Galapagos, the joy of living
Dawn brightens the marine landscape. On board our small ship, I wake up after spending a night under the stars. The night weather is so mild that one can stay on deck all night.
A sea lion splashing water brings me closer to the starboard, from where I can gaze La Corona del Diablo at the coast of Floreana Island. The ocean is so crystal clear today that I can appreciate schools of fish advancing to the depths in a synchronized dance. To my surprise, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies and pelicans plunge in search for breakfast.
Boobies are excellent divers that position themselves aerodynamically like a perfect arrow and fall at high speed in order to plunge deep into the ocean and catch food. At Daphne, another island, I observed masked boobies fish while following dolphins, and capturing what they were leaving behind.
The ensemble of islands is a chant to the joy of living, which is felt basically everywhere. Contrary to what Herman Melville, author of the acclaimed book Moby Dick, would say on his reflections after his journey to the islands: "the curse that lies on the Enchanted and that exceeds the isolation of the death sea and the Poles, lies in the fact that they don't know of any change.... Crossed by the Equator, they ignore the autumn and the spring..."
From my perspective, on the other hand, that statement cannot be farther away from reality. It is enough to see sea lions at La Española Island, enjoying the refreshing water emerging from the dry lava, as the sea rushes through, generating an enormous sprinkler; or observe baby sea lions playing in the sand. The mating of the zayapas (red-orange crabs) at Ferandina Island, not to mention the fraternal love between adult boobies and their babies that look as if made out of cotton, at Espanola Island as well.
If the ocean is alive and beats with the waves, the Galapagos Islands ensemble is an oasis of life on this planet, which can be seen by climbing Chico Volcano and from there observing a beautiful panoramic view of Isabela Island. To the right, a chain of major volcanoes in the island that can shake the earth and the fire in its depths: Alcedo, Darwin and Wolf at the back, and to the right Fernandina island.
If we open our senses wide, determined and ready to allow ourselves be invaded by nature and life, which is manifested in the infinity of species sheltered by time and space, we will feel that life in itself is a generator of constant happiness. It is a joy that one learns to share after an exciting experience (like I'm doing at this moment). It is a joy discovered through our senses and awareness of being part of this blue nave, our planet, the Earth, where we traverse the Universe under the glance of amazed stars.
Article by: Rómulo Moya Peralta
Ecuador Infinito www.ecuadorinfinito.com
