Isla de la Plata: the Poor Man’s Galapagos
Isla de la Plata, the Silver Island, is not as fancy as its name may suggest, but it can be a fun and less expensive alternative to its higher-end neighbors that make up the Galapagos Islands. Isla de la Plata, also known as the poor man’s Galapagos, is located about 40 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador. Although visitors will not see the Galapagos tortoise there, we had heard it was a great place for blue-footed booby sightings. During the months of June-October, it can also be a fantastic place to catch mother humpback whales with their new babies! Since we were staying in Montanita for a full week, we figured it would be fun to check out Isla de la Plata. After all, since we were skipping the more involved and expensive tour to the Galapagos, we might as well see the “light” version.
We found a company in Montanita that organized a small boat to take us out to the island. The next morning, we caught a cab to take us thirty minutes up the road to Puerto Lopez. There, we bought our permits to visit the island and hopped aboard a small craft with roughly fifteen other tourists.
The first forty-five minutes of the ride were fairly uneventful. I was searching with baited breath for humpback whales, but did not see any. As we neared the island, I was losing hope until the water swelled quite close to us, renewing my fervor. Finally, we spotted a mother and her baby swimming happily along very close to us. We drifted alongside them for a while and watched the baby as he practiced his breaching, oblivious to our staring and oohing and ahhing as they moved gracefully through the water. I was thrilled.
We continued on to the island where, after hopping onto shore, we began our hike. The park was well regulated, which pleased me — I’d rather the flora and fauna be protected than have tourists trampling, picking, and disturbing the wildlife. Since there were such strict regulations, we were allowed only a limited amount of time touring the island, and we were required to go with a guide. The walk was enjoyable; we saw plenty of wildlife, mainly lizards and birds, including several pairs of blue-footed boobies.
Back at the boat, we had some lunch and headed to an area designated for snorkeling. I was hesitant to go in since the water was a bit cold, but our guides mentioned that if we dove down deep, we could hear the songs of the humpback whales. When I was young, I had a tape recording of humpback whale songs that I thought were lovely. I dreamed of hearing them live one day. I strapped on a mask and jumped in. I took a deep breath and dove down with great anticipation. Once in the deep water, I listened carefully for a moment until I could actually hear whales! Now, maybe my excitement caused some auditory hallucinations, but I really believe that I did hear those humpbacks.
After snorkeling we headed back to the mainland. By this time the sky had turned grey, and the sea had turned rough. As the boat sped back to shore, it bounced down heavily with each wave. I felt as though the bottom of the boat would spit in two. Needless to say, I was pleased and relieved when my two feet stepped onto solid ground.
We caught the bus back down to Montanita, tired from an adventurous day. After a leisurely dinner, we headed to bed.
Traveling in Ecuador – see what other towns we visited
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