Day 6

Today we started with an early morning as we left for the airport at 5:30am. After a long check-in process to maintain biosecurity in the islands, we started our journey to the Galápagos. When we arrived, we stopped at our new hotel, which has wonderful views! We dropped our luggage off and then headed to the Galápagos campus of USFQ with our amazing guide, Kathe. It was "El Día del Tiburón" or "shark day" on the campus, so we were able to witness some neat educational efforts by the university to promote conservation. After a quick orientation, Kathe showed us around the town in San Cristobal. We walked along the pier, and saw many sea lions and even a blue-footed boobie!!! We finished the day with a welcome dinner with some USFQ staff. At the end of our dinner, a processional passed by celebrating the Virgin Mary. It was a great first day in the Galápagos, and we are all so excited to spend the next few weeks on the islands!

-Sarah + Grace





Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 16, 2023 at 4:41 AM

    I’m really enjoying this blog - I feel like I’m there! What a fantastic experience this is for you all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 23, 2023 at 8:13 PM

    What measures does the island take for bio security?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SarahJuly 26, 2023 at 8:06 AM

      The biosecurity measures start in mainland Ecuador. First, you can’t fly to the Galapagos the same day that you fly into Ecuador. Once you get to the airport to head to the Galapagos, you have to send your bag through multiple scanners to check that you are not bringing in any seeds or fruits that could act as invasive species in the islands. They then lock your bags with a zip tie so you cannot add anything else before you check your bag. About 30 minutes before you land in the islands, all of the bags are sprayed with an aerosol to kill any possible mosquitos that may have traveled with you. Unfortunately, invasive species still arrive on the islands, but their measures help limit the impacts!

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJuly 23, 2023 at 8:14 PM

    Is the main form of tourism here ecotourism? Or do people go to enjoy the beach/swim as well?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GraceJuly 26, 2023 at 7:49 AM

      From the tourists we’ve talked to, I’d say it’s a bit of both! I have had several people say they have come specifically to see the wildlife on the islands and several people who say they are here to enjoy the beautiful beaches. I am guessing that a lot of people also come for both—they want to see wildlife and enjoy the islands at the same time!

      Delete
  4. AnonymousJuly 25, 2023 at 8:01 PM

    What a great first day on the islands!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 27, 2023 at 8:44 PM

    Wow, thanks for answering the questions!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 1

Image
                  Howdy y'all, it is Diego and Cole. We just finished our first day in Ecuador, and had a great time being introduced to the culture of USFQ. We started the day by touring the beautiful campus. We learned a lot about the history of the University, and were able to see some unique attractions, such as the dragon, the tie fighter, and the PIG. The culinary school cooked up some lunch for us. It was hard to believe the amount of amazing food they had on campus. The class refreshed their knowledge on Spanish with the help of Dr. Karla. An interesting topic we learned was the Kichwa language that is native to Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. After Spanish we crushed the One Health Ecuadorian Perspective class with Dr. Trueba. He lectured about the pathogens of nature, the dangers they cause, and how human activity amplifies them both directly and indirectly. To end the day we had a group dinner at Noe Sushi Bar, which had some incredib...
Read more

Day 26 - Final Excursion:(:

Image
Hey everyone! Marielle and Tyler here with our final excursion blog (sad face)  Today we left the hotel around 9 AM to visit Los Gemelos and El Chato Ranch. The Gemelos are two giant sink holes formed by the collapse of volcanic chambers. They are filled with tons of greenery and vegetation, along with a variety of bird species. Sometimes, you can see the Vermillion Flycatcher - a bright, red, finch-like bird. However, they are endangered due to introduced species, such as feral cats.  Our next stop was El Chato Ranch, which is a tortoise farm, where the Galapagos Tortoises roam free in the lush greens, grazing along, and taking things one slow step at a time. The ranch is also home to many cattle, along with cattle egrets! It was so interesting watching these creatures live together peacefully. As we took a stroll through the farm, we took many pictures of the dome shaped giants, while making sure to avoid stepping in tortoise poo. We were also able to witness the underground...
Read more