The morning activity of our last full day in the Galapagos was trekking to Tortuga Bay. We walked through a beautiful little trail, met two Choate students coming here for spring break (what are the odds?!), and enjoyed our two hours snorkeling, playing Mafia in the water, and trying to spot baby sharks. The sand at the beach was a pristine white, the water near the mangroves of Playa Brava crystal clear, and the angelfish and damselfish living in the ecosystem breathtaking to watch. Looking at the underwater mangrove growth, we imagined that the fish would call this place home just as enthusiastically as we call Deerfield home. Mica, our ECOS tour guide, explained to us that the damselfish might nip you if you stayed near their homes for too long, being very protective of their homeland. And after snorkeling there, it is only natural to agree with them that such a beautiful homeland is worth protecting at all costs.
When we first settled down at Playa Mansa, though, we noticed something odd: the birds here do not seem to be afraid of humans at all! One of the student photographers on the trip compared these chill birds to the ones we get back on campus at Deerfield, which are much quicker to avoid human contact and would rather that we stayed at a distance. On the other hand, these birds here had not formed the instinct of avoiding tourists, meaning that the tourists here have been exceptionally gentle to them. Tortuga Bay isn’t a niche spot; in fact, it is one of the main attractions on Santa Cruz Island! That such a volume of tourists had come here and all of them had united to treat the wildlife gently speaks volumes about the best side of humanity. Many people are pessimistic, thinking that humanity would never unite in their protection of wildlife, but they will be proven wrong here. The peaceful and even joyful coexistence of humans and animals that we have seen on this entire trip gives us hope that, one day, we will make up for all the damage we have done to this planet.
Then, we met some exceptionally friendly local students who had joined a club called MoLas, which trains local high schoolers to give tours to other visiting high school students and build bonds with them. We visited some of the primary attractions on the main street in Puerto Ayora, and at the pier, we each staged our own play about the Past, Present, or Future of the Galapagos. When the event ended, Yasu, our other ECOS tour guide, confided that even though she and Mica can study the ecosystem here as scientists, they will never have the experience of growing up here that the students do, and they would never feel the same attachment to these islands as the kids. So, the microphone must be given to them––they are the authoritative voices, and they are the most important voices to truly feel connected to the Galapagos.
Our final activity in the Galapagos was bittersweet. It ended how it started, in a circle with unfamiliar faces and shy awkward introductions. However this time was different, we were closer to them because we had familiarized ourselves with their culture, they were not so foreign anymore, as they took us around the city that they lived in. We noticed that the mosaic murals and ceramic artworks included images of humans living in accordance with nature. We learned from the MoLas that in the Galapagos there is the coexistence of nature and humans, there are no winners and one does not have to use asymmetrical methods to live. After dinner our group came together on the pier to reflect and give thanks for our time, and the experiences we had in the Galapagos. During these last moments together we enjoyed the final smells, the gentle sound of the waves and the feel of the humid air. We were given time to connect with each person in the group individually and express our gratitude for what they brought to the trip.
