Wanderboomer

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON October 23, 2011

Chasing Rainbows

“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.”
– Lyman Frank  Baum

Call it the luck o’ the Irish, but I’ve had the good fortune to capture a few beautiful rainbows in photos on my small-ship cruises and travel expeditions. See for yourself . . .

Aboard the Island Spirit, Petersburg, Alaska

Aboard the MV Evolution from San Cristobal, The Galapagos Islands

San Cristobal, The Galapagos Islands

Quito, Ecuador

How about you, Wanderboomers? Seen any great rainbows in your travels?

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Galapagos Islands, Uncategorized Tagged With: Alaska, colors, Ecuador, MV Evolution. Galapagos Islands, Petersburg, Quito, rainbow, rainbows, San Cristobal, Somewhere over the Rainbow, the Island Spirit

BY Nancy Mueller 10 Comments ON October 17, 2011

Last Call for Boobies, Frigates & Iguanas

As we near the end of our Galapagos cruise odyssey, we stop at North Seymour Island and Santa Cruz before heading back to San Cristobal.

We cross paths with a colorful land iguana and a lovely little lava lizard before discovering the magnificent frigate birds.

These large, long-winged, fork-tailed flying creatures aren’t called “magnificent” for nothing. On average, the birds are 76 cm (30″ long) with a wingspan between 150 – 250 cm (59″ – 98″). In other words, they’re hard to miss, either soaring overhead or in their not-so-hiding nesting areas. And the male’s red-throated pouches have a way of standing out in the palo santo trees and brown brush.

But it’s the spectacular courtship rituals of the magnificent frigates that keep me spellbound on our last full day in the Galapagos Islands. I watch as the the male throws back his head, inflates its red-throated pouch almost to the bursting point, and calls out in a machine gun rat-a-tat-tat refrain – “Choose me, choose me!”

Inevitably, a female swoops down and thinks about it, before giving him her final answer. After surveying the field of  at least half a dozen puffed up magnificent male frigates, Marilyn, a fellow passenger, whispers: “There’s a lot of competition, but I like that guy back there.”

There’s a frigate for everyone . . .

Not to be outdone by the frigates, the blue-footed booby gets into the act with his own courtship ritual, a two-step, whistle shuffle. The male lifts one blue foot, then the other, again and again, occasionally circling so his potential mate can check him out from all angles. In a dramatic display of  “skypointing,” he bends forward, lifts his wings, and whistles a high- piping tune.

Geez – what’s a Galapagos frigate or blue-footed booby have to do to get a female’s attention? Apparently, a lot – an experience that my male friends would recognize as all-too-familiar.

But wait – there’s more . . . a whale sighting ahead!

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Galapagos Islands Tagged With: blue-footed boobies, courtship, courtship rituals, Galapagos, Galapagos Islands, iguanas, land iguanas, lava lizards, magnificent frigate birds, North Seymour Island, palo santo trees, red-throated pouches, rituals, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, skypointing

BY Nancy Mueller 12 Comments ON October 13, 2011

Land of the Iguanas

Can you spot the marine iguanas in this photo?

With the night of choppy seas behind us, our morning dawns bright on the youngest of the Galapagos Islands, Fernandina. For me, this is the most other-worldly island of all . . .

From our dry landing at Punta Espinosa (Espinosa Point), we set off on a leisurely three-hour walk to witness earth in its most primitive state. Along the way fellow passengers call out to each other:  “Watch your step. Look where you’re walking” which I take as a reference to the uneven volcanic rocks on our path. But a sudden movement underfoot rivets my attention.

A marine iguana stirs. It takes a nanosecond for me to realize that I’m standing in the midst of a large colony of oversized lizards coating the entire surface of surrounding black lava rocks. So these are the creatures Darwin referred to as “disgusting . . . clumsy . . .  imps of darkness.”

Sure they spit from time to time as they expel sea salt from their glands, leaving them with little white crowns. But I’m entranced by these gentle lizards. Most stand frozen, some resting on top of others, playing their own primitive version of the children’s game, “Statues.” The sight is all the more remarkable because of their size and abundance. Gradually, as the iguanas are warmed by the sun, they begin to move, with some heading out toward sea, searching for food.

Not everyone who visits the Galapagos Islands makes it this far west to Fernandina. But it’s high on my list of favorite islands. Not just for the marine iguanas, the only seagoing lizards in the world, but also for the chance to see the endemic (native to Fernandina) flightless cormorant.

Our naturalist guides, Alex and Jorge, explain that the cormorant evolved without the need to fly since they have no predators to fear on the island and food is close by.

Fernandina is also worth a visit because not only is it the youngest of the Galapagos Islands, but also one of the most active volcanically. Alex shares his childhood memory of the sound wave from the 1968 explosion that pushed him to the ground on San Cristobal, over 200 kilometers (almost 125 miles) away. Alex tell us that the ash from the eruption was carried as far away as the Pacific Northwest and recorded in Colorado as equivalent to the force of 5 nuclear bombs. Yikes.

But all is calm on the day of our sunny visit here. We view the smooth pahoehoe, rope-like lava all around. On Alex’s recommendation, we take time out to sit in this “zen garden of lava” and contemplate the surroundings which he finds “very soothing for the spirit.”

Following lunch on board our small ship, the MV Evolution, we’re off to seahorse-shaped Isabela Island, the largest in the Galapagos.  From our dry landing at Tagus Cove, we take a power hike to Darwin’s Lake with spectacular views of Darwin’s Volcano. We round out our day’s adventure with kayaking, panga snorkeling and a panga ride.

Next up: a 15 hour cruise to North Seymour Island before ending our trip on San Cristobal.

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Galapagos Islands, Health & Safety Tagged With: Charles Darwin, contemplation, Darwin, Darwin's Lake, Darwin's Volcano, endemic, eruption, Espinosa Point, evolution, Fernandina Island, flightless cormorant, Galapagos Islands, garden, hike, hiking, imps of darkness, Isabela Island, kayaking, lava, lizard, M/V Evolution, marine iguanas, naturalist, North Seymour Island, Pahoehoe lava, panga, panga ride, Punta Espinosa, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz Island, seahorse, snorkeling, spirit, statue, statues, Tagus Cove, volcano, zen

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
For travel tips, news & inspiration in our Wanderboomer newsletter, subscribe here.

Destination:

  • North America
  • South America
  • Europe
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Africa

Categories:

  • Business
  • Family
  • Purpose
  • Writing

© 2023 · Wanderboomer. Terms and Conditons | Sitemap | Contact · Site by Wordpress Barista