Hey world,
I planned to leave Puerto López for
the Galápagos Islands after a day or two. Well, the research permits didn’t
work out right away, and my visa never came, and we are all on Ecuadorian Time
after all. I integrated myself into Barbara’s turtle volunteering organization,
Equilibrio Azul, and I’ve been here helping out
with the turtles ever since.
I won’t bore you with the daily
trials of life in Puerto López. Instead, I will focus each blog entry on a
different aspect of the turtle conservation project. I’ve gotten the
opportunity to do some pretty gnarly things, from ripping open dead eggs full
of bacteria and fungus, to patrolling a restricted white-sand beach for nesting
hawksbills at night, to snorkeling amidst jellyfish in search of tagged green
turtles. I’ve also had my share of adventures of the bird-watching,
horseback-riding, and scuba-diving variety.
Here is a tantalizing sneak peak at
the entries to come:
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| Bomb scientists using tools to measure turtle tracks in the sand. |
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| Nest excavations and embryo autopsies. |
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| Shark bycatch at the morning fish market. |
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| Cute children painting the fence blue. |
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| Mud ninjas. |
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| Adolescent blue-footed boobies. |
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| Big hawksbills in little boats. |
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| And much more! |
It’s not research in the Galápagos
Islands as planned, but there are worse things than being stranded in Puerto López.
I have enjoyed living these adventures – I hope you enjoy reading about them!
Yours truly,
Nina