San Cristobal (formerly Chatham) Island is located south of the equator, on the eastern end of the Galapagos Islands. A 95-minute AeroGal flight from Guayaquil, Ecuador, brought us to San Cristobal airport (code SCY).
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| Galapagos National Park sign, San Cristobal Interpretation Center. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Located in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of Galapagos, the airport is only a short distance from the dock where we boarded the Ecoventura ship, M/Y Eric, to cruise the Galapagos Islands.
Galapagos National Park Interpretation Center
Although the population of San Cristobal is only 5,600, the island is known for its Interpretation Center (Centro Interpretación), which provides information about the Galapagos. Admission is free.
Visitors take self-guided tours through Galapagos National Park Interpretation Center pavilions with different themes—natural history and evolution, human history and conservation. Signs are in English and Spanish.
Galapagos map
A large topographical map of the Galapagos Islands depicts volcanos. Humorous maps show Galapagos attractions, including animals, birds and sea life.
We learned that Ecuador claimed Galapagos in 1832. A reconstructed hold of a ship showed how whalers stored Galapagos tortoises for food.
Whalers' logbooks indicated that North American whalers took a minimum of 100,000 tortoises from the Galapagos. Tortoise oil was also used for street lighting.
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| Natural laboratory display. San Cristobal Interpretation Center. Galapagos. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Galapagos evolution
One display depicted the temperatures, locations and differences between the Cromwell, Humboldt and Panama ocean currents. Another explained why the availability of fresh water is key to life on Galapagos.
Posters described why the Galapagos Islands are a natural laboratory, and how invasive species affected endemic and native Galapagos wildlife.
As we strolled through Puerto Baquerizo with our Galapagos guides, we learned that San Cristobal is also the fishing capital of Galapagos and that the best oranges in the Galapagos come from Isla San Cristóbal.
Playa Ochoa
While walking along the pier to board pangas (hard-floored Zodiacs) to the M/Y Eric, we were so preoccupied getting acquainted with our fellow passengers that we nearly stepped on a snoozing sea lion blocking our path. It was our initiation to upcoming close encounters with wildlife on our Galapagos Islands cruise.
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| M/Y Eric passengers photograph sea lion. Playa Ochoa, San Cristobal, Galapagos. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Our first stop, Playa Ochoa, located on the southwest coast of San Cristobal, was a sandy beach punctuated with black lava rocks. We put on wet suits (free rental to passengers on Ecoventura Galapagos ships) to snorkel off the beach.
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| Sleeping Galapagos sea lion. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
As soon as we arrived, a Galapagos sea lion (scientific name: Zalophus californianus wollebacki) waddled up on the beach to check us out. Curiosity satisfied and unperturbed by our cameras, he flopped down on the sand and fell asleep.
Kicker Rock
M/Y Eric then cruised north along the west coast of San Cristobal to Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido). "It is made from volcanic ash or tuff," explained Yvonne Mortola, one of two national park guides on our Galapagos ship.
"Kicker Rock was created by the explosion of a superheated volcano. The volcanic ash solidified to form sedentary rock."
Originally shaped like a small volcano, Leon Dormido (Sleeping Lion) eventually cracked. Waves eroded the crack until Kicker Rock separated into two cones about 500 feet (153 meters) high.
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| M/Y Eric passenger photographs Kicker Rock. San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
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| Ecoventura ship, M/Y Flamingo I, cruises beside Kicker Rock at sunset. |
| Photo © Barb & Ron Kroll |
Galapagos birds
Kicker Rock is covered with guano from the many birds roosting on it—blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies and brown noddy terns. We used binoculars and telephoto lenses for close-up views.
"Brown noddy terns (scientific name: Anous stolidus) have white-grey marks on their foreheads," said Yvonne. "Because the marks are arrow-shaped, brown noddies look like they are frowning."
As the sun set, we gathered on the observation deck of M/Y Eric to watch Flamingo I, her sister Ecoventura Galapagos ship, cruise past Kicker Rock. It was a picturesque ending to our cruise tour of San Cristobal Island.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Ecoventura: www.ecoventura.com
Copa Airlines: www.copaair.com
Ecuador Ministry of Tourism: www.ecuador.travel
More things to see & do in the Galapagos Islands:
Cruise to Galapagos Islands - Ecoventura M/Y Eric Trip
Bartolome and Pinnacle Rock Galapagos Cruise Tour
Punta Suarez Espanola (Hood) Island Galapagos - Christmas Iguanas, Mockingbirds and Blue-Footed Boobies
Espanola Island Galapagos Birdwatching - Waved Albatrosses
Gardner Bay Espanola Island Galapagos Beach - Sea Lions, Sea Turtles and Galapagos Hawks
Punta Espinoza Fernandina Island Galapagos - Flightless Cormorants and Lava Cacti
Fernandina Island Galapagos - Marine Iguanas and Sally Lightfoot Crabs
Genovesa Island Galapagos - Doves, Red-Footed Boobies and Short-Eared Owls
Darwin Bay Tower Island Galapagos - What to See
North Seymour Galapagos Trip - Land Iguanas and Magnificent Frigatebirds
Puerto Ayora Santa Cruz Galapagos - Charles Darwin Research Station
Santiago (James) Island Galapagos - Birds, Animals and Plants
Santa Cruz Galapagos Giant Tortoise Reserve - Rancho Primicias
Santa Cruz Island Galapagos - Lava Tubes and Pit Craters
Galapagos Travel - Incentive Programs and Corporate Meetings
Isabela Island Galapagos - Hiking and Kayaking at Tagus Cove
