Fifth Expedition to the
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
-- May 30 - June 6, 1997--
Another fine trip organized by our
current President, Scubasocks, to the enchanted islands
of the Galapagos was begun.
We rendezvoused in Miami. Scubasocks passed out
personalized rotary caps while old friendships were
rekindled, new friendships made, and we were on our way.
To get to Galapagos, one must travel from Miami to Guayaquil, Ecuador with a one night stay before moving on to San Cristobal Island. There we were met by the Galapagos Aggressors I and II.
We settled into our cabins and set up our gear on the dive deck. We suited up and dove into the water for a check out dive. This helped acclimate us to the colder water and cold water diving gear. That evening, en route to Espanola Island, a cocktail party was given and the crew was introduced.
ABOUT THE BOAT
Spanish is the language of choice of the crew but the divemasters speak English well and are able to translate. Each boat had a bartender donned in a tuxedo serving drinks and meals, always with a smile. The food was superb and plentiful. Breakfasts were made to order from a menu. Lunches were buffet style. Dinners were served at your table complete with crystal glassware. They began with an appetizer or hot soup followed by the main course and finished with desert. A bottle of wine was shared each evening to celebrate the day.
The ships were moved at night from island to island to conserve diving time. The ships can be very loud and earplugs were provided for the light sleepers. However, dive exhaustion deemed them unnecessary.
As with all Aggressor live-aboards, E-6 processing and camera tables were available. Also, a roomy dive deck with your personal locker was provided.
DIVING
Before each dive a briefing was given. After suiting up, the group was divided into two groups each with a divemaster. We were loaded onto a dingy and taken to the dive site. This can be a bit rough especially in choppy seas, which was often the case. By the middle of the week, we had this mastered. Diving in the Galapagos is not for the beginner. Strong currents prevail intermingled with surges and poor visibility.
The Galapagos is known for its pelagics. On our particular trip, the visibility was very poor so one had to find a strong current and wait for a chance for various pelagics to swim by. Often we strained to get a glimpse of a hammerhead, tortoise, or eagle ray.
Animal life encountered were hammerheads, eagle rays, many white tip reef sharks ad nauseam, sea turtles, schools of king angels and unusually large puffers, frog fish and other species. Every dive featured two to five sea lions imitating our every move, playing with our snorkels, nibbling on our fingers and fins. In the Galapagos, everything is big and unafraid. One can literally reach out and touch fish without a reaction.
Usually two to three dives were made intermingled with land trips. One night dive was offered but usually the ship moved at night and this was not an option.
One unique dive was snorkeling with penguins. The penguins are extremely shy and are fast swimmers. Because of this, they are elusive in the ocean. On land they are easy to observe.
LAND TRIPS
Each day incorporated at least one or two land trips onto one of the many islands of the Galapagos accompanied by a National Park Guide. We were able to observe various fauna and endemic island animals of the Galapagos. We witnessed rare animals and their young not seen anywhere else in the world. Sea lions were abundant, allowing us to photograph, observe and, at times, even pet them. Other species encountered were the blue footed booby bird, the white albatross, land and marine iguana, frigate birds, flamingoes, and the giant tortoise. On one land excursion, we saw the struggle of nature unfold. A sea turtle had just hatched from its egg and fought its way through the sand to the ocean - all of us cheering its every move to eventual survival in the sea. As it made its way into the surf a frigate bird swooped down and ate him before our very eyes. We were appalled and realized how cruel survival in nature can be.
IN CLOSING
The fifth Rotary Expedition to the Galapagos provided us with the unique opportunity to dive and study some of the rarest species of the world. The week of diving and fellowship went far too fast but provided us all with an adventure not to be forgotten.
OUR VISIT TO "ESCUELA FISCOMISIONAL PEDRO PABLO ANDRADE"
In past years, the Fellowship has made
a monetary donation to the local Rotary Club of our
destination for an identifiable project. Through
President Bob's correspondence with the Guayaquil,
Ecuador Rotary Club, he learned of a missionary
elementary school run by the Franciscan Sisters on San
Cristobal Island seeking funds to purchase a computer for
their school's use. Funds were collected from the
I.F.R.S.D. and presented to the school director by
President Bob with all 300 students and their teachers
present as well as our "delegation" who
accompanied President Bob. We were greeted by the entire
assembly with a loud, unison outcry of "Thank
you".
Following the ceremony, we were rushed by the 300 children who wanted to shake our hands, exchange "high 5's" and seek autographs! Some of the younger children just wanted to touch us. We signed our names and our hometowns in their notebooks or on scraps of paper. We later learned that the teachers will use those signatures and localities as reference points when they talk about geography and where "those Rotarians" had come from.
After our autograph session, we were invited to a reception hosted by the sisters and school director. Through the help of our interpreter, we learned a bit about the school, its size and organization and a bit about the teachers themselves.
What a fantastic experience for those of us that shared it. This truly was the work Paul Harris had in mind when he introduced us to the concept of "Service Above Self" and building world peace through learning and sharing with others.