Our first tour in the Galapagos was the half day tour to Las Tintoreras from Puerto Villamil, Isabela. This tour involved a (thankfully!) short boat ride, a walk and a snorkeling stop and lasted approximately 3 hours. It was a great introduction to the unique landscape and wildlife of the islands.
We were picked up from our hotel and driven to the pier where we boarded a small boat with about 6 other tourists. I was admittedly nervous about getting on a boat again after the horrible ride from Santa Cruz the day before. I was somehow simultaneously relieved and slightly disappointed when we were told that the ride would only be about 10 minutes. I was relieved because the chance of sea sickness seemed quite low but disappointed because it seemed less likely that we would see anything amazing so close by.
Boy was I wrong. I quickly learned that there are amazing things everywhere in the Galapagos. We headed out into the bay and came to a rocky outcrop that was covered with Blue Footed Boobies and Galapagos Penguins. We were thrilled to see two of our wildlife “must-see” species in the first ten minutes of our first tour.
Our first sighting of the Blue Footed Booby was amazing. Their blue feet really popped against the black lava rocks they were standing on.
And penguins were my favorite animal when I was a kid (I had sooo many penguin stuffed animals!) so I was super excited to see them too.
There were other birds in the area as well. Pelicans hung out in trees, Lava Herons walked around on the rocks, and Great Blue Herons soared by in the sky.
We got a free show when two Great Blue Herons had a battle on a barge in the bay. After a slow, dramatic stalking by the aggressor, the original heron successfully defended his spot on the barge.
After plenty of time bird watching, we headed to Las Tintoreras Islet. Located just south of the Puerto Villamil pier, the islet is named after the white-tipped reef sharks (Tintoreras) that can be found there. The islet is covered by solidified lava and features a beautiful bay where sea lions play, sea turtles and manta rays swim, and various other bird and marine life can be observed. The shallow lava crevice that connects to the bay is a popular resting spot for white-tipped sharks.
We got off the boat onto the islet (a dry landing) and walked around for about 45 minutes. The landscape absolutely took our breath away. It was like nothing we had ever seen before. The ground was covered in black volcanic rock, creating a jagged, uneven surface that looked and felt otherworldly. Our guide said people often likened it to walking on the moon.
Though the rocks themselves were black, they were covered on one side with a white substance. When our guide asked us all what we thought it was, everyone unanimously answered “bird poop”. It seemed logical, given the preponderance of birds in the area. But it was actually white lichen endemic to the Galapagos that has learned to thrive on the aa (pronounced “ah-ah”) lava. Aa lava is rough and gets its name from the sound Hawaiians say one makes while trying to walk across its sharp surface.
The rough lava surface is the perfect home for marine iguanas and lava lizards.
We even spotted a lava lizard catching a ride from a marine iguana!
The islet is a popular breeding area for marine iguanas since it is so isolated, keeping their young safe from predators. There were several parts of the islet that were blocked off and identified as nesting areas. And our guide told us that the rocky cliff on the side of the channel was known as “kindergarten” because there are so many young marine iguanas lazing around on the rocks.
While we were lucky enough to see dozens of young marine iguanas along the lava channel leading to the bay, we were not lucky enough to see the island’s namesake animal, the tintorera, or white-tipped reef shark. The shallow, crystal clear water makes them easy to spot but we just didn’t catch it at the right time to see them. They love resting in the grotto because of the constant water flow from the tides, which is vital for their respiratory system to function properly. Even without the sharks, the channel cutting through the lava was beautiful and filled with other wildlife.
Our walk continued along the side of the channel and curved around leading to the bay. About 2/3 of the bay was surrounded by black lava rock, with the remaining third bordered by mangroves. We stood on the rocky shore for a long time marveling at the sea lions frolicking in front of us and the sea turtles that would occasionally pop their heads up or climb onto shore.
We continued our walk to the next beach, which was completely surrounded by mangroves. We couldn’t walk on the sandy beach itself because the beach and surrounding mangroves are a breeding site for marine iguanas. The trail leading from the lagoon to the view of the beach turned from rocky to a combination of lava rock and coral. The mix of white and black rocky substances made for a unique sight, and the turquoise water in the background really popped in contrast.
After some photo ops, we retraced our steps to head back to the boat, seeing more marine life in the bay and grotto and more marine iguanas and lava lizards along the path. We boarded the boat to get ready for snorkeling in the mangrove-protected cove. The water was chilly at first but we quickly got used to it. Unfortunately, the water was also choppy, making it hard for our youngest to navigate and hard for everyone to see. JB struggled in the rough water and his mask kept filling with water. We saw a few sea turtles, manta rays, and sea lions but overall it was not a great snorkeling experience. I’m guessing that the overcast weather contributed to the sub-par experience, but we all headed back to the boat early after a frustrating time in the water.
But our snorkeling experience did not detract at all from the overall tour. We absolutely loved seeing all the wildlife and the unique landscape of Las Tintoreras. And we were lucky enough to get a close up of a few more Galapagos Penguins as we pulled away from the islet. A great ending to a great tour!
