“A surreal experience, being here eating a barbecue in the shadow of this otherworldly shaped monolith that is Wolf Island, I mean we have just come back from a dive with hundreds of Hammerhead sharks and now we get to eat a perfect lunch whilst waiting for the next dive!”  This sentiment expressed by David, whom I found myself sitting next to for lunch, well sums up the feelings that the yearly dive trips to the Galapagos Islands engender in people.  There are dive safaris……..and then there is doing a weeks diving in the Galapagos!

This year Tony Backhurst Scuba Travel chartered the Aggressor One for two weeks, from the 29th Nov until the 12th of Nov 2007.  I and my partner Karin were extremely happy to be escorting the trip and as the year drew to a close the excitement definitely mounted.  Some might have read last years report and been wondering how this years trip compared.  Well let’s just say that for big fish there is no place quite like the Galapagos and it once again delivered the goods in a B…I…G way!

Joining us on the trip were valued guests, many of whom Karin and myself have had the pleasure of diving with previously mostly on Hurricane.  Legends such as Dave “Video” Bakalarski, Mickey “The Fish” Percival, Sharon “I don’t like liveaboards” Percival, Charlie “I don’t eat much” Oakley, Richie “Scouser” Power, Angela “Gadget” Mackintosh, Nicole “I can’t smell anything” Veltman, Kathy “Where’s my video?” Smith, to name but a few.

After being delivered safely to Ecuador by Spain’s Airline of the Year, Iberian, we caught an Aero Gal flight across the 1000 or so kilometres to the Galapagos.  For me it’s always a special moment as the plane comes in to land and I catch a glimpse of those volcanic islands surrounded by the beautiful waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.  For Karin and me it will always hold a special place as it is the place where we met and actually the first place that we both started working together.  Anyway, sentimental ranting aside I hear you say.  The Galapagos is so special it has earned a UNESCO rating as a world heritage site.  This is not only for the wildlife underwater but also for the unique species that can be seen on land.  The trips this time offered 17 dives but also 4 land tours.

The Aggressor live aboards in the Galapagos must be up there amongst the slickest dive operators in the world.  The boats are large and comfortable and the crew are attentive and professional. We recognised some of the crew from last year and it was nice to see them again.  On the second week we had Walter Torres as one of our guides.  He is not only an experienced dive guide but is also a land guide trained by the National Park.  The information he relayed whilst on the land tours was interesting and concise.

So our itinerary was as follows, Mosquera Island, Seymour Island, Wolf Island, Darwin Island, Cousins Rock, Bartolome Island, Gordon Rocks, Plazas and finishing with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station on the main island Santa Cruz.

As I’m writing this I’m thinking back over the trip and trying to work out how to put in all the highlights!  But here’s a few.  Of course as divers the main attraction is the fabulous diversity of life beneath the waves.  This is especially true on what I would call the “Main Act” parts of the trip, Darwin and Wolf Islands. These 2 islands are 140 miles north of the main part of the Galapagos.  You actually have to cross the Equator to get to them.  As soon as you arrive you sense that something special is about to happen.  Is it the continual jumping of Dolphins around the boat or just the magnificence of the sheer cliffs surrounding these uninhabited islands?  Or could that clenching of jaws just be an attempt to ward off the seasickness as the boat pitches and rolls! Either way there is an understated tension on the dive deck as we gear up. Finally we roll in and the emotions go into over drive as we are circled and buzzed by schools of Hammerheads.  Galapagos Sharks, who look like they have done some steroids, also come to the party.  You see, these two islands are the only land mass for miles around and hence have set themselves up as the biggest cleaning stations you will ever encounter.  The other thing that is happening is the convergence of 3 of the major ocean currents including the Humboldt Current from the south and the mid Pacific current from the west.  These are bringing food and nutrients from miles around and basically dumping them right in the lap of these enchanted islands.

Last years trip saw us visiting towards the end of the Whale Shark season.  We were a bit nervous that these gentle giants of the sea would not be around but we were pleasantly surprised.  This year confidence was high and sure enough on all but 1 of the dives we did on Darwin Island (13 dives between the 2 weeks) we had Whale Shark sightings.  Diving on Darwin’s Arch is always exciting as it can be washed with some strong currents.  The modus operandi is to hit the water running ( or swimming ), and bomb down to the ledge at around 16m – 19m and hang on for grim life.  The good part about it is this.  You don’t have to go anywhere!!  It’s all happening right in front of you!  If you didn’t have all this neoprene on and have a sore jaw from trying to hold the regulator in your mouth, you could be sitting in front of your High Definition TV watching the Blue Planet!  All it would take is an underwater MP3 player with a voice over from Sir David Attenborough and it would complete the picture!  Actually I lied because every now and then a little work is required.  When the sound of a guide banging on his tank awakens you from your hypnotic stare into the blue, you know a Whale Shark is approaching.  Then its time to launch yourself off the ledge and swim like mad into the blistering current to chase this gigantic beast.  What always amazes me is the speed that these animals swim.  They look to make no effort at all and it is all one can do to keep up with them for a few blissful minutes and then retreat back to the safety of the reef to await another chance as they circle.

So that was the big stuff.  But don’t forget the smaller things.  On Cousins Rock we had some beautiful Sea Horses and some magical Nudibranches.  Also we had good visits from Galapagos Sea Lions and many different types of Rays such as Eagle Rays, Manta Mobulas and Golden Cow Nose Rays.

The land visits are a special part of the trips.  This year was no exception with countless Blue Footed Boobies, Marine Iguanas, Land Iguanas, Frigate Birds, Sea Lions and more.  The land visits are conducted in a strict but relaxed fashion and you get the feeling that the guides have a genuine desire to preserve the integrity of these sites.  There are trails that must be followed but everything can be viewed from these paths.  In fact it sometimes feels like the animals have put their nests as close to the trails as possible.  A special moment was when we came across a Blue Footed Boobie female on her nest (they nest on the ground) and as she raised herself up we caught sight of a baby that had hatched just 2 or 3 days before.  She didn’t seem to mind us all gawking and making ooohing and aaaahing sounds.  Her nest was less than 2 metres away from the path! The female Sea Lions leave their young pups on land to go to sea and hunt.  So often the pups approach the humans bleating to be fed.  It is very tempting to lean down and give them a pat but of course no touching is allowed as it would disrupt the fragile balance of the ecology here.

On the last day, whilst waiting for all that pesky nitrogen to come out, it’s an opportunity to visit the Charles Darwin Station.  This is a non profit organisation that works in conjunction with the Galapagos National Park to preserve the flora and fauna on these islands.  It’s a place where many an aspiring young biologist has a chance to see nature and biodiversity at its best.  Whilst walking around viewing the displays it becomes painfully obvious that the main threat to these islands comes from us.  In the past the giant tortoises were hunted to the brink of extinction to feed the hungry sailors who were busy hunting the whales to the brink of extinction!  Goats, cats, rats and other introduced animals have decimated the numbers of endemic species and it’s only through the work of the Charles Darwin Station that there is hope on the horizon.  The other issue is the illegal fishing taking place within the boundaries of the Marine Reserve.  This area is the second largest Marine Reserve in the world besides Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and one definitely gets the feeling that it is not being policed sufficiently.  But besides these depressing issues that make us all question if there is any more that we can do individually, there are worthwhile projects going on that can be viewed here.  One is the Tortoise breeding program.  Basically the eggs are collected from the different islands, hatched and raised to a certain age and then the mature Tortoises are reintroduced into their natural habitats.  In this way many of the islands Giant Tortoise populations have been bought back from the edge of obliteration.  A star attraction is “Lonesome George”.  He is a Giant Tortoise from the island of Pinta where his species were hunted to the end.  In fact he is the last one left of his kind and all efforts have been made to find him a mate so that his line can continue.  So far no success, but if you know anyone with a Pinta female in their backyard the National Park is offering $10,000 dollars for her!  Until then we sadly count down the last years of George’s life as he reminds us of the damage we can wreak on the vulnerable animals of this planet.

So the trip comes to a close.  Another fantastic experience.  It’s good for all of us to get back to basics.  Somehow when you are beneath the sea here in Galapagos nothing else matters, jobs, houses, cars, ipods, etc all seem a long way away and rather insignificant.  I have no idea why this is?  I don’t seem to get this feeling in other places I dive.  Is it the pure isolation of this place?  Is it the feeling of privilege to visit this place that has evolved perfectly without any positive input from supposedly the most evolved of the species……….us?  Who knows?  All I know is that we look forward to next year when we can once again return to the enchanted islands of the Galapagos.