It was as well as today in the morning a very likeable guide of Gray Line Tours Ecuador in Quito - Ecuador, it gathered to us in the Lobby of my Hotel in Quito - Ecuador, and she lead us to the vehicle of Gray Line Tours Ecuador in Quito - Ecuador, a very comfortable transport and with a very kind driver and cheerful, that would take us until the Resort & Spa of the “Termas de Papallacta”, located to 40 miles of distance.
We initiate our trip and we took the "New Oriental Highway", in the direction of the Quito - Ecuador surrounding valleys by the East, we pass through a town that denominates Cumbaya, where we could appreciate very elegant houses and condominiums, since in this population and the following one, Tumbaco, have taken root many wealthy families from Quito - Ecuador, that looking for fresh air and a little tranquility has decided to move away at least 15 minutes of the noise of the city. Cumbaya, also is a fantastic place to taste many of typical plates of the zone of the Ecuadorian Highland and is as well as many families leave Quito – Ecuador the week ends, according the guide commented to us, to taste these wonderful gastronomy of Ecuador.
We continued our Tour, in the direction of the Amazonian Jungle of Ecuador, since Papallacta is the entrance to this zone. We pass through other towns like Pifo, Yaruqui and Checa, each one with a special and a different colorful and attractive. Also in the route we are knowing different altitude floors from the Ecuadorian Highland, taking care that we have coming down from Quito - Ecuador that is a city located on 9,200 feet over the sea level, to valleys and soon we returned to raise between straw highlands characterized by the precious straw bushes, by the western mountain range, to pass the transition point between the Ecuadorian Highlands and the entrance to the Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle, whose higher point is the denominated of the Papallacta Virgin where we arrived until the 13,700 feet over the sea level. After this point we began to descend, just a few minutes of our final destiny, and before arriving at the end of the pavement road, we can appreciate to the beautiful Papallacta Lagoon, and by this zone we already are within the Cayambe - Coca Ecological Reserve, and the existing diversity in the area, making it a real paradise for the fishermen and fanatics of the adventure sports like the horseback riding, trekking, rappelling, etc.
Once in the “Termas de Papallacta” Resort and Spa (hot springs), knowing that we are to 10,560 feet over the sea level in the Andes Mountain Range, and between 2 volcanoes, The Cayambe Volcanoe and The Antisana Volcanoe, this last one, with this sunny and spectacular day that we have we can appreciate it in all its splendor, it invites us to raise its perpetual snows, but that will be in another opportunity, be cause in this occasion we are going to relax, rest and enjoy thermal waters of these Papallacta Hot Springs.
The hydrothermal value of Papallacta Hot Springs is thanks to Papallacta 's location like I mentioned before, between the Cayambe and Antisana Volcanoes. The source temperature of the thermal baths varies between 30°C and 70°C (86°F and 158°F). At the pools the temperature ranges from 36°C to 40°C (97°F to 104°F), which contrasts with the cold climate, typical of the zone. The thermal waters contain sulfates, sodium, calcium, chloride and traces of magnesium which are odorless, colorless but have a slightly salty taste to us. Besides the baths curative properties, our guide told us that they will helps to improving intestinal function, are also anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-rheumatic, etc.
So after spending a good time submerged in these delicious and warms thermal waters and to arrive at a indescribable point of relaxation, I decided to take like optional a complete corporal massage that would leave me for a long time in the limb. The rest of my family, decided to take a long walk by the footpaths from the reserve, in which, according to their comments, they had the opportunity to learn many new things and to appreciate a landscape without equal.
Once in the Van in the return way, been thankful to have taken this tour, completely relaxed, and with new forces for another year of work, we began our return to the city, with a beautiful sunshine worthy of The Middle of the World, like wanting to boast of its beauty.
The only thing that I can comment to you is that, last night it was the night in which more placidly I have slept in all my life, for that reason the next trip of rest and relaxation that I need, I will do it on the Papallacta Hot Springs in Ecuador.
Another way to come closer to the animals is to stay hidden under the water during the whole time while you dive. The marine turtles, the sharks, the lines and other animals usually swim for the surroundings and they are very curious. They can happen until to a meter of distance of you.
RULES FOR DIVING
- It follows your guide's instructions, never make immersions with decompression.
- The maximum depth of any immersion should be 30 meters or 100 feet.
- Make stopped of security after each immersion. that the first immersion is the deepest., you should finish your immersion with about 500 p.s.i. or 40 bars of air in your tank,
- If you lose to the group, look for them during one minute, and if it is not, possible to find them, rise to the surface, never leave a tank without surveillance in the cover, it always dives with your partner, don't play neither bother the animals neither the plants, you could be bitten or dive, don't pick up anything of the ocean, only if it is garbage, you don't leave yourself the diving area specified by your guide.
- Keep the nitrogen levels in a sure range. Don't go to the limit of those, charts or the computer, never try to dive if you don't feel sure of being able to control the situation, make sure that your guide, the driver of the ship or any other person watches over you the whole time,
- If a problem happens in the surface, keepe calm and a positive attitude, if it catches you a current, don't fight against her. The best thing is to relax, to float and to make signs to the ship.
- You should follow all the indications of security that your guide will explain to you in a very serious way when of instructions. The conditions of the islands Galapagos are so variable that the guides can only make once an evaluation of them in the diving place. Also, the conditions can also change during the immersion.
- For your security, we also recommend thoroughly that you have a valid member card of the D.A.N. (Divers Alert Network).
- In the event of emergency, in Port Ayora is a hiperbaric chamber, operated by PROTESUB DIVING, it leaves of the SSS Recompression Chamber Network.
It has a wide and flat muzzle, and their jaws are armed for multitude of small teeth with more than three functional lines. The branchial fissures are very big.
Their eggs are the biggest in the world and they can reach the 30 cm long. Much of their development is not known because the young copies are allowed to very rarely see.
This shark inhabits warm and tropical temperate waters. It is believed that it arrives after a very long migration trip, being identified for the first time in 1828, in the costs of Sudáfrica. Their maximum longitude is ignored but the 18 m can be about it. Also we can say that not for its size it is the quickest in the fish but just the opposite, its speed is relatively slow for such a big fish.
This impressive animal for their size and attractiveness for their tranquility and meekness, it can be seen in repeated occasions during a Galapagos diving tour for the islands but far from the archipelago, especially between the months of August and October. The itineraries include the famous Islands Darwin and Wolf, where we will have bigger opportunities to observe this magnificent animal. In Ecuadorian agencies that organize cruises exist of until 10 or 15 days with several immersions to be able to observe this marine giant. A diving cruise offers three or four immersions per day. It is also possible to carry out night immersions if the conditions are favorable. The guides Dive Masters is well trained and they are very experts of the marine and terrestrial life of the Galapagos. Their work consists on to teach about the unique environment of Tortoises and to take care of the security and the passengers' well-being.
Besides being able to observe this incredible animal, the area of the islands Darwin and Wolf offer all practically those that a diver wants to experience.
Wolf is a small island located to the North end of the Galapagos. Their banks with high cliffs are replete of marine birds, as "piqueros" of red paws, masked "piqueros", frigates, gulls of forked line, and others. The submarine topography of this Galapagos island is composed mainly of vertical walls, replete of the biggest variety in species of fish of the Tortoises. The islands Wolf and Darwin attract enormous banks of sharks hammer, which usually bring many parasites. The small fish in the hillsides and walls of these islands remove and they eat up to the parasites of the sharks, for what has called them to him stations of cleaning for sharks to these islands and of feeding for big and small fish. There are 6 different diving places around Wolf.
Darwin is even smaller than Wolf. To less than a mile room to the south, be a beautiful rock with arch form, around which the diving can be the best of the best thing!!
From July to December practically can guarantee several encounters with the biggest fish in the ocean, the Shark Whale (almost 17 meters). The Arch of Darwin almost offers all that a diver wanted to observe: Enormous banks of shark hammer, sharks of Tortoises, sharks Silky, brown, swear them of big eyes, swear them of blue, old specks, beautiful of the indo-peaceful one, you line spotted, green turtles, turtles of parrot pick, dolphin bottle nose.
Subsequently their discovery in 1535, the Islands of Tortoises (Galapagos Islands) have been famed by their homonym the giant turtle (elephantopus of Geochelone). The word tortoise in Spanish resembles each other to seat of mounting and it refers to the shell, or it shells, of these enormous reptiles.
Between island to island, the giant turtles vary in their size and the form of their shells. With their shells, their long necks and members and a shell lifted before, they adapt well to the atmosphere of the lowest, drier islands. Although they prefer to eat fallen cactus and vegetation, when these are indisponibles, they should reach the leaves of the highest bushes. The biggest, dome-formed turtles are typical of islands of the highest lusher, where they fed in the grasses, other low plants and fallen fruits.
There are 14 subspecieses of turtles of Galapagos that were unwrapped of a common ancestor. Nine of these you evolved separately, in each island individual. The five following species in the big island of Isabela, each one by each volcano, it means 5 species in the island. Today 3 of these the subspecieses are extinct. Sadly, a subspecies 4, of the Island of Pinta, it is represented for only a male sourvivor, named Solitary George.
The giant turtles reach a maturity to 20 or 30 years. They die during the rainy station, usually between January and June. Then, between June and December, the females emigrate to the arid areas to nest. While they dig the hole with their back legs, a task that can take several hours, the female frequently urine to soften the earth. Between 2 and 20 eggs they are delivered, each one of the size of a tennis ball. After covering the nest, the females go to the mountainous regions, leaving the eggs for nesting during the next 4 to 8 months. The temperature of the nest determines the sex of the breedings, males grow with lower temperatures.
The young turtles leave the shell between November and April, taking one month to dig outside of the nest. These breedings weigh less than 1/100 of what they will weigh when they mature. The hawks are probably the only native predator of the young turtles. If they survive this difficult beginning they can live more than 150 years.
With the declaration of the Galapagos Islands as a National Park in 1959, the native fauna of the Islands became legally protected. Shortly after this, the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos Islands National park began the intensive efforts to take care of the populations of Galapagos turtles further on in danger with the establishment of captive servant's center in Santa Cruz.
The subspecies of the Española island are a special case. Reduced to only 2 males and 12 females, almost no natural breeding was taking place, we disperse this way the island. Between 1963 and 1974, the turtles of the Española island moved to the center. There, they put on all the eggs carefully in incubators until they leave the shell. The young turtles stay in the center until approximately 3 years, when they are quite big for a sure return. Through 1995, they had almost been returned 700 turtles from the Española island to their island.
Some similar programs to protect other populations of turtles of the threat from introduced animals. The eggs are gathered of the natural nests and taken to the center for the incubation, raising and the eventual discharge. Today, almost 2,000 turtles have been returned to their origin island as a result of these efforts, and a second servant center opened up in the begining of the 90's
This is single stocking battle, the elimination of animals entered it is also critical. From 1961, the eradication programs have concentrated on the wild pigs, goats, dogs and rats. These efforts are successful in some islands, but many serious problems still exist.
It is an entirely volcanic archipelago, and only the Isabela islands formed by 6 side volcanos to side, of those which five are active.
The Galapagos Islands are classified as a "hot spot" that is an area of high thermal flow and of an intense seismic and volcanic activity, subject to varied annual eruptions.
The archipelago is in the badge of it is born, fair in the limit with the badge Coconuts, what has explained that the islands of the East are older than the western one. When being formed an island after an eruption, the badge would have moved toward the East (together with the island), and then the Galapagos Islands would have been formed a new Galapagos island with another eruption, the which it would be located to the West of the previous one, and so forth.
This way, the oldest islands would have originated about 5 millions ago of, while the newest would only be 700.000 years old
The first observation when thinking of oceanic islands, is that in its origin life didn't exist in any form on them. The great distance between the islands and the continent makes very difficult for the terrestrial organisms to arrive to them, still having good dispersion methods. Logically, you plant and animals with good dispersion strategies, have bigger possibilities to arrive at the islands and to colonize them if the conditions are favorable. The consequence of this phenomenon, is a flora and fauna not balanced in comparison with the continent. The word " disharmonic " is used to define this condition, being the Galapagos Islands a good example of this. An example of it, is that the vertebrates are very represented by birds and reptiles, however, the native mammals are barely represented, while the amphibians and fish are completely absent.
Anyone of the species here present, in some moment had to cross more than 1.000 Km. of ocean and theoretically this could only have been made in three ways: floating in the sea or in a natural raft; dispersed by the wind or flying; or transported in the body of another organism, for air or for sea.
In the transport for the water, the seeds of many plants could be dragged floating in the surface of the water, as well as the turtles can float since they have a " pocket " with air between the shell and the body. Likewise some natural rafts as trunks of trees could have transported the first insects and also some reptiles.
In the transport air, many insects have been drag by big currents air, as well as many seeds that can resist low temperatures. The drop representation of butterflies in the islands is because its wings are very fragile and the very sensitive larvas.
The voyage in other organisms is carried out, in general, for birds that bring seeds in its stomaches, among its feathers or in the paws. Of the 607 species of plants that exist in the Galapagos Islands, at least 59% was transported as seeds by birds, 32% for the wind, and 9% for the ocean, without considering the species introduced by the man.
Once in the islands, each organism should find a sustrato and nutrients to survive. The establishment is vital to colonize the island with success.
After the organisms have been possible to settle down, they should reproduce to assure the survival of the species. The hermaphrodite organisms, have an advantage in this aspect, since they should not find a complementary individual of their same species to reproduce.
Finally, the herbivores should find plants to feed, therefore, the plants should have been seated before the animals.
After they go arriving the species, each one goes occupying a niche that is not available. Many times competition can take place species that arrive at the island between two; in such a case, one of two o'clock will adapt to occupy another niche, or one will extinguish. The Galapagos islands reaches a balance when the immigration is balanced with the extinction.
In the Galapagos Islands there are recognized 333 species different species of alga (35% of which are endemic). During El Niño Current others that grow better in tropical waters replaced many of the algae. This event changed the food chain.
In the Galapagos Islands 24 species of it is sea hedgehogs, 28 of marine stars, 30 of marine cucumbers, approximately 600 of mollusks, and more than 100 of crabs have been identified. The blue marine star's colors (Phataria Unifascialis), the thorny black star's form (Ophiocoma aethiops), the phosphorescent red skin of the horse shell (Fasciolaria Princeps) and the quantity of hedgehogs pencils (Eucidaris thouarsii) will you fascinate while you dive. 31 species of corals have been reported on the reefs (30% of them are endemic).
The Galapagos Islands have the same quantity and diversity of corals that other parts of the east of the Pacific. The corals congregate in some areas, mainly in Darwin and Wolf where more warm waters exist. Outside of these two congregations, don't hope to find big quantities of corals.
There are more than 300 species of fish (17% of them are endemic) in the islands. It is common to get to see big groups of Creole fish (foreigner or Paranthias colonus), of salema of black lines (Ojón or Xenocys jessiae), the palometas groups (Almaco Jacks or Seriola rivoliana), the barracudas (Sphyraena idiastes), the Moorish idols (Zanclus cornutus), and the old rainbows (dancing rainbow wrass or Thalassoma lucasanum).
It is possible that you see sea merry-go-rounds (or Hippocampus ingens) and black corals, a fish pipe (or Doryrhamphus excisus) inside a small crack and some bat fish (or Ogcocephalus darwini) spread on the sand; the toad fish (or Antennatus sanguineus) changing color for the sponges to their surroundings is more difficult of finding due to their size and to their camouflage properties.
In Galapagos it is easy to see the barnacles of Galapagos (Acanthemblemaria castroi) living inside old barnacles, the damsels yellow line protecting their garden of algae, wrasses cleaning other fish, sorcerers (Scorpaena plumieri) with the same form and color of the rocks, the fascinating giant damsels (Microspathodon dorsalis) with their points iridescent blue color and the poisonous tambuleros (Sphoeroides annulatus).
You will see many brown puntofino (Gymnothorax dovii) opening the mouth to breathe, congregations of garden eels (Taenioconger klausewitzi), and several species of Rays as the enormous mantarraya (or Blanket hamiltoni) that can end up reaching the seven meters.
There are two species of marine lions that you/they inhabit the Galapagos: the marine wolf (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) and the hair seal (Wolf of two hair or Arctocephalus galapagoensis). A population of 80,000 individuals is considered. Don't forget your camera when you dive with snorkel to see them, but don't try to play them because they can bite.
Regarding the group of whales, the girlfriend whale (Balaenoptera Edeni) can be easily seen. You will also be able to see sperm whales (Sperm Whales or Physeter Macrocephalus), murderous whales (Orcinus Orca, Megaptera Novaeangliae), and others. If you look for whales, go to the areas of superficial waters. Diving with snorkel among the Galapagos can have contact with the whales; come closer from behind to them, don't make noise, neither sprinkle, you should stay in silence.
When navigating during the day, the bottlenose dolphins or Tursiups truncatus they swim in front of the ship and you will be able to take pictures.
To the common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) they like the waves caused by the ships to jump. You can swim while the bottlenose dolphins jump exactly in front of you, you can even wait to that pass below you. You can listen their sounds and to distinguish the mothers and the babies.
The Chaffinches of Darwin and the theory of the Evolution
Thirteen species of chaffinches live in the Galapagos Islands , the famous archipelago visited for Darwin in 1835. The chaffinches possess a great variety of picks as much in their forms as in their sizes, each one adapted to their diet and particular lifestyle. The explanation given by Darwin was that all they are descending of an original couple of chaffinches, and that the natural selection caused the differences.
Surprisingly for some, this is the explanation given today for most of the modern creacionistas. Any change is not required ' evolutive' at all, and in any sense this contributes evidence some of transformations from-the-amoeba-until-the-man. Any genetic new information ifi the population progenitor would not have been introduced it has the enough variability (genetic potential) to explain these features varied in her descendants, the selection can cause the resulting adaptation, just as an easy example.
Let us say that some chaffinches arrived at the Galapagos Islands in which there was shortage of seeds, but where many worms lived under the barks of the trees. In a population in the one that there is a lot of variation, some will have longer picks, other shorter ones that the stocking. The birds that would have more information of the type ' i chop deep' they could survive with those larvas, and consequently it is more probable than they would transmit the information to their descendants, while the other ones would have died. This way, when acting the selection at the same time in other characteristics, a could arise ' chaffinch woodpecker'.
The same thing is observed in the artificial selection, where the diverse modern races of dogs are specialized than the population progenitor (it crossbreeds), but they are carriers of less genetic information and consequently they prepare of less potential for later selections (you a great Danish cannot engender starting from a Chihuahua). In all these types of changes, the chaffinches continue being chaffinches and the dogs dogs
The limits of the change are determined by the quantity of information that was present in a principle, starting from which the selection began. The creationists has proposed for some time such ' diferenciación through the selection' of the type native, to explain for example, the descendant of wolves, coyotes, dingos and other wild dogs coming from a couple exit of the Ark.
The anti-creacionists takes advantage of the question of the time. These insist that one needs much more time of the one allowed by the Writing. The artificial selection is quick, since the breeders act deliberately on each generation. The ' esteem-divination ' common of how long it was needed so that the chaffinches of Darwin radiated starting from their population progenitor it goes from one to five million years.
However, Peter Grant, professor of zoology of Princeton, recently gave to know some results of an intensive study that it lasted 18 years of all the chaffinches of the Galapagos Islands during which the natural selection was observed in action. For example, during the years of drought, when decreasing the provisions of small seeds for the chaffinches, the selection favored those that had bigger and deeper picks able to take the big seeds that were and this way to survive, that which made the population to vary in this sense
Although this is not very surprising, neither deep, the most interesting thing went the speed to which happened these changes To the observed rhythm, Grant it estimates, so single 1.200 years they would be needed for ' transform' an insectivorous chaffinch in a chaffinch seeder. To transform it into a terrestrial chaffinch that is more similar, they would be required something like that as 200 years
It should be noticed that (although the article doesn't mention it) such quick changes cannot have relationship with the production of any new gene for mutation, but rather they are based on the described process, that is to say, to choose of among what already exists). In consequence it is untenable as evidence of (macro) true upward evolution - although to many frank students they are taught this example like ' evolution in action'.
On the other side, the real, observed evidence is that such a formation adaptative (descending) of several species starting from a created type can happen easily in some few centuries. Millions of years are not needed. This argument is strengthened by the fact that, after the Universal flood, the selective pressure would have been much more intense - for the quick migration toward the new empty niches, for the residual catastrophe and for the changing climate since the earth was settling and drying off, and for the radiation simultaneous adaptative of divergent species of food.
Coast:
It is along the beaches, lagoons of salted water and low and uneven stony banks, where the vegetation is influenced by the presence of salt. The predominant plants are small trees, bushes and tolerant grasses to salt. They prevail in bays and protected lagoons, the red mangrove (Rhizophora mangrove), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), and button mangrove (Conocarpus erecta), also are common the salted Mount (Cryptocarpus pyriformis) and Sesuvium spp.
Arid area:
Located above the coast area, is located this zone which is the most extensive area in the island. Outstanding plants are the Cactus, represented for (Brachycereus nesioticus), the giant candle (Jasminocereus thouarsii), and four tuna species (Opuntia spp). There are also trees and bushes of small leaves, some with thorns that cover the gulches in the lava, sacred stick, Bursera graveolens, Chala Croton scouleri; Acacia Acacia spp; Matazarno Piscidia carthagenensis, Tree Hippomane mancinella; a number of annual or perennial grasses that produce a green and abundant cover for few weeks during the short time of growth; and many líquens of several colors.
Humid area:
It appears above of the arid area through a transition fringe in which it combines elements of both areas. The humidity of this area stays during the dry season thanks to fog and thick garúas that accumulate during the whole night and they persist in the day.
The milky tree prevails in this area (Scalesia spp of up to 20 meters), together with the Guayabillo (Psidium galapageium).
Bushes, lianas, bromelias and numerous species of ferns, orchids, mosses and líquens, which grow on trunks, branches, and shafts and still in the leaves of some species, compose the cringing vegetation.
Miconia area:
Low and dense bushes replace the high trees. Endemic species are the cacaotillo - (Miconia robinsoniana). In this area it is more extensively developed in the Island Santa Cruz. Due to the dense growth of hepatic and líquens, a shade brown color takes place in the vegetation, which is accentuated more difficultly in the dry season. This area has been almost entirely altered by the man because of agricultural activities and of shepherding, and alone small areas of this type of vegetation remain in its natural state.
Area of ferns, gramineous, ciperáceas:
It covers the area of the summits of the biggest Islands where the humidity is retained in temporary lagoons.
The thin leaves and other adaptations of the plants are good to reduce the loss of water.
Most of the floral life is represented by ciperáceos, gramineous and blended perennial ferns with low bushes. The arborescent endemic ferns (Cyanthea weartherbyana) they are in places formed by lava and in other small cavities associated with rushes, gramineous, mosses, esfagnales and orchids.