Bartolome Island
This week four 6th and 7th grade Galapaganean teachers were among the 50 guests who explored the enchanted islands with the Polaris. They are long time residents of these islands and have not had much opportunity to travel around and view the many wonders that they teach their students about. Our group of North American guests included several teachers and they in particular were delighted and impressed to learn about our “teachers on board” program.
In this photo, Luz, Mayra, Rafael and Fabian are climbing the fragile tuff cone of Bartolome Island. Here they learned about the formation of lava tubes and cinder cones and had a chance to view these volcanic structures. We discussed the arrival of species to the islands and how chance plays a major role in whether or not a new species will be able to establish. Later we had a fabulous morning walk to a beach where sea turtles were nesting and then snorkeled with fast moving Galapagos penguins and incredibly playful sea lions.
For everyone who has shared the experiences and sights this week on Polaris there is no doubt that the memories of sea lions swirling around us, Nazca boobies courting and incubating, and sneezing marine iguanas covering the jagged lava shores will never leave us. And for the Ecuadorian teachers who have traveled with us, from now on it will surely be easier to pass on to their students the urgent need to conserve these marvelous islands.
This week four 6th and 7th grade Galapaganean teachers were among the 50 guests who explored the enchanted islands with the Polaris. They are long time residents of these islands and have not had much opportunity to travel around and view the many wonders that they teach their students about. Our group of North American guests included several teachers and they in particular were delighted and impressed to learn about our “teachers on board” program.
In this photo, Luz, Mayra, Rafael and Fabian are climbing the fragile tuff cone of Bartolome Island. Here they learned about the formation of lava tubes and cinder cones and had a chance to view these volcanic structures. We discussed the arrival of species to the islands and how chance plays a major role in whether or not a new species will be able to establish. Later we had a fabulous morning walk to a beach where sea turtles were nesting and then snorkeled with fast moving Galapagos penguins and incredibly playful sea lions.
For everyone who has shared the experiences and sights this week on Polaris there is no doubt that the memories of sea lions swirling around us, Nazca boobies courting and incubating, and sneezing marine iguanas covering the jagged lava shores will never leave us. And for the Ecuadorian teachers who have traveled with us, from now on it will surely be easier to pass on to their students the urgent need to conserve these marvelous islands.
