A Sea Lion Heart
30 June 2022
• EspaƱola Island, Galapagos
by robin
All travelers to the Galapagos park are accompanied by an official guide. Lennin whose great grandfather arrived to work on the sugar plantations chopping cane was our guide today. The boat ride out to Espanola, a low island filled with nesting albatross, cliff scaling marine iguanas, blue booted boobies tending young and newborn sea lions, was long and noisy, not a good environment for lectures. Lennin pointed to the guide books as good reading, as he moved to the back of the boat comfortably leaning on the inflatable dinghy to study a compact guidebook. Sea lions in this harbor are most comfortable lounging against an inflatable boat.
On arriving at Espinola, a low-lying dry island 30 miles south of our anchorage, we were greeted by marine iguana on their way to feed on algae and playful sea lions darting between the dinghy and the landing ramp. Lennin has a discussion with the sea lions on how it is our turn to use the ramp and they slip into the water turning a few joyful flips. Around the corner, Lennin introduces us to a newborn sea lion about the size of a maine coon cat, with the umbilical cord still dragging in the sand, mewing for milk from its mother. The "normal" but mind-boggling tour of the island rookeries followed. Along the way Lennin shows us the quirky and novel --- the crabs eyes (leftover from someone's lunch) that look like thumb-nail diving glass diving helmets and the scissor iguana teeth used to scrape algae off rocks. The teeth were in athe mouthy smile of a mummified iguana. We reach the cliff where albatross take off into the wind and frigatebirds soar overhead while the nesting and mating activities of the blue footed boobies, albatross and hawks take place along the edge of the trail. At the foot of the 30m cliff marine iguana navigate the tidal pool propelled by their swinging tails. When a huge wave rolls in they all disappear until their heads emerging through the foam. The next level of the cliff has scores of marine iguana sunning themselves after feeding, then are the birds level and then as Lennin points out are the cliff top human. The albatross launch themselves from the cliff, paddling their feet long after they are airborne then pass by at eye level about 10 feet in front of us. The marine iguana have 2 inch long curved finger and toenails compliment their scissor teeth. With these long nails the iguanas scale the cliff after their meal and sunbathing reaching the human level. The young German woman with a bird tattoo covering her lower leg and carrying a very long camera was close to tears with a smile that just didn't stop. I could have just sat there all day watching all the activity but we were set to back at the boat by lunch. On the path to dinghy landing the traffic resembles Sunday afternoon leaving the Jersey shore. Karl has to dodge iguana again and again as they rush inland and we move towards the dinghy. Lennin again clears the sea lions and we return for fish and rice of lunch on the boat.
My expectations for the afternoon snorkel were not high. Lennin put on his seal grey full wet suit. Karl and I donned our rental gear, hopped in and swam to the edge of the cove. Soon our group was moving along looking at chocolate cookie starfish, coral, angel fish and parrot fish all identified by Lennin in a gruff voice and pointed out with a quick dive if necessary. Then the sea lions showed up. Lennin assured us they were not harmful. He began slapping the surface of the water and encouraging us to move close to the cliff wall. I have not been very excited about swimming with sea lions. The fatal accident in Antarctica of a woman snorkeler with leopard seal has left me wary of aquatic adventures with marine mammals, but the joy in Lennin's voice was infectious. Soon I was intentionally submerging when the sleek elegant swimmers were close and enjoying them zip. Often they would pass upside down, looking straight in your eye you, with their coats glistening with the green tint from ocean light. As we swam into a large cavern, Lennin called to the sea lions. I had noticed a smallish sea lion slip in ahead of us and duck behind the large red rock at the end of the cavern. As Lennin reached the end of the cavern, the smallish sea lion popped up in from of him and circled. He jumped and laughed then exclaimed with genuine concern how the deep scars on the creature's back indicated a shark attack in the past. The German couple, Lennin and I chased sea turtles and sea lions long after everyone else had returned to the warmth of the boat. The Germans to capture go-pro footage and Lennin and I pursuing our sea lion and selkie hearts. On the return ride as everyone napped, Lennin found the perfect sea lion napping spot on the top of the dinghy.
Bird Word for the Day: Kleptoparasitism -stealing from anyone and everyone all the time. Used to describe frigate birds who were soaring over the rookery and pulling the tail feathers of the returning boobies to get they to regurgitate the food intended for the nestlings. The frigate bird then dove to catch the treat before they hit the ground. These frigate birds build terrible nests... constructed from material stolen from adjacent frigate bird nests. Their young stay with the adults for at least a year to learn all these nifty tricks of stealing from everyone.
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