Adelante Ecuador

On Saturday night, the coast of Ecuador was hit with a 7.8-degree earthquake leaving death and destruction in its wake. The earthquake has resulted in a country plagued by sadness and mourning as the death counts continue to increase and the extent of the damage is assessed. It has also resulted, however, in feelings of immense hope as the country has come together out of this tragedy.

Orange Cup Coral

First, on a happier note, some thoughts about my last week in Galapagos:
I spent my last week enjoying the island life and the strong equatorial sun.  Don’t worry, (mainly directed towards my parents), it was not all fun and games, we also finished our research projects and took a field exam.  My group researched the correlation between the abundance of Orange Cup Coral and the water clarity at several different snorkeling sites.  Orange cup coral is an example of a filter feeder, which filters particulate organic matter from the ocean leading to higher water clarity.  While it was awesome to conduct research in the Galapagos, we also quickly learned some of the struggles of researching underwater.  Unlike the fish, we are not able to breathe underwater and are not quite as good of swimmers as they are.

In the last week, we also took a final marine field exam, which I have to admit was the coolest test I have ever taken.  We took the majority of the test in the water snorkeling where we had to identify fish and other marine invertebrates, and describe their ecological role.  We also needed to recognize many of the seabirds and the seaside plants that help sustain the beach. I am considering contacting the MCAT test writers to see if they will allow me to take that test underwater too.

Galapagos Shark

Our last day in Galapagos was by far one of the coolest days because we traveled to Kicker Rock. Kicker Rock is known as one of the best snorkeling sites in all of Galapagos.  This was our last day snorkeling and not only did we see so many of the amazing fish and rays we had seen for the last three weeks, but we also saw sharks! We swam with a school of Galapagos Sharks and also Hammerheads, which the guide said he had not seen for two months! 

Reef filled with algae and coral

It soon was Saturday and our time on the island had come to a close.  I did not leave, however, without leaving my mark on Galapagos.  My host sister who I lived with in the Galapagos Islands was pregnant and had her baby the day before we left.  And the best part… she named her baby Rachel, and not Raquel (like it is usually pronounced in Spanish), but Rachel! I am looking forward to returning to Galapagos in ten or so years and introducing myself to the baby as her namesake!

Blue Footed Boobies mating

Pacific Green Sea Turtle

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Galapagos and it definitely lived up to its reputation as an archipelago full of diverse and beautiful nature and life. While there we saw: finches, sea lions galore, dolphins, flamingos, penguins, sharks, fish of all kinds, rays, sea turtles and so much more! I also successfully completed my goal and swam in the ocean every single day while we were there (25 days straight)! I cannot wait for my next opportunity to return to Galapagos. 

On a more somber note, two hours after we returned to Quito Saturday night, the coast of Ecuador experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.  Luckily in Quito, we were completely safe and only felt tremors that lasted for a few minutes. It was the strongest earthquake to hit Ecuador in 20 years. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the coast, which is already considered one of the poorest parts of Ecuador. It severely damaged several small towns we visited throughout the semester. Beginning next week, I was also supposed to start my internship at a hospital in Jama, which is now completely destroyed. The damage will end up costing billions of dollars to repair and it will take months for people to get back on their feet and years to truly repair everything. 

One day after the earthquake my professors, who are founders of a conservation NGO, left for the coast in Tabuga where they own a reserve and have worked with the town for the last decade.  Luckily, there were no deaths in Tabuga, but when my teachers arrived, they were the first source of aid that made it there and residents had no electricity, fresh food, or purified water to drink.  After spending two days there, they helped set up tent communities, delivered fresh water, and made play areas for the kids. They returned to Quito Thursday morning and told us about their experience and mainly about how much more work and relief is needed. These people are largely cut off from the country and the world and have no work, no money, and no homes. 

        

In the midst of all the sadness, however, I have also seen a country come together.  Every supermarket has sold out of their bottled water, cans of tuna, and Saltine crackers every day.  In every town and even my neighborhood, there have been collection drives for clothes, food, and games, and people have been extremely generous.  On my teachers’ journey to the coast they said that there was a backup of 4 km of cars and trucks full of donations being delivered to the affected areas. Today, all the kids wore Ecuadorian shirts to school, instead of their usual uniforms, to show their solidarity. 

If you are interested in helping, the Ceiba Foundation that is the organization I am studying abroad through is organizing a major relief and reconstruction fund.  Already the money has been used to help bring food, fresh water, gas, and tins to make tent houses to help begin the rebuilding process. While money certainly isn't everything, it can begin to help set these towns and their people to a road of recovery. (Check out the website to make a donation or just keep informed about the relief work: Ceiba's Ecuador Relief Fund) My teachers will be returning to the Coast this week to continue to offer immediate aid relief and also to begin to help rebuild and rebuild better so that this does not happen again. 

Unfortunately, we will not be able to do our internships in the coast anymore and there is too much unknown to send us in to do relief work right now.  Our program and life in Ecuador goes on, however, and with the help of our teacher we were able to find new internships throughout Ecuador. On Sunday I am leaving for Pambilino, an organic farm located near the cloud forest and 2 hours from Quito.  I am not exactly sure what I will be doing there, but likely something with water clarity and helping to make the food. I am excited about beginning a new experience and I will definitely take a lot of pictures and keep you all informed!

Until then, I wish everyone a Zissen Pesach and good luck finding the Afikomen!

Pinguino!

Land Iguana

Here are some more pictures from Galapagos to enjoy with your Matzah!

Aida Maria 

Las Islas de Galapagos

“I scarcely hesitate to affirm… Nothing could be less inviting than the first appearance”

“It is easy to specify the individual objects of admiration in these grand scenes; but it is not possible to give an adequate idea of the higher feelings of wonder, astonishment, and devotion, which fill and elevate the mind”

Can you guess who wrote both of these quotes? 

Both of these quotes are actually written by the same person describing the same place! They are from Darwin's notes from the Voyage of the Beagle describing Las Islas Galapagos-The Galapagos Islands and my home for three weeks. Darwin recognized both the desolate desertlike appearance of the islands, but also the inherent beauty of everything.

After a few days back in Quito and then some time in the Coast, I was off to my next adventure - The Galapagos Islands.  On the plane ride over, our luggage was searched and sprayed to ensure that we were not bringing any seeds or fruits into the islands.  Introduced and invasive species in Galapagos has become a greater threat to the native species living here as tourism and the population has increased. Thus, they now thoroughly check our luggage to help prevent this from happening. After a short plane ride, we landed in San Cristobal, one of the main islands in Galapagos that has the second highest population of people living on it. 

The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands that are located in the Pacific Ocean around the equator and are a hotspot for biodiversity. The bulk of these islands have been formed because of successive lava flows and volcanic eruptions. Galapagos, named after a giant tortoise, is made up of 13 major islands, but only five of those islands are actually inhabited by people. The oldest islands in the archipelago are dated up to 5 million years ago, while the youngest are around 250,000 years ago.  The older islands are found in the southeast, while the younger islands are found further Northwest because the shifting of the Nazca Plate, a tectonic plate. 

These islands are known for their large number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin on the HMS Beagle.  This trip provided Darwin with essential research that led to the inception of the theory of evolution.

The first use of the islands was mainly by pirates, sailors, and whalers.  They introduced pigs, goats, and donkeys to the islands, which led to the major decline of marine iguanas and the Giant Tortoise populations.  Today, the Galapagos has a fast-growing population and is now home to over 40,000 people. Although human settlement is restricted to only 3% of the islands (97% of the archipelago is protected by the National Park), the effect that this growing population along with the 180,000 tourists that visit the islands has on the islands is becoming perilous. In 1959, Ecuador declared the Galapagos Islands as a national park to ensure the preservation of the biodiversity on these islands. In 1979 they were declared a World Heritage site and today represent the fourth biggest source of income for all of Ecuador.          

For three weeks, I am one of those 180,000 tourists.  We arrived in San Cristobal, the easternmost island in the archipelago, two weeks ago. During that first week we became comfortable with the island and island life. It is never necessary to look up the weather for the next day because everyday is going to be hot, sunny, and blue skies. Upon arrival, we all got new host families and again I definitely lucked out.  My host family lives in the center of the town and it tends to be the meeting spot for everything!

Each morning we had “class” and went snorkeling to identify some of the fish and other creatures in the water.  The first time I snorkeled I felt like I had seen more fish and species in the water than all my other time I spent in the ocean combined. In the afternoon we ate lunch together, then swam for fun, and then had lecture about marine ecology in the late afternoon.  Except for the shockingly high prices (a bottle of sunscreen is $25!) every aspect of the island was absolutely amazing!

           

After a wonderful week of getting to know San Cristobal, we left our little island to take a cruise around the rest of the Galapagos Islands.  We broke up into two groups and for one week traveled around the western and northern parts of the archipelago. I quickly needed to gain my sea legs and get used to the constant rocking of the boat. The weirdest part would be when we got off the boat on land and still feel the rocking of the boat!

Everyday we traveled to one or two new islands, and walk around land, and learn about the species that lived on each island.  We saw different colors of land iguanas, lava lizards, cacti, and of course the different beaks of Darwin’s finches.  At almost every site we also snorkeled and saw some amazing marine life.  The fish were brighter, bigger, and more diverse than anything I had ever seen previously.  We swam with giant Manta rays (probably twice the size of me), Galapagos penguins, sea lions, sea turtles, and so much more! From the boat we also saw dolphins, sharks, and rays flipping in the water.  We also had some seabirds take enjoy  some free rides resting on our boat. A few of my favorite birds were the famous Blue-footed Booby with bright blue feet, Frigate birds that inflate their red pouches to the size of soccer balls when they are trying to attract mates, and Flightless Cormorants that cannot fly, but swim in the water for fish.

Throughout the cruise we also were doing research projects and collecting preliminary data for a larger grant proposal, and learning how to identify the fish! The food was absolutely delicious on the boat, and none of us know where all the fresh fruits and vegetables came from.  We stargazed up on top of the boat every night and there is nothing quite like the feeling of being in the middle of the ocean, looking at stars, with absolutely no other person or light in sight.

           

I cannot believe how fast it went, but before we knew it, the 7 days were up and we boated back to San Cristobal.

We are here on San Cristobal Island for one more week, where we will be finishing our research projects, taking a field exam in the water, and of course swimming in the ocean everyday.  I currently have a 2.5-week streak going of days in a row that I swam in an ocean!

Nos vemos!

And more pictures to come once my internet improves!