Loberia

In September 12 one year ago, i applied as a new volunteer. That opportunity was to make a study and population control for sea lions, on a small island about 15 minutes from Puerto Ayora.

The next day, Bielefeld University from Germany called me to confirm my participation in that project. But this project was to spend 3 months in a small island and for me it was excellent. September 16 we left from Puerto Ayora and in 15 minutes arrived to Loberia (small island), our group were 2 Guys from Germany (a men and a women) scientists, another from Quito (Eduardo) and me.

The first days were very stressful, because Eduardo and me needed to learn how to read TAGS with their number. When sea lions are 1 year old the scientists took them and put a mark with a corresponding number for each of them (the name of the mark is a TAG)

They are placed on one side of their fins. Each island has a different color of tag, we have orange TAG.

After that, everything was incredible, because the sea lions pups started to be born and the male sea lions started to mark their territory and make harems.

We needed to know how many pups were born each season, also we needed to know how many were living and how many had died. I didn´t remember how many were born that I saw and how many shark attacks I saw. Wildlife is amazing, because I could learn so much about sea lions, for example sea lions mothers take care of their young, male sea lion form a nursery to take care of the young sea lions because they could have the opportunity to get a female, the harem owner defends all the females and pups himself.

I saw ocean front sunrises and sunsets for 90 days, I have to learned to cook myself, made pizza in a pan, even after a sea lion got to my tent and a had to sleep in the kitchen.

Sometimes we needed to take adult sea lion and this was very dangerous, because 2 people took their front and hind legs another person took their neck and another person took the data and placed the TAG. Because they are very strong and moved a lot, after 3 months in Loberia we arrived to Puerto Ayora it was like a dream, because our food was limited. In my first day in Santa Cruz I ate a lot of food and smoked my first cigarette in 3 months, but the experience was unforgettable.

Interpretation

After of my participation in the marine tortoises program, Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) called me, to be a volunteer in the ¨Victor Van Stralen Center¨. I was responsible for the administration of the center and I had to project a video about Galapagos Islands, the evolution, the endemic species, how the introduced species threaten the balance in the islands and people´s way of life and their friendship with the tourists. Sometimes someone was lost and had to help them.

I was also a guide inside the center, had to take tourists without a naturalist guide to tour the pens of the giant tortoises and land iguanas. I had the opportunity to take care of Lonesome George in his yard, put food in his cage and view him up close for 2 weeks. But after my participation in this important center had more experience in the natural world of Galapagos. But anyone can do what I did, Galapagos Islands and it is biodiversity needs all the help possible.

The Unforgettable

One of the most important experiences in my life in Galapagos Island was when I was a Volunteer for a Charles Darwin Station, monitoring marine tortoises specie (Chelonidae mydas) or green Tortoise. I spent 2 months on Isabela island. I stayed in a small camp with 5 partners in THE middle of nowhere, Alone without technology, only the animals and us.

My group for 2 months

Every night we worked from 7 pm to 5 am, because in this time the marine tortoises get out of the sea to make the nests and lay their eggs. We had to mark every marine tortoise, to recognize them when they return to the beach again. Also we had to examine them and record data, such as how large and long was the shell, and we had to count the eggs that every marine tortoise laid.

In these images we can see the turtles make their nests up in the sand like hide and withdrawal.

We can see the traces left by the turtles inthe beach at night.

In the morning sometimes we saw the babies tortoises (neonates) coming out of the sand and running to the sea, although sometimes only a few could reach the sea, as sea birds ate them, and we could not interfere in the order of nature.

We can see the hatchlings emerging from their nest during the day, but they are easy prey to the sunlight. The following image shows seabirds Deborah after the infants of 6 different nests.

This experience was a beginning for many others in my life. But if you like participate in this important project, visit that web page or write in that email address.

www.darwinfoundation.org/english/pages/interna.php?txtCodiInfo=63

or write

vol@fcdarwin.org.ec

Don’t care where are you from, is free and this month is opening the new season that lasted six months. Only need your help and your desire to take care the environment.

Galapagos Island

You can learn about the Galapagos Island in different ways it, you come as turist, explorer or a mad scientist lover of evolution. But the point is that only in a day can see many animals around you: Birds, iguanas, tortoises, etc. This is only be the beginnig, because a few steps with a crystal clean sea and wonderful marine animals are them you can see more: Sharks, sea lions, fishes, etc. You can see them diving or snorkeling or as see best to you?, but you will see something.
Although one of the most important parts are the people, in all of Galapagos there are more than 20.000 people, is a small civilization in middle of the see. Populated part occupies only 3%, the other 97% is the Galapagos National Park area, wilderness without human impact that can meet. Populated islands are: San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Floreana. Each person is friendly, happy and loves the environment.

Galapagos is a Wonderful place, if you don't konw it yet, it is time to go.