a stroll to see a beach where sea lions spend the night. I also had a chance to meet with Tim and Crystal, the owners of Galakiwi (Tim is from New Zealand) to learn more about how this company got started and to explore how we can collaborate with them as they expand their support for the Galapagos community.
Now, I’ve seen quite a few sea lions, on the Oregon coast (even up to Portland where I live), San Francisco, Baja Mexico, Islabela and Santa Cruz islands, and more. Even on the way to dinner was a beach with dozens of them sleeping. But nothing prepared us for the intensity of that beach. Hundreds of sea lions, big and small, a mass of unbelievable size, sound, and yes, smell (though not enough to be a deterrent). Babies calling out for their mothers, mothers grunting at babies not their own trying to nurse, juveniles crawling over each other, some still in the water getting in a bit more playtime before bed.
Galapagos may be a paradise for reptiles like turtles but San Cristobal Island is truly a sea lion heaven. They take over the malecon (waterside walkway), sleeping in the middle of the tourists, researchers, and locals strolling along. They take over idle boats and benches and sit next to you at restaurants or hang out with the kids in the waterside playground. On land, they are plodding and awkward, loud and testy. In the water? Acrobats moving with the grace of a Cirque de Soleil performance, bending themselves in half to circle around, leaping out of the water, darting around with astonishing speed, or chasing each other around.
On the day before the group arrived, we made the short drive and trek to Loberia, a bit outside of town. As intense waves struck the coastline, we walked down a short path to a little protected bay. Putting on our gear, we waded into the water and headed out to look for what we could find. We saw several species of fish including very large rainbow parrotfish and then came across our first turtles. Two female green turtles rested on the bottom, one of them one of the largest greens I’ve seen. We circled above them and I freedove down a bit to try to capture their faces for photo identification. A third juvenile green passed by, a fresh metal tag visible on its flipper.
From there, we headed over to observe two very playful sea lions, dancing around each other and trying to play bite each other. They are one of the ocean’s most graceful animals and taking in their dance is an experience everyone should have to witness. One then broke off and swam away and the other, still feeling playful, approached me and swam around me in circles, trying to initiate some play. I awkwardly try to reciprocate but the sea lion seems to get bored with me and swims away, unimpressed with my water ballet skill.
We head back to watch the turtles again, quickly finding them in the same spots. While there, one of the sea lions comes by and starts playing with one of the other snorkelers. When one of the green turtles starts to swim upwards to catch its breath, the sea lion sees a new playmate and swims over to it, spinning around the turtle. The turtle did not seem to appreciate this game, turning its shell to the sea lion’s mouth as it does for predators like sharks. The turtle gets a reprieve as the sea lion swims away, only to quickly return and take another spin around the turtle. Sea lions have serious “little brother energy.”
Stay tuned for Parts II & III coming soon!