One day to enjoy the wonders of Galapagos

After a productive workshop, we decided to reward ourselves with some relaxation and exploration of the stunning natural beauty of Galápagos. Luis and Marta headed to Tortuga Bay, where they admired the turquoise waters, dipped their toes in the sand, and watched the graceful marine iguanas glide through the waves. These fascinating animals, which look like miniature dragons, captivated us with their unique adaptations. We also spotted some pelicans, hermit crabs and fiddler crabs along the shore. We tried to dig for some earthworms, but they were nowhere to be found.

After a delicious lunch, where we finally saw the blue-footed boobies soar in the sky, we joined Jaime and ventured to “las grietas” – a series of three narrow, rectangular pools that slice through towering lava cliffs. There, we snorkeled among colorful fish and enjoyed the refreshing water. We were so exhausted after our adventurous day that we grabbed a slice of pizza and returned to our hotel, where we resumed our work on designing primers for barcoding the earthworms of our project. These little critters, some of which were already in Portugal, were proving to be quite stubborn. But nothing that a bottle of Portuguese wine couldn’t make more enjoyable🍷