"Another day in paradise!" "It's like living in a dream!" I heard these expressions from our visitors this afternoon on the Zodiac as we were returning to thePolaris. They asked me if I felt the same, and my answer was an emphatic and cheerful "YES!" It is difficult to express in words the fascination one feels for the Galapagos Islands. These islands have a kind of magic that is contagious. This magic is clearly felt on days like the one we had today.
After an early disembarkation to one of the most important historical sites in the archipelago, Post Office Bay, we went to Champion Islet. Here we enjoyed the diversity and beauty of the marine life of Galapagos with unforgettable snorkeling and glass-bottom boat outings. Thousands, literally, thousands of fish were seen in huge schools. At midday we restored our energy with a traditional Ecuadorian lunch.
In the afternoon, and after a well-deserved rest, we disembarked at Point Cormorant. We walked to the beautiful white beach known as "flour beach", because of its fine, soft sand, where we had a spectacular experience. I counted 34 eastern Pacific green turtles that were floating, swimming and crawling close to shore. In today's picture you can see how close they were to us, how excellent the light conditions were for photography, and why many of us were deeply touched by the magic of nature and the chance to share this moment with such highly endangered animals.
The eastern Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii) lives along the coast from central Baja California to Peru. They are most often found in bays and around protected shorelines. They range in size from 23 to 46 inches and weigh from 90 to 270 pounds. Their nesting areas are confined to the pacific coasts of Mexico and Central America, the Galapagos archipelago and the Indo-Pacific. The decreasing trend in population of this species is quite disturbing. Pacific turtle populations are declining rapidly and may soon be reduced to an estimated one percent of historic populations. Pollution, habitat loss and alteration of their traditional nesting grounds are decimating their numbers. The Galapagos Islands, thanks to the strictly regulated National Park status and to their remoteness, have become one of the last refuges for these marine creatures.
