Actually I myself prefer the word 'prodigy' rather than 'monster' to describe this wonderfully interesting and rather rare anomaly of the common Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. Charles Darwin in the nineteenth century already experimented with Digitalis that has this 'peloric terminal flower' ('peloric' is from the Greek for monster or prodigy). It seems that it is caused by a simple Mendelian recessive gene that is sometimes 'empowered' by an environmental shock of some sort; perhaps in this case the curious ups-and-downs of this year's Spring weather. Others say it's caused by too frequent inbreeding as might occur within a Horticultural Garden. In any case, this terminal flower of a Digitalis stalk is quite amazing and not at all usual in Nature.

The bar is located across the sandy street from the beach at the edge of town.

rose, "Charles Darwin"

The marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile.

This iguana feeds almost exclusively on algae, and large males dive to find this food source, while females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone.

They mainly live in colonies on rocky shores where they warm after visiting the relatively cold water or intertidal zone, but can also be seen in marshes, mangrove and beaches.

Large males defend territories for a short period, but smaller males have other breeding strategies. After mating, the female digs a nest hole in the soil where she lays her eggs, leaving them to hatch on their own a few months later.

On my trek to or from the Charles Darwin Research Station, I encountered a vibrant giant dragon. This is the archway entrance to Jardín Cerámica. Stopped in and looked around.

The Ceramic Garden is the fascinating, playful and colorful passion of longtime local artist Cristina Nelson Gallardo. Her fertile imagination and talent amused and delighted me with dazzling mosaic artwork.

The bar is located across the sandy street from the beach at the edge of town.

The marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile.

This iguana feeds almost exclusively on algae, and large males dive to find this food source, while females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone.

They mainly live in colonies on rocky shores where they warm after visiting the relatively cold water or intertidal zone, but can also be seen in marshes, mangrove and beaches.

Large males defend territories for a short period, but smaller males have other breeding strategies. After mating, the female digs a nest hole in the soil where she lays her eggs, leaving them to hatch on their own a few months later.

The most abundant marine mammal in the Archipelago, Galapagos sea lions can often be seen sleeping on the beaches or swimming close to shore.

The hike out to Volcán Chico is a hike through time, where the layers of volcanic rock each speak of a different eruption.

Our guide pointed out red rusty colored rock from the eruption of 1979 and a darker, gray black rock from the more recent eruption in 2005 and 2018.

In fact, Volcán Chico and its surrounds are a panorama of earthy tones and the stark contrasts between rusty reds, bright golden yellows, dusty, dull ochre, and blue blacks constantly greet us on the trail.

North Seymour is a small island near Baltra Island in the Galápagos Islands. It was formed by uplift of a submarine lava formation. The whole island is covered with low, bushy vegetation.

The island is named after an English nobleman, Lord Hugh Seymour. North Seymour Island has an area of 1.9 square kilometres (0.73 sq mi) and a maximum altitude of 28 metres (92 ft). This island is home to a large population of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. It hosts one of the largest populations of magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) and a slow growing population of the Galápagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus).

North Seymour has a visitor trail approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) in length crossing the inland of the island and exploring the rocky coast.

There is no pier.

They look for the best place to disembark and board small boats. The smaller boats take us to the yacht.

We will sail to Mosquera Island between the islands, North Seymour and South Seymour (Baltra Island).

The bar is located across the sandy street from the beach at the edge of town.

A three color picture.

During a volcanic eruption, lava would flow down the sides of the volcano and along the earth. As it cooled on the surface, hot lava continued to flow like an underground river. This created cavities within the rock and these lava tubes are just waiting to be explored.

This is the third of three lava tunnels that are a part of the Highland tour on Santa Cruz.

This is the most well lit of the three tunnels and the easiest to walk through.

The tortoises are ectothermic (cold-blooded), so bask for 1–2 hours after dawn to absorb the sun's heat through their dark shells before actively foraging for 8–9 hours a day. They travel mostly in the early morning or late afternoon between resting and grazing areas.

They have been observed to walk at a speed of 0.3 km/h (0.2 mph).

On the larger and more humid islands, the tortoises seasonally migrate between low elevations, which become grassy plains in the wet season, and meadowed areas of higher elevation (up to 2,000 ft (610 m)) in the dry season. The same routes have been used for many generations, creating well-defined paths through the undergrowth known as "tortoise highways". On these wetter islands, the domed tortoises are gregarious and often found in large herds, in contrast to the more solitary and territorial disposition of the saddleback tortoises.

The most commonly sighted cetacean in Galápagos waters is the bottlenose dolphin, which has a playful and inquisitive nature.

They typically feed cooperatively in pods of 20 to 30 individuals and have a varied diet, diving up to 500 meters offshore.

Where to see: Everywhere.

***

They often travel in large pods and can sometimes be spotted playfully riding the bow waves of ships and yachts. The have short beaks and curved dorsal fins, and their backs and sides are dark gray or black, with paler skin underneath.

The southern and eastern side of the volcano is covered with lush tropical forest vegetation and fertile soil at moderate altitudes, the higher reaches are more barren with bushes and grasses of modest height of 2–3 meters.

Galápagos Sea Lion on bench in Puerto Villamil.

The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galápagos Islands and – in smaller numbers – on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador).

Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf.

Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the "welcoming party" of the islands.

They are the smallest sea lion species.

Isla Baltra is on the right, on the left is Isla Santa Cruz and in the center is Canal de Itabaca.

***

The Itabaca Canal, which is located between Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island, is used by water taxis to transport tourism between these islands.

***

The Itabaca Channel separates the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz in the Galápagos archipielago in Ecuador. The Itabaca Channel is crossed by water taxis who ferry passengers from Baltra (South Seymour) in the North to Santa Cruz in the South. The channel is around 400 meters its narrowest point.

From Baltra Island to Guayaquil (continental Ecuador).

1,089 km (576 miles) east of the Galápagos Islands.

1h16m flight.

Iguana and sea lion are playing tag.

Tortoises sometimes rest in mud wallows or rain-formed pools, which may be both a thermoregulatory response during cool nights, and a protection from parasites such as mosquitoes and ticks.

Parasites are countered by taking dust baths in loose soil. Some tortoises have been noted to shelter at night under overhanging rocks. Others have been observed sleeping in a snug depression in the earth or brush called a "pallet". Local tortoises using the same pallet sites, such as on Volcán Alcedo, results in the formation of small, sandy pits.

On arriving at Baltra, all visitors are transported by bus to one of two docks. The first dock is located in a small bay where the boats cruising the Galápagos await passengers.

The second is a ferry dock, which connects Baltra to the island of Santa Cruz via the Itabaca Channel.

***

The Galápagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is a species of sea lion that exclusively breeds on the Galápagos Islands and – in smaller numbers – on Isla de la Plata (Ecuador). Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. Their loud bark, playful nature, and graceful agility in water make them the "welcoming party" of the islands. They are the smallest sea lion species.

*Sierra Negra Volcano and Chico Volcano:

Main Activities: Hiking/Walking

Intensity: Medium – High

Length of Tour: 5 hours

Daily Departures: 7:30am

Marine iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos Islands and are the only sea-going lizards in the world!

The marine iguana is the only lizard in the world with the ability to live and forage at sea and is endemic to the Galapagos Archipelago. There are six very similar subspecies, each from different islands, with those from Isabela and Fernandina being the largest. The adults are black for most of the year, however the males change colour during the mating season – with different subspecies adopting different colourations. Near Española and Floreana they are most colourful – turning bright green and red; on Santa Cruz they are red and black; and on Fernandina they become dull green and brick red. The juveniles are generally black, with a lighter dorsal stripe than the adults. During the mating season males fight for dominance over harems of females, which they will fiercely defend from rival males.

Marine iguanas are not a very agile species on land, but they are excellent swimmers – moving easily through the water as they feed on algae. Larger individuals go further out to sea and use their powerful claws to grip on to rocks in strong currents to feed, whilst the smaller ones stay inshore near rock pools, feeding on algae exposed at low tide. Due to the high concentration of salt in their diet, marine iguanas filter their blood at the nose and sneeze out the excess salt, often forming salt crystals on the snout.

Despite not being truly social, iguanas are highly gregarious – especially on cold nights when they tend to group together to conserve heat. In the morning, they bask in the sun, absorbing heat with their black scales until they have enough energy to swim out to sea to forage. Upon entering the water, their heartbeat slows to half its normal pace in order to conserve energy and allow them to feed for as long as possible.

The tortoises are herbivores that consume a diet of cacti, grasses, leaves, lichens, berries, melons, oranges, and milkweed.[

Our tour started with our transportation from our hotels on the island of Santa Cruz in time to depart at 7:30 am.

After a brief transfer to the port on the Itabaca Canal, board a yacht for the 1-hour cruise to North Seymour Island.

The northern side of the volcano is almost entirely devoid of vegetation (with the exception of some cacti) as it has been resurfaced in more recent times by lava flows.

***

Jasminocereus (meaning "jasmine-like cereus", referring to the flowers) is a genus of cacti with only one species, Jasminocereus thouarsii, endemic to the Galápagos Islands, territorially a part of Ecuador. In English it is often called the candelabra cactus (a name used for other cacti with a similar appearance). At maturity it has a branched, treelike habit, and may be up to 7 m (23 ft) tall. The stems are made up of individual sections with constrictions between them. Its creamy white to greenish flowers open at night and are followed by greenish to reddish fruits.

Jasminocereus thouarsii is endemic to the Galápagos, where it is found on Fernandina, Floreana, Isabela, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz and Santiago, plus some islets, including Bartolomé. It is found in arid areas, from the coast up to about 300 m (980 ft) on the larger islands.

The fruits of Jasminocereus thouarsii (particularly var. delicatus for those who distinguish varieties) have been used to make a fruit juice described as "refreshing".

The Galapagos sea lion is a species that primarily breeds in the Galapagos Islands, although some breeding colonies also occur on Isla de la Plata just off of mainland Ecuador. They are one of two types of seal found in Galapagos and are part of the eared seal family – having external ear pinnae. They are not ‘true’ seals, as they are able to rotate their hind flipper under their pelvic girdle and lack the characteristic long, finger-like claws of true seals. The configuration of their pelvic girdle allows them to ‘gallop’ across land, reaching speeds exceeding that of a running person on rocky terrain.

From the Puerto Ayora docks water taxis wait to take passengers to their boats or to west Puerto Ayora.

There are also daily speed boats which take passengers to or from Puerto Ayora and the other inhabited islands of San Cristóbal or Isabela.

On my trek to or from the Charles Darwin Research Station, I encountered a vibrant giant dragon. This is the archway entrance to Jardín Cerámica. Stopped in and looked around.

The Ceramic Garden is the fascinating, playful and colorful passion of longtime local artist Cristina Nelson Gallardo. Her fertile imagination and talent amused and delighted me with dazzling mosaic artwork.

There is no pier.

They look for the best place to disembark and board small boats. The smaller boats take us to the yacht, Galápagos Shark II.

We will sail to Mosquera Island between the islands, North Seymour and South Seymour (Baltra Island).

Puerto Villamil (on the southeastern corner of Isla Isabela) embodies the archetypal end of the road – in a good way, the kind that lures weary city folks to pick up and move halfway around the world. Backed by a lagoon where flamingos and marine iguanas live, and situated on a beautiful white-sand beach, it’s a sleepy village of sandy roads and small homes. However, overdevelopment threatens, and there’s been something of a mini building boom over the past several years.

Undoubtedly, when General José Villamil moved here in 1832 with hopes of organizing a model community made up mostly of whalers, he found the location as beguiling as do today’s visitors. Unfortunately, the draftees’ peaceful inclinations proved to be more utopian than real, and they ended up destroying the colony. Villamil later introduced cows, horses and donkeys, which quickly reproduced, threatening the island’s delicate ecosystem.

On the island of Santa Cruz, dividing the dry forests of Palo Santo from the humid agricultural land on the windward side, are a pair of volcanic sinkholes called Los Gemelos, or the twins. They are often referred to as craters but their formation was caused by a collapse of the land beneath rather than an eruption of a volcano. These geologic structures are impressive to see; the lush green of the surrounding Scalesian forest contrast greatly with the immense gray and black volcanic rock walls.

Most visitors do not walk the entire trail at Los Gemelos but only the short distance between the two sinkholes. They lie on opposite sides of the main road that divides the island, making this a convenient stopping point for many tour groups. You could also hire a taxi in Puerto Ayora to make the visit. If you are a biologist, a naturalist, or a birdwatcher, you may want to ask about spending more time than the general 30 minutes or so. The biodiverse forest is comprised mainly of a species of tree unique to the Galapagos, the Scalesia pedunculata. Our guide called it the Broccoli Tree because the branches and leaves look like huge stalks of broccoli. Our short visit was rich with bird sounds, especially the soft twittering of finches. We also saw several varieties of flowering plants very close to the trail. In short, this place deserves a visit of a couple of hours for those that truly want to explore. For those with a checklist of places to visit, a short stop should suffice.

Sierra Negra Volcano has one of the biggest and most amazing calderas of an active volcano on earth. It is also the only active volcano that we visited in the Galapagos Islands.

Our tour took us on a 16km hike along the edge of the caldera (volcanic crater). Great views of the landscape and excellent photos can be taken during the hike.

As part of the tour, we also visited the area of Volcan Chico.

We went over the edge and 300 meters down outside the main caldera and we kept walking along the edge and visited the last eruption site of Sierra Negra Volcano in 2018 on the newest trail opened by the Galapagos National Park.

So why should we visit Sierra Negra Volcano? The first reason is the spectacular views of this massive caldera and Isabela Island itself. On a clear day we have the chance to see the Sierra Negra Volcano’s caldera, the whole chain of six volcanoes that form Isabela Island, and also Elizabeth Bay and Fernandina Island all in the same picture!

The second and maybe the most important reason we should visit Sierra Negra Volcano is to understand and witness the continuing geological process of the Galapagos Islands.

Oh yes, and for the picture at the edge of the caldera too!

***

The morphology of Sierra Negra is the upturned soup bowl shape of the other Isabela volcanoes, however it does not have the steep sloping sides that are on others. Instead the slope goes from approximately 2 degrees at its base and although increasing averages only 5 degrees.

The volcano has the largest caldera of all of the Galapagos volcanoes, with dimensions of 7.2 x 9.3 km, with the long axis being south west to north east. The caldera is also the shallowest of the Isabela volcanoes at only 100 meters. The caldera is structurally complex with a 14 km long ridge within it. A large fumarolic area, Volcan de Azufre, lies between this ridge and the western caldera wall.

This fumarolic area is one of the locations where terrestrial sulfur flows have been identified, this is associated with the melting of sulfur deposits.

Piscidia piscipula, formerly also called Piscidia erythrina and commonly named Florida fishpoison tree, Jamaican dogwood, or fishfuddle, is a medium-sized, deciduous, tropical tree native to the Greater Antilles (except Puerto Rico), extreme southern Florida (primarily the Florida Keys) and the Bahamas, and the coastal region from Panama northward to the vicinity of Ocampo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

The native Taino of the West Indies discovered extracts from the tree could sedate fish, allowing them to be caught by hand. This practice led to the tree's common names—fishpoison and fishfuddle. The tree has medicinal value as an analgesic and sedative.

The generic name is Latin for "fish killer", and the specific epithet is Latin for "little fish".

Often, as the lava flowed, the exterior portion cooled and hardened even as the molten material continued to flow in the interior. When the lava flow abated, there was not enough liquid to fill the inner cavity, and a tunnel was formed (called a lava tube or lava tunnel).

Galápagos tortoise exploitation dramatically increased with the onset of the California Gold Rush in 1849. Tortoises and sea turtles were imported into San Francisco, Sacramento and various other Gold Rush towns throughout Alta California to feed the gold mining population. Galápagos tortoise and sea turtle bones were also recovered from the Gold Rush-era archaeological site, Thompson's Cove (CA-SFR-186H), in San Francisco, California.

Puerto Villamil (on the southeastern corner of Isla Isabela) embodies the archetypal end of the road – in a good way, the kind that lures weary city folks to pick up and move halfway around the world. Backed by a lagoon where flamingos and marine iguanas live, and situated on a beautiful white-sand beach, it’s a sleepy village of sandy roads and small homes. However, overdevelopment threatens, and there’s been something of a mini building boom over the past several years.

Undoubtedly, when General José Villamil moved here in 1832 with hopes of organizing a model community made up mostly of whalers, he found the location as beguiling as do today’s visitors. Unfortunately, the draftees’ peaceful inclinations proved to be more utopian than real, and they ended up destroying the colony. Villamil later introduced cows, horses and donkeys, which quickly reproduced, threatening the island’s delicate ecosystem.

And be prepared for one of the most stunning views of your entire trip. As you walk down the slope of Volcán Sierra Negra to Volcán Chico, just as the green highlands change into a desert landscape worthy of Death Valley in California, the vista opens up. And instead of just seeing the edge of the island and the ocean spread out before you, you see other islands of the archipelago and begin to understand just how impossible it is to see all of the Galapagos in a single trip.

The hike out to Volcán Chico is a hike through time, where the layers of volcanic rock each speak of a different eruption. Our guide pointed out red rusty colored rock from the eruption of 1979 and a darker, gray black rock from the more recent eruption in 2005. In fact, Volcán Chico and its surrounds are a panorama of earthy tones and the stark contrasts between rusty reds, bright golden yellows, dusty, dull ochre, and blue blacks constantly greet you on the trail.

As we walked down the slope of Volcán Sierra Negra to Volcán Chico, just as the green highlands change into a desert landscape worthy of Death Valley in California, the vista opens up.

The marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), also known as the sea iguana, saltwater iguana, or Galápagos marine iguana, is a species of iguana found only on the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to forage in the sea, making it a marine reptile.

This iguana feeds almost exclusively on algae, and large males dive to find this food source, while females and smaller males feed during low tide in the intertidal zone.

They mainly live in colonies on rocky shores where they warm after visiting the relatively cold water or intertidal zone, but can also be seen in marshes, mangrove and beaches.

Large males defend territories for a short period, but smaller males have other breeding strategies. After mating, the female digs a nest hole in the soil where she lays her eggs, leaving them to hatch on their own a few months later.

***

Their bodies have also evolved to combat the cold, salty waters where they feed. Being cold-blooded creatures, the Galapagos marine iguanas are not able to thermoregulate their body temperature and are therefore restricted by how long they can stay in the cold ocean waters. Before feeding, the lizards must raise their body temperature to about 36°C, as they can lose up to 10°C when in the ocean, and they must also warm their bodies again following the dive. Consequently, the dark coloring of the iguanas is critical to allowing them to absorb sunlight.

Modern Galápagos tortoises can weigh up to 417 kg (919 lb).

I am only 71 kg (156 lbs).

Galápagos tortoises possess two main shell forms that correlate with the biogeographic history of the species group. They exhibit a spectrum of carapace morphology ranging from "saddleback" (denoting upward arching of the front edge of the shell resembling a saddle) to "domed" (denoting a rounded convex surface resembling a dome). When a saddleback tortoise withdraws its head and forelimbs into its shell, a large unprotected gap remains over the neck, evidence of the lack of predation during the evolution of this structure.

Larger islands with humid highlands over 800 m (2,600 ft) in elevation, such as Santa Cruz, have abundant vegetation near the ground. Tortoises native to these environments tend to have domed shells and are larger, with shorter necks and limbs.

Saddleback tortoises originate from small islands less than 500 m (1,600 ft) in elevation with dry habitats (e.g. Española and Pinzón) that are more limited in food and other resources.

Two lineages of Galápagos tortoises possess the Island of Santa Cruz and when observed it is concluded that despite the shared similarities of growth patterns and morphological changes observed during growth, the two lineages and two sexes can be distinguished on the basis of distinct carapace features. Lineages differ by the shape of the vertebral and pleural scutes. Females have a more elongated and wider carapace shape than males.

Carapace shape changes with growth, with vertebral scutes becoming narrower and pleural scutes becoming larger during late ontogeny.

A lava tube is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. Tubes can drain lava from a volcano during an eruption, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased, and the rock has cooled and left a long cave.

At the end of that road, cross the channel and arrive at the small island where the airport is located. Goodbye, beautiful islands of Galapagos.

Behind and to the west of the village is this lagoon, known for its marine iguanas and migrant birds, especially waders – more than 20 species have been reported.

From the Puerto Ayora docks water taxis wait to take passengers to their boats or to west Puerto Ayora.

There are also daily speed boats which take passengers to or from Puerto Ayora and the other inhabited islands of San Cristóbal or Isabela.

At 2:30 pm.

US$ 25.00

Two hours later, a super speedboat.

82 km (50 miles).

There is a price difference. The reasons are:

- Number of engines on the boat. Fewer engines, more time to reach the other island;

- Age, size and quality of the boat;

- Number of crew members;

Male (left) has a smaller pupil and slightly lighter feet and is smaller in size than the female

The blue color of the blue-footed booby's webbed feet comes from carotenoid pigments obtained from its diet of fresh fish. Carotenoids act as antioxidants and stimulants for the blue-footed booby's immune function, suggesting that carotenoid-pigmentation is an indicator of an individual's immunological state. Blue feet also indicate the current health condition of a booby. Boobies that were experimentally food-deprived for forty-eight hours experienced a decrease in foot brightness due to a reduction in the amount of lipids and lipoproteins that are used to absorb and transport carotenoids. Thus, the feet are rapid and honest indicators of a booby's current level of nourishment.

As blue feet are signals that reliably indicate the immunological and health condition of a booby, coloration is favored through sexual selection.

This was a neat experience while in Santa Cruz.

As I descended some slightly sketchy stone steps into the tunnel I was wondering what was awaiting me in the darkness.

Mosquera is a tiny island (about 120 meters / 393 feet by 600 meters / 1,968 ft) between Baltra and Seymour.

There's no trail, but visitors land on the beach to see (or swim with) the sea lions.

Keep your distance – males are territorial and may charge or swim into you if you get too close to females or young.