Aug 8, 1998
Richard PolattyI have just returned from a week in the islands (August 1-8). El Niño is over and things are returning to normal in Galapagos. The weather is beautiful with cooler air temperatures and yet sunny. The colder water now is starting to cause some light garua. I only saw garua once in the past week and it was very light. There is a general "spring air" about as the animals start to recover. The Palo Santo have all generally lost their leaves and the denser El Niño generated undergrowth is drying up and dying back. Sea Lion Bulls have returned to Punta Suarez, Española and the surviving sea lions are looking healthy.
It was none too soon as the carnage of El Niño is readily apparent in a lot of areas. Most of the largest marine iguanas at Fernandina are now skeletons on the rocks. The entire population seems to have been devastated. It is easy to see why when snorkeling at Punta Espinoza. All of the usual algal beds are now barren. The population of sea lions at South Plaza is low compared to normal but, the survivors seem OK. Galapagos Penguins seem to be scarcer than normal in all of their normal ranges. Maybe the next few weeks will tell how well they are surviving.
The weather in general is getting to be much nearer seasonal norms with the surface water temperatures averaging 72 to 74 degrees F. in most of the central, southern, and northern islands. The west has gotten quite cold and a low temperature of 65 F was measured at the water surface around Tagus Cove, Isabela. The air temperatures (around 80 to 85 F maximum.) are falling with the sea temperatures The night time temperatures are down into the mid 60s. In short, its time to pull out the wetsuits again!
Sea birds are recovering and the boobies (masked and blue foot) are starting to breed. There are masses of wedge-rumped storm petrels at Tower. The Masked Boobies at Tower mainly had one egg by August 2, so, they are just beginning. There seems to be an air of rejuvenation about as everything returns to normal. One can watch the physical process of cooling off by checking sources such as sea surface temperature maps provided by NOAA. Also look at the looped images mirrored on this site for the development of El Nino and La Nina.
For specific island reports:
August 2- Tower
water temp 73.5
lots of Wedge-rumped storm petrels
owls courting (flying and interacting in the air) at Barranco
masked boobies have eggs (some with none, others with just one, only a few with 2 so they have just started laying)
Red footed boobies are nesting but no eggs yet.
Only a couple of displaying frigate males at the end of the trail. The existing frigate nests have chick of about 3 weeks to one month old
Still very few warbler finches compared to normal but lots of large cactus finches and small beaked ground finches
August 3 - Tagus Cove, Isabela
water temp 67 degrees F.
4 penguins seen
August 3- Punta Espinoza, Fernandina
One penguin seen
Lots of dead iguanas - even worse than the 2 weeks before - apparently they are still dying as there are no more rich algal beds
Flightless Cormorants are nesting (one pair). Interesting nest made of pencil urchins.
August 4 - Puerto Egas, Santiago
A few semi-palmated plovers but most migrants gone
Sea lions returning to beach but still none at the traditional breading spot on the trail.
Fur seals apparently doing fine at the grottosAugust 4- Bartolome
no penguins
water temp 72.5
August 5- North Seymour
a few bluefoots courting here and there - no eggs yet
Many male magnificent frigates displaying
sea lions are coming back
August 5- South Plaza
much smaller sea lion population than even 2 weeks ago. the remaining seem healthy with lots of bulls around but few females with pups
Most of the grasses are dying off with the sesuvium turning red again. Many cacti have fallen over.
The iguanas are still pretty spread out
swallow tails are starting to nest
lots of Audubon Shearwater activity and tropicbird activity
water temp 73.5
August 6- Punta Cormorant
Devil's Crown water temp 72.9
2 flamingos in the lagoon a 2 Black Necked Stilts. The lagoon is getting very dry.
August 7- Punta Suárez, Hood
Blue footed boobies and Masked Boobies are courting. The Blue Foots are starting to return to their normal nesting areas as the vegetation dies back to normal levels.
Waved Albatross are rafting in large numbers off-shore. Some are nesting but apparently only a few abandoned eggs..
August 7- Gardner Bay
Lots of sea lions (over 200 counted) and territorial bulls.
Water temps 73.5 F. at Gardner and 75 F. at Tortuga
BACK TO THE NATURALIST NET HOME
