A family's encounter with Lonesome George

Author: By Jennifer M. Nichols, Globe Correspondent

Date: SUNDAY, October 12, 1997

Page: M1

Section: Travel

Since the days of Darwin, the Galapagos has been revered as a shrine for scientists, naturalists, historians, and ecologists. In more recent times, it has been extolled by tour companies as a magnificent tourist destination where visitors -- primarily adults -- can experience some of the world's most magnificent and undisturbed natural wonders. But few tout the Galapagos as an ideal destination for families with children. They should, though. Because families looking for an educational adventure of a lifetime need look no farther than this remote, equatorial archipelago of 19 islands 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.

My husband, two young children, and I, along with a crew of three, spent five days aboard a 38-foot ketch, the Symbol, weaving our way to six islands in the Galapagos. Each one featured distinctly different wildlife and vegetation. In addition to George, other distinguished residents grace these islands, including the world's only species of marine reptile as well as the world's largest colony of red-footed boobies -- not to mention 30 percent of the world's blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, penguins (on the equator, no less!), and dozens of species of reptiles, birds, and sea life.

The Galapagos are of volcanic origin. They are mere babies in geological age, ranging from 700,000 to 5 million years old. After first emerging above the ocean's surface, bacteria, fungi, and algae were the sole life of these islands. But through time -- and by chance -- plants and animals began to establish a foothold. Their modes of transportation would not appeal to the average tourist. Plant life either blew in with the wind, hitched a ride on the feathers of birds, or floated ashore in the endless rush of tides. Much of the animal life arrived by flying or by floating on vegetation rafts -- large, tangled collections of plant and animal life. Some of the heartier species simply propelled their way across the expanse of rolling sea and arrived, where they slowly adapted to their new environment and began to propagate.

One such arrival was the galapago (Spanish for tortoise), and the namesake of the Galapagos Islands. These massive, hardy creatures -- many weighing 300 to 600 pounds -- possessed a strong resistance to the effects of the sun and the ability to go for long periods of time without food and water. These traits helped them survive not only the ravages of the sea but also the obstacles of their harsh new surroundings.

When Charles Darwin first sailed to the Galapagos in 1835, he found the islands sparsely settled with humans but teeming with wildlife, which provided a rich laboratory for him to examine animal adaptations and begin to form his theory of evolution. He found, for example, that each species of tortoise was different from the others, each having adapted to the type of vegetation unique to its island. Tortoises who had to raise their heads up to snatch a high branch developed long necks and a hood-like shell, or carapace, that allowed for this neck movement. Those that fed on low vegetation developed dome-shaped shells close to the neck.

Darwin also found that the animals showed little, if any, fear of their intruders. In fact, writing in his journal, he reported of holding a dove in his hat while striding calmly beside one of the giant tortoises to measure its speed. To this day, most animals in the Galapagos are fearless of their human intruders -- even excited children. Respecting a reasonable distance, children and adults can observe the beauty and behavior of the abundant wildlife. Iguanas, lizards, birds, sea lions, and tortoises go about their lives unafraid of their human interlopers.

Although much remains the same on the islands as when Darwin visited, some things have changed -- unfortunately for the worse. Before the island came under the protection of the Galapagos National Park Service, humans and the species they introduced almost devastated the tortoise population. Between 100,000 to 200,000 of these gentle giants were slaughtered for their meat or oil. Pirates found the tortoises tasty fare. They kept the harmless animals tethered, sometimes stacked upside down aboard ship for up to a year without food or water, using them as a source of fresh meat. Even tortoises able to avoid the snare of their human predators weren't safe. Black rats, pigs, and dogs, all introduced by humans to the islands, ravaged the eggs and hatchlings. Goats, cattle, and burros competed with the tortoises for food. Now, fewer than 15,000 of these magnificent giants survive. Three of the original 14 species are extinct. And, of course, George, the sole progenitor of his subspecies, hangs on patiently. He waits for a mate with which to begin the slow, deliberate repopulation of his almost lost species.

George calls the Island of Santa Cruz, and the Charles Darwin Research Center home. He shares the island with about 10,000 humans, the largest population in the archipelago. The Research Center, established in 1961, is managed by the Galapagos National Park Service. Its mission is to educate the public about conservation and environmental issues, as well as to control and eliminate the ravaging effects of introduced species on the islands' indigenous life. We found the Research Center an excellent source of information with its informative exhibits, nature trails displaying local vegetation, and tortoises at virtually all stages of development.

The Research Center breeds certain tortoise species that would otherwise have become extinct. One startling success story is the Hood Island subspecies, which had dwindled to just three males and 11 females. Through the efforts of the center, there are now more than 200 Hood Island tortoises surviving in their native habitats. The center also collects and incubates tortoise eggs from many islands in the archipelago. Hatchlings are nurtured until they are strong enough to withstand their predators then repatriated to their original habitats.

The center also provides a safe haven for tortoises whose origin cannot be identified. Three pens house these unknowns, and they are the only animal life in the entire archipelago that visitors can touch -- and we did. The children were particularly ecstatic to finally pet an animal after days of longing to caress sea lions, pat lava lizards, and stroke the feathers of nesting boobies. But the wait was worth it. The tortoises remained calm and still as the children lovingly stroked their rough, elongated necks.

And what about Lonesome George? Although the idea of a $10,000 reward for finding him a mate lured the children and us to his spacious pen, we were unprepared for the powerful and significant message he provided. Here we were, looking at this magnificent and lone animal that was the last remaining one of his kind. I'd even find him a mate for free, my daughter whispered. We couldn't have agreed more. We gazed at and admired Lonesome George for a long time before we reluctantly moved on. But the message he provided, of the fragility of Galapagos life and the human responsibility for its preservation, has continued to resonate. An educational adventure of a lifetime? You bet.

Among agencies:

Andean Trek, 32 Russell Ave., Watertown, MA 02172; (617) 924-1974 or (800) 683-8148.

Rascals in Paradise: Family Travel Specialists, 650 Fifth St., No.505, San Francisco, CA 94107; (415) 978-9800.