Will the Galápagos Islands be the same in the next 50 to 100 years? There are many reasons the Galapagos Islands are so special. My experience there and what I learned made me realize what a fragile place it is and it needs protection.
I did not know what to expect in the Galapagos, but there were many things I loved and learned there. Of all the things I loved, it was the animals that really impressed me. From the moment I walked off the bus I saw a sea lion on a bench! The reason they were on a bench was because either they were males that lost a fight or they were pups that lost their moms. One of the sea lions I saw had a huge lump on his head, which is how you tell a male from a female. Bull sea lions can weigh 250 kilograms and they are very territorial. My uncle got too close to the bull and he barked and then the pup barked too. The pup sounded like a lamb. There were not any harems there. Harems are groups of female sea lions. The moms of pups find their pup by the bark and smell. The sea lions had no fear of us and I could get within three feet of them. Sea lions are cute and interesting.
The first place we went was South Plaza. Our guide told us to watch our step. I forgot and almost stepped on a Marine Iguana. They are so well camouflaged that they look like the lava they are standing on and like a small Kimono Dragon. She told me to always watch my step. The two different kinds of iguanas are marine or land. The males were very colorful, showing reds, yellows, and oranges.
We snorkeled almost every day from our boat the Reina Silvia. On my third snorkel I saw a sea turtle! It had a diamond shaped shell. Many fish eat the bacteria off its shell. It´s a treat for the turtle and the fish. Speaking of fish, one of my favourite fish is the Yellow-tailed Damsel fish. He kept an algae garden for himself. He was funny because he would not let anything on his garden, not even a hermit crab. He grabbed whatever was on his garden and put it on someone else´s garden. He does not let anyone even pass over it. They are so great!
Birds were one of biggest parts of the wildlife on the Galapagos Islands. Our guide told us a very hilarious poem.
“A funny bird is the Pelican,
His beak can hold more than his belly can,
He´ll hold in his beak enough for a week,
And I don´t know how the hell he can.”
The first time I saw a Galapagos flycatcher it was right as I came out from hiking through a lava tube. It was a cute fuzzy bird that had a yellow head and a grey body, and it was as big as my middle finger. A little bit bigger bird was the American oystercatcher which was as big as my fingers to my elbow, and had greyer feathers and bright orange legs. The Galapagos Hawk was funny and pretty with gold and black feathers. The hawk was cocking his head, and it made him look like he was wondering. We were walking through the valley and he just kept following us which was funny. My favourite bird was the Albatros. The wing span for the Albatros is almost seven feet. They do a mating dance where they rock back and forth. When the babies are 6 months old they are as big as the adults. When they are ready to take off they jump off the cliff. They stay out at sea their whole lives, and they only go to the island of Espaniola to mate.
How did I learn all that? I learned it from my guide, Tanya. She explained about the Albatros really well. They are rarely seen so she was really keen on talking about them. She showed us the tiniest things that I would never have seen without her help. The lava lizards are the tiniest and hardest things to find. The lava lizards are the size of my finger and very well camouflaged. Tanya had a good sense of humor. When my uncle tripped on purpose in front of people, she cracked up. She was one of the best guides I have ever known.
At Post Office Bay there was an unusual mailbox. Imagine that! The mailbox was started by whalers in 1793. It´s just a barrel on a post that has a door with a latch. There were bags full of letters for people all over the world. The rule with the mailbox is that if you take one, you have to hand deliver the letter to the person it was addressed to. I looked at some. I did not find any for Colorado, but my dad did. The letter was for someone in Pinecliff, Colorado. We have a journey in front of us!
Charles Darwin was a scientist that journeyed to the Galapagos Islands on a boat called the Beagle in the 1830’s. He was the first scientist to explore the Galapagos and collect samples of the animals there. He started the theory of evolution through the samples he collected. The different kinds of finches proved that they all started with one finch. The specialness of the animals and the story they tell about evolution makes the Galapagos famous around the world.
The Galapagos Islands are the only place where certain kinds of animals live and they are not afraid of humans. Sea turtles live almost everywhere around the world, but Giant Land Tortoises only live in the Highlands on certain islands in the Galapagos. The rare Albatros are very important because there are only 17,000 of these birds, and they only land on Espanoila Island to mate and nest. These extraordinary animals should be able to continue living in their natural habitats.
My visit to the Galapagos made me realize what a delicate place this is. The people need to work together to help the animals. The Galapagos Islands need to be protected.
I did not know what to expect in the Galapagos, but there were many things I loved and learned there. Of all the things I loved, it was the animals that really impressed me. From the moment I walked off the bus I saw a sea lion on a bench! The reason they were on a bench was because either they were males that lost a fight or they were pups that lost their moms. One of the sea lions I saw had a huge lump on his head, which is how you tell a male from a female. Bull sea lions can weigh 250 kilograms and they are very territorial. My uncle got too close to the bull and he barked and then the pup barked too. The pup sounded like a lamb. There were not any harems there. Harems are groups of female sea lions. The moms of pups find their pup by the bark and smell. The sea lions had no fear of us and I could get within three feet of them. Sea lions are cute and interesting.
The first place we went was South Plaza. Our guide told us to watch our step. I forgot and almost stepped on a Marine Iguana. They are so well camouflaged that they look like the lava they are standing on and like a small Kimono Dragon. She told me to always watch my step. The two different kinds of iguanas are marine or land. The males were very colorful, showing reds, yellows, and oranges.
We snorkeled almost every day from our boat the Reina Silvia. On my third snorkel I saw a sea turtle! It had a diamond shaped shell. Many fish eat the bacteria off its shell. It´s a treat for the turtle and the fish. Speaking of fish, one of my favourite fish is the Yellow-tailed Damsel fish. He kept an algae garden for himself. He was funny because he would not let anything on his garden, not even a hermit crab. He grabbed whatever was on his garden and put it on someone else´s garden. He does not let anyone even pass over it. They are so great!
Birds were one of biggest parts of the wildlife on the Galapagos Islands. Our guide told us a very hilarious poem.
“A funny bird is the Pelican,
His beak can hold more than his belly can,
He´ll hold in his beak enough for a week,
And I don´t know how the hell he can.”
The first time I saw a Galapagos flycatcher it was right as I came out from hiking through a lava tube. It was a cute fuzzy bird that had a yellow head and a grey body, and it was as big as my middle finger. A little bit bigger bird was the American oystercatcher which was as big as my fingers to my elbow, and had greyer feathers and bright orange legs. The Galapagos Hawk was funny and pretty with gold and black feathers. The hawk was cocking his head, and it made him look like he was wondering. We were walking through the valley and he just kept following us which was funny. My favourite bird was the Albatros. The wing span for the Albatros is almost seven feet. They do a mating dance where they rock back and forth. When the babies are 6 months old they are as big as the adults. When they are ready to take off they jump off the cliff. They stay out at sea their whole lives, and they only go to the island of Espaniola to mate.
How did I learn all that? I learned it from my guide, Tanya. She explained about the Albatros really well. They are rarely seen so she was really keen on talking about them. She showed us the tiniest things that I would never have seen without her help. The lava lizards are the tiniest and hardest things to find. The lava lizards are the size of my finger and very well camouflaged. Tanya had a good sense of humor. When my uncle tripped on purpose in front of people, she cracked up. She was one of the best guides I have ever known.
At Post Office Bay there was an unusual mailbox. Imagine that! The mailbox was started by whalers in 1793. It´s just a barrel on a post that has a door with a latch. There were bags full of letters for people all over the world. The rule with the mailbox is that if you take one, you have to hand deliver the letter to the person it was addressed to. I looked at some. I did not find any for Colorado, but my dad did. The letter was for someone in Pinecliff, Colorado. We have a journey in front of us!
Charles Darwin was a scientist that journeyed to the Galapagos Islands on a boat called the Beagle in the 1830’s. He was the first scientist to explore the Galapagos and collect samples of the animals there. He started the theory of evolution through the samples he collected. The different kinds of finches proved that they all started with one finch. The specialness of the animals and the story they tell about evolution makes the Galapagos famous around the world.
The Galapagos Islands are the only place where certain kinds of animals live and they are not afraid of humans. Sea turtles live almost everywhere around the world, but Giant Land Tortoises only live in the Highlands on certain islands in the Galapagos. The rare Albatros are very important because there are only 17,000 of these birds, and they only land on Espanoila Island to mate and nest. These extraordinary animals should be able to continue living in their natural habitats.
My visit to the Galapagos made me realize what a delicate place this is. The people need to work together to help the animals. The Galapagos Islands need to be protected.
3 comments:
hi emma
that is a very good essay!
your trip sounds fun!
kailey
I am putting pictuers and videos on very soon.
Your Spanish really impresses me. Way over my head. Tampa
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