Lietuviskas aprasymas zemiau
Wanna see all reports? Click here
Day 102: Islas Galapagos: Back to Santa Cruz
May 20, 2006
Today the day started early - at 9 o'clock in the morning we already were
proud survivors of the boat trip from Puerto Villamil to Puerto Ayora. The
killer waterbus left Isla Isabela at 6:15AM. Fortunately, this time the ocean
was slightly calmer and the boat ride was somewhat smoother and a bit shorter.
Unfortunately, 2 hours and 15 minutes of pure torture was more than enough
for most of the passengers to get dizzy or motion-sick, or both…
As soon as the ground stopped swinging under our feet and we could finally
walk again (you have to take one of those Galapagos waterbus trips to really
understand what we are talking about) we headed straight to the Charles Darwin
Research Station.
Located at the Academy Bay, only 1.5km from the active Puerto Ayora, the station feels like a whole different world: secluded and calm, no souvenir vendors, no noisy snack bars, no hassle of any kind; just a few lazy visitors quietly strolling along the narrow paths surrounded by cacti, prickly pear, the salt bush, mangroves and other weird arid-zone flora. The station also features a very informative visitor center (Centro de Interpretacion), a small museum and a cute baby tortoise nursery. If you are a serious tortoise-lover, you can talk to the scientists of the station about getting a Galapagos tortoise of your own! All you have to do is "adopt" a tortoise by agreeing to provide regular financial aid to the station. In return, you will receive periodic detailed accounts about your tortoise's daily activities.
At the station we also had a chance to finally meet Lonesome George (Jorge Solitario), the best-known resident of the Galapagos Islands and the most famous bachelor in the word, outranking even such stubborn specimens as George Clooney and Hugh Grant! Lonesome George is a Giant Galapagos Tortoise that comes from the Island of Pinta. Due to the tragic events of the 19th century when whalers and buccaneers killed most of the giant tortoises, George remained the last surviving example of his species (hence, "Lonesome") and was brought to the Charles Darwin Research Center where he joined the captive breeding program for the giant tortoises. To the greatest disappointment of all the scientist community, Lonesome George keeps ignoring all the pretty ladies brought to him from as far as Northern Isabela (genetically closest species to George) and so far has not produced any offspring. The scientists are blaming the possible genetic distance between Lonesome George and his female companions, but we think there is a slightly different problem here - most likely George just cannot get away from his bachelor lifestyle and the habits he has developed during the 65 solitary years.
The last highlight of the day was the amazing Bahia Tortuga - a stunning white-sand beach at the Tortuga Bay, about 3km west from Puerto Ayora. Of course, there are many gorgeous white-sand beaches all over the world, but where else could you possibly watch white-tip shark youngsters circulating around your feet just 2 meters away from the shore??!!
Click on the pictures to enlarge
|
Feeling shy…
Nedrasu… |
… and curious
…bet vis tiek labai smalsu! |
Always in a hurry!
Pasitrauk, netrukdyk! Juk matai, kad skubu! |
|
Surrounded by paparazzi again…
Ir vel paparaciai apsupo… |
Good old friends…
Seni geri biciuliai… |
|
|
…and intriguing new acquaintances
…ir idomus naujieji pazistami |
Too much sunbathing
Kazkas per ilgai pasidegino |
Nuvesk pelyte virs paveiksliuko, spustelk
jos kaire ausele, ir paveiksliukas padides
102-oji diena: Galapagai. Atgal I Santa Cruz.
2006 m. geguzes 20
Isauso ypatingai nelauktas rytas - dar zeme is po ano pasiplaukiojimo po
kojomis tebesiubuoja, o jau laikas vel sesti I ziauruji vandens autobusa ir
grizti atgal I Puerto Ayora.
Laimei, plaukiant atgal blogiau, nei atplaukiant, nebuvo. Nelaimei - geriau
nebuvo taip pat. "Malonusis" pasisokinejimas per bangas truko siek
tiek trumpiau, taciau savijauta islipus is valties buvo tokia pat, kaip anakart
- dar gera pusdieni zeme po kojomis suposi Ramiojo vandenyno bangu ritmu…
Po pietu aplankeme Carlzo Darvino (Charles Darwin) moksliniu tyrimu stoti, kur pagaliau asmeniskai susipazinome su Vienisuoju Jurgiu (Jorge Soletario) - izymiausiuoju Galapagu gyventoju ir garsiausiu pasaulio viengungiu, statistiniais duomenimis populiarumu lenkianti net tokius uzkietiejusius senbernius kaip George'as Clooney's ir Hugh Grant'as! (Vienisojo Jurgio istorija trumpai apraseme 96-osios dienos reportaze). Jurgis letai vaikstinejo po savo naujuosius "namus", nekreipdamas nei menkiausio demesio I salimais besisukiojancias puikias damas is Isabelos salos ir tokiu savo uzsispyrelisku senberniavimu varydamas is proto viso pasaulio mokslininkus. Nedaug nusimanome apie Galapagu vezliu nuotaikas, taciau mums Vienisasis Jurgis pasirode kazkoks labai liudnas…
Bendrai Carlzo Darvino moksliniu tyrimu stotis paliko labai gera ispudi - didziuleje teritorijoje ant vandenyno kranto be Jurgio dar gyvena (mokslininku prieziuroje) apie 15-20 didziuju Galapagu vezliu, daugybe mazu vezliuku, auksines iguanos, juodosios jurines iguanos bei daugybe ivairiu rusiu pauksciu; o ispudingai irengtame turistu centre galima perskaityti ir pamatyti visa Galapagu salu istorija bei raida, issamiai susipazinti su Darvino Evoliucijos teorija bei pasirankioti "pikantisku" Galapagu naujienu…
Vos uz kilometro nuo miesto esanti Moksliniu tyrimu stoties teritorija - tikras laukiniu gyvunu pasaulis (maloni priesingybe turistu ir triuksmingu baru pilnam Puerto Ayora miesteliui) - po pievele tingiai vaikstineja didziuliai vezliai, pakranteje drybso buriai iguanu, salimais pritupia zmogaus nei kiek nesibaiminantis pelikanas… Apie tai, kad zmogus siame laukines gamtos kampelyje - tik svecias, byloja ir tokie ispejamaji kelio (tiksliau - takelio) zenklai: "Bukite atsargus - sioje vietoje per kelia eina iguanos! Prasome praleisti - ju pirmenybe!" Truputi juokinga, bet kaip grazu stebeti tokia neiprasta tvarka…
Vakare dar spejom aplankyti 3 km uz miestelio esanti balto smelio papludimi Bahia Tortuga (Vezliu Ilanka). Minksto, baltucio smeliuko pliazu esame mate ir kitur, taciau tokia vieta, kur, braidant po vandeni vos 2m nuo kranto, aplink kojas sukasi baltapelekiai Galapagu rykliai tikrai tera vienintele pasaulyje!
