Isabela
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Isabela
Isabela Island is
the largest island of the Galápagos
with an area of one thousand, seven hundred and ninety square miles, and a
length of sixty two miles - nearly four times larger than Santa Cruz, the next
largest of the islands. This island was named in honour of Queen
Isabella of
Spain,
who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
By the English, it was named Albemarle after the Duke of
Albemarle.
The Northern part of the island lies on the Earth's equator.
History: In 1893, Antonio Gil made a third attempt to colonise Floreana, but abandoned his efforts and moved Isabela, where he founded the settlements of Puerto Villamil and Santo Tomas. Reports of the time tell that a trail from Puerto Villamil to the hacienda Santo Tomas was “decorated” by the carapaces of thousands of slaughtered tortoises. The indiscriminate exploitation of tortoises, cattle raising, the extraction of sulphur and the incipient agriculture were the activities of the colony established by Antonio Gil on the island. By 1906, Santa Tomas had a population of two hundred, who depended primarily on the wild livestock ranging the slopes of Sierra Negra and on the exploitation of sulphur. By 1974 there were nearly four hundred and fifty residents on Isabela. This number has increased in each official census, with the total in the 2006 census reaching one thousand, seven hundred and forty nine.
Geology: One of the youngest islands, Isabela is located on the western edge of the archipelago near the Galápagos hotspot. Approximately one million years old, the island was formed by the merger of six shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul (erupted in 1959, 1979, 1998 and 2008), Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. All of these volcanoes except Ecuador are still active, making it one of the most volcanically busy places on earth. Two of the volcanoes, Ecuador and Wolf (the island's highest point with an altitude of five thousand six hundred feet – erupted in 1963 and 1982), lie directly on the equator. The island is primarily noted for its geology, providing excellent examples of uplifts at Urvina Bay and the Bolivar Channel, tuff cones at Tagus Cove, and pumice on Alcedo (1993) and Sierra Negra (own blog), one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
Wildlife: Isabela is also interesting for its flora and fauna. The young island does not follow the vegetation zones of the other islands. The relatively new lava fields and surrounding soils have not developed the sufficient nutrients required to support the varied life zones found on other islands. Another obvious difference occurs on Wolf and Cerro Azul; these volcanoes loft above the cloud cover and are arid on top. Isabela's rich animal, bird, and marine life is beyond compare. Isabela is home to more wild tortoises than all the other islands. The islands large size and notable topography created barriers for the slow-moving tortoises; apparently the creatures were unable to cross lava flows and other obstacles, causing several different sub-species of tortoise to develop. Today, tortoises roam free in the calderas of Alcedo, Wolf, Cerro Azul, Darwin and Sierra Negra. Introduced goats multiplied to over one hundred thousand but were eradicated by the Ecuadoran government. Other noted species include penguins, cormorants, marine iguanas, boobies, pelicans and Sally Lightfoot crabs abound, also Galapagos Land Iguanas, Darwin's finches, Galápagos Hawks, Galápagos Doves and very interesting lowland vegetation. The west coast of Isabela in the Bolivar Channel is the best place in Galapagos for viewing whales and dolphin.
Towns: The third-largest human settlement of the archipelago, Puerto Villamil, is located at the south-eastern tip of the island. The mistaken decision to send incorrigible criminals and the most cruel police to Galapagos reached a terrible low in the penal colony on Isabela. The prison was infamous for the mistreatment and abuse by its guards. In February 1958, after more than ten years of indescribable abuse, the convicts, led by an extraordinary man called Patecuco, rebelled and seized the camps. A group left the prison, assaulted the yacht Valinda, owned by a North American and fled to the continent. This event put Galapagos in all the American newspapers and caused the closure of the inhuman prison in 1959.
From that point began a new history and then we visit. We have greatly enjoyed our time in the islands and seen some of the most incredible sights nature has to offer. We set off on the morrow for two thousand, nine hundred and eighty six nautical mile journey to the Gambier Islands – the next installment on out aT-Venture. If the sea or weather take a bad turn we have the option to turn right to the Marquesas.
The anchorage is beyond a reef and shallow water, all supplies for the island have to be offloaded onto flat bottom barges and taxied in, then manhandled ashore.
The well loaded
vehicles take the provisions in to town.
Outside one of the many small eateries we
found a great use for painted egg shells and small pieces of plastic. We ate a few times in a bar that
served soup, main meal and orange juice for two pounds forty. Bargain.
This Berger Paint hostel and bar (popular with surfers) is right on the beach
and five o’clock happy hour is a regular place to meet and chat with fellow
cruisers.
A good start to Bears birthday
celebrations.
The view to the left from the bar, showing the anchorage.
From here it takes about fifteen minutes to walk to
the look out structure and another ten to the jetty to catch the water taxi
home, I’ll call it exercise to feel no guilt at happy
hour. Yes dear.
View to the right and our way out to open sea with a sharp
left turn.
ALL IN ALL A GENTLE FINALE REMARKABLY QUIET
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