Photo by Per-Gunnar Ostby
Golden Rays (photo by Jeff Waugh)Guess what I saw today? A Galapagos penguin! They are the third smallest penguin in the world and they live further north than any other penguin. They are considered tropical penguins because of the fact that they live near the equator; however, because of the cold water currents that flow through here (Humbolt, Cromwell) the waters are very chilly. I had to wear a wetsuit just to stay warm enough for our 45 minute snorkel. These penguins do have to regulate their temperature during warmer months. The strong sun is the main problem for the penguins in the Galapagos Islands, so they need to regulate their body temperatures. They do this by holding their wings away from the body, allowing air to reach less feathered parts, shading feet from the sun, and finally by swimming in cool water. While snorkeling, I also saw five or six sea turtles, a school of golden rays, puffer fish, as well as many other fish whose names I don’t know yet. One school of fish looked like electric sparks in the water, though it was just the sunlight reflecting off their scales.
On the way back to the ship, we saw fur seals, the only other marine mammal found in the Galapagos. They have faces that look like bears and their call is much more subdued compared to the sea-lions’ cough-hurl-growl sound that is ubiquitous (you can hear it everywhere) on these islands!
Throughout the cruise, when we were not watching wildlife, we teachers from the United States have been meeting with Galapagueño teachers to design plans on how we can better teach our students about environmental issues. We will present to each other tomorrow afternoon. I'll let you know how it goes.
8 comments:
have you seen any marine iganuas eating yet? let me know if you see any.
Joel
hi Ms.Brown, what iz up? this is Stequan i just have a few things to ask you. why do they call it the golden ray? is it because of its skin color? or is that what happens when the sun reflects off of it? what are its preditors? does it have any? what are its pray? how does it hunt for it?
Dear Ms.brown I am so happy to here you having fun and I can't wait to see you.
Sincerely,
Alex Rojas
Wow! It sounds like you are learning a lot and having a wonderful time. Some of the photos you have posted are incredible! I had no idea there is such a thing as a "tropical penguin." How cool! Thanks for sharing all of this with us, and for letting us know what we can do to help the environment.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Amy
hey ms.Brown this is Stequan i just have a few things to ask you. why do they call it the golden ray? is that the color of its skin? or is that wat happens to it when its hit by the sun? what are its preditors? does it have any? what are its pray? how do they hunt it
hey, its like i am there again! Pics and commentaries are great. Can't wait to see you... be safe & miss ya
I'm really enjoying your fantastic pictures and commentary! The Galapagos sound amazing. I had no idea that penguins could exist that far north.
I especially like the photos of the marine iguanas; I had no idea their color varied so much. I thought they were mostly blackish to soak up the heat on the rocks. It is nice to see so many of them around after the El Nino-related die-offs.
See you when you get back, and safe travels,
Ali
Hello friends, family, colleagues, and Young Achievers! I enjoyed reading your posts. Joel, I have not witnessed marine iguanas eating yet, though I have seen them going out to sea to chow down. I have video to share later. Stequan, the rays are golden in color. Watching the school of about 15 swim in circles around us was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. I imagine sharks might prey on rays, but I need to find out for sure. Friends and family and other adults, I´m so glad your enjoying this too. If my tone seems patronizing, remember I´m writing with my students in mind. I miss you all!
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