Coincidence Part 7

For their teachers, the islands were a sheer delight, offering a rare combination of history, oceanography, geology, conservation management, and the evolutionary study of unique species. They loved being on these fascinating islands and showing their students firsthand what most people would never know except from books.

Dave Cameron began his lessons on the social history of the islands before the ship even docked. He told the students the islands were located directly on the equator about six hundred miles west of the South American coast. They were discovered by accident in 1535, when a Spanish vessel known as the Bishop of Panama Bishop of Panama, sailing to Peru, was becalmed in the equatorial doldrums. It was carried due west by the currents and eventually came upon the Galapagos. Because it was dry season when the ship reached land, the sailors thought the islands were worthless. They saw virtually no vegetation beyond the thistles on the volcanic rock.

Originally called Insulae de los de Galopegos, the islands were renamed Archipielago del Ecuador after their annexation by that country. The name was changed again in 1892 to Archipielago de Colon, in honor of Christopher Columbus.

A few decades later, the Galapagos became a base of operations for many English pirates and buccaneers who attacked Spanish galleons returning to Spain from the New World. The Galapagos lay not far from the route between the conquered Inca Empire of the Andes and Panama and New Spain, the center of Spanish activity in the New World. Among the pirates, the islands were known as Las Islas Encantadas, the Enchanted Isles.

Over the years the islands were used as a base for whaling fleets, as a prison colony, and as a salt mine, but many attempts to establish permanent settlements failed. Every new human encounter brought more destruction to the fragile ecosystem of the islands. This was the really interesting part, in Dave's view, the part he most wanted to impress upon his students.

He stopped his narrative as the ship pulled into Academy Bay, mesmerized by the sight before him. He had read so much about the history and ecology of this place, seen so many photographs, that it seemed completely familiar to him. But nothing had prepared him for the reality of it. There was Punta Estrada, its cliff face covered in guano and graffiti, sheltering the harbor. There were the mangroves, looking just as otherworldly as in the pictures, their prop roots coming down from their branches toward the water as if they were growing their own stilts for support-as, in fact, they were.

And there, most amazing of all, were the famed blue-footed b.o.o.bies, the most improbable of birds. Surely such creatures could exist only in a cartoon. The thought popped into Dave's mind that they looked like caricatures of bewigged judges in a British court of law, wearing, with dignified eccentricity, their judicial robes, and, for some inexplicable reason, bright blue Wellington boots. The image made him laugh out loud.

The Floaties, who had been staring at the scene, began to laugh, too, and jabber about the sights before them. Pierre shouted and pointed to a b.o.o.by plummeting straight off the cliff into the water. It was soon joined by dozens-maybe hundreds-more, in a great cacophony of honks and whistles, all furling their wings behind and then dropping headfirst with such force into the bay that it was hard to believe they could survive the experience.

Tom Michaels, who had witnessed this behavior before but never failed to be dazzled by it, explained that the birds had spotted a school of fish in the waters below and were "plunge diving" in a feeding frenzy.

"Special air sacs protect their skulls from the impact," he said. "The blue-footed b.o.o.bies are only one of the many remarkable creatures to be found in the Galapagos. When Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835, he found that fully half the birds and plants were different from the species known anywhere else on earth. About a third of the sh.o.r.e fish and nearly all of the reptiles also differed. These variations helped him establish his theory of evolution.

"Contrary to popular belief, however, Darwin did not leave the islands with a sudden dawn of enlightenment. He still believed in the creation of life along the lines of the Bible. The seeds of inquiry had been sown, however, and they matured in his mind over the years."

Melissa loved to see her teachers' excitement-in fact they were practically falling over one another in their eagerness to explain what was going on and to establish relationships between the different subjects. Back home she went from one cla.s.s to the next never even thinking that they might fit together into one integrated whole.

It was a combination of human and environmental factors, Dave said, that had contributed to the deterioration of plant and animal life here. Humans, starting with the earliest explorers, had killed many of the native tortoises for food; some varieties had nearly become extinct. In addition, they had released, either accidentally or on purpose, the goats, pigs, burros, and cattle that were responsible for defoliating the islands, and had introduced rats, cats, and dogs, which ate the eggs or young of native birds and reptiles.

"Weather is the other major factor, but now we're getting out of my field," Dave said. "I'd better let Tom cover that."

Tom leapt right in.

"Every few years, El Nino causes the equatorial and atmospheric circulation patterns to reverse, bringing warm water and air from the western Pacific. Along with the warmth comes rain-a lot lot of rain. The rains moisten the dry lowlands, allowing vegetation to flourish. With food abundant, the terrestrial animals, such as iguanas and finches, do well. But at the same time, these changes inhibit the upwelling that enriches the Galapagos waters with nutrients. While terrestrial life flourishes, it is a catastrophe for marine life. Seabirds of all types are unable to raise their young and mortality is high among marine iguanas and fur seals there." of rain. The rains moisten the dry lowlands, allowing vegetation to flourish. With food abundant, the terrestrial animals, such as iguanas and finches, do well. But at the same time, these changes inhibit the upwelling that enriches the Galapagos waters with nutrients. While terrestrial life flourishes, it is a catastrophe for marine life. Seabirds of all types are unable to raise their young and mortality is high among marine iguanas and fur seals there."

They had only just arrived, yet Melissa and Pierre were already beginning to grieve for the destruction of this extraordinary place.

The next morning, students and teachers went ash.o.r.e to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, just a one-mile walk from Puerto Ayora. Several Ecuadorian university students, there to receive hands-on training in science, education, and conservation, served as tour guides. After viewing a video that described the islands and explained the mission of the station, the Floaties were led down a winding path to see one of the tortoise corrals.

It took quite a while for the group to reach the corral. One Floatie after another halted suddenly in the middle of the gravel to marvel and to snap pictures.

"Look!" Kathy called out. "Lava lizards!"

"It looks like that one's doing push-ups!" Trudy said.

And so it was, Luisa, their guide, told them.

"It's a form of communication many lizards use, actually, to mark their territory and in mating rituals," she said. "What's really interesting about the Galapagos lava lizards is that the pattern of raising and lowering their bodies varies from island to island. You could think of it sort of like a whole-body regional accent."

"Are those cactus plants?" Chris asked. "They're gigantic!"

Luisa explained that several plants that had colonized on the islands had developed treelike forms.

"There are even ferns and sunflowers that grow as trees here," she said.

The group now reached the pen that held the giant domed-sh.e.l.l tortoises.

"They like visitors," Luisa said. "Some of them even like to have their necks scratched."

The Floaties began clucking, whistling, murmuring "Here, Boy," and making whatever other noises they imagined might entice a tortoise. Pierre simply stood still with his arm held out. It wasn't long before one of the huge reptiles lumbered over to him and stretched its neck as far as possible up and out of its sh.e.l.l in sure antic.i.p.ation of a nice long scratch. Pierre obliged as Melissa took snapshot after snapshot.

"I keep expecting him to purr!" she said.

"How do you know it's a 'him'?" Pierre asked.

Melissa answered that they all looked like old men to her, so that's what she would call them, never mind the facts.

They traded places. By now several tortoises were enjoying neck ma.s.sages. It was hard for the Floaties to leave their newfound friends, but they had much more to explore. Nancy took a final shot of Pierre and Melissa together stroking the "old man," then off they went to the Breeding and Rearing Center to see newly hatched tortoises and land iguanas. The station collects eggs from several different islands, hatches them in incubators, and nurtures them for five years before repatriating them to their home islands.

The next day the students were given free time to go ash.o.r.e and pursue their own activities, with the usual caveat that they remain in groups of at least four. Pierre and Melissa were torn between taking a bus up into the highlands and going on a boat tour. Most of the Floaties, including Nancy and Michael, decided on the highland tour.

This, they were told, would give them a sense of the whole gamut of vegetation found on all of the islands as the bus slowly wound its way through a cross-section of different climatic zones, from the arid coastal region through the agriculturalized middle elevations, with their coffee and banana plantations, to the lush green dampness of the scalesia zone higher up, and then the shrubby miconia zone at the top. The garua garua, the mist that cloaks the higher elevations from June through December, supports the growth of epiphytic plants-including, Michael was elated to see, mistletoe, which clung to the branches of many of the trees. What could he possibly do, he asked himself, but kiss the girl sitting beside him every time the bus pa.s.sed another clump?

As for Nancy, she was quickly losing sight of her boyfriend back in Boston.

As interesting as the bus trip sounded, Pierre and Melissa, after much hemming and hawing, had opted for the boat. Two Israeli soldiers they had met in Puerto Ayora, Asher and Ari, had organized the tour, and had invited them and a few other Floaties to join in and share the cost, making it a relative bargain. But what clinched the deal, at least for Melissa, was the prospect of playing with sea lions.

The small boat made its way from Academy Bay to the eastern side of Santa Cruz toward the Plaza Islands where large colonies of sea lions congregate on the rocks. Their guide spoke very good English. He had moved from Ecuador four years earlier because of his love of the sea. He stopped the boat in a little cove that was teeming with sea lions. The whole inlet echoed with their barking and squealing.

"Ah, buenos dias buenos dias, my flippered friends," the guide shouted to them. "I have brought you a boatload of new playmates!"

The soldiers were the first to slip over the side of the boat into the water. As they swam, a small group of young sea lions wriggled off the rocks to see what was going on and then to play. The creatures had no fear of humans; they liked to be touched and allowed the soldiers to grab hold of their fins.

Melissa and Pierre soon dived in, too. The sea lions nudged them, darting in and out of the water and peering at them with their bewhiskered, inquisitive faces, as if daring them to hop aboard for a ride-which they were only too happy to do. It reminded Melissa of Sea World back home, where she had watched trainers get towed around by whales and dolphins. But this was infinitely more fun, because she was not just a spectator and the animals were wild and in their natural habitat.

They students swam and frolicked with the sea lions for over an hour. The guide then ferried them to another spot close to some cliffs where they were able to beach the boat. They climbed up the cliffs with the intent of jumping into the water about forty-five feet below. Pierre was the first to jump. The others, except Melissa, soon followed. As they jumped they let out the loudest roars they could, probably to overcome their fear of the descent. Pierre tried hard to persuade Melissa how much fun it would be to catapult herself off the cliffs to what she was sure would be her certain death.

Eventually she agreed to try it, provided he would jump with her and hold her hand on the way down. At least, she thought, it would make for an interesting obituary in her hometown paper. She could see the headline already: Pickering Girl-no, no, she amended it, Pickering Woman Woman and Boyfriend Lose Lives in Galapagos Island Tragedy. As their feet left the firm foundation of the cliffs Pierre let out a Tarzan yell, but Melissa was holding her breath so tight she couldn't make a sound. and Boyfriend Lose Lives in Galapagos Island Tragedy. As their feet left the firm foundation of the cliffs Pierre let out a Tarzan yell, but Melissa was holding her breath so tight she couldn't make a sound.

Afterward, surprised to find herself still alive, Melissa felt a rush of triumph. She had done it! She had conquered her fear-well, perhaps not, but she had done it done it anyway. And thank you, no, she had no interest in repeating the feat. anyway. And thank you, no, she had no interest in repeating the feat.

The final destination of the tour was one of the spots where Charles Darwin's boat, the Beagle Beagle, had anch.o.r.ed. Here they went ash.o.r.e and enjoyed a late lunch-they were ravenous by now-of fish rolls and tea in a tiny restaurant, which was actually a house that served simple meals. The Floaties exchanged addresses with Asher and Ari, promising to keep in touch; they felt that the shared experience of this incredible day had forged a bond with them far beyond what you'd expect from such a short acquaintance. It had been, they all agreed, one of the most exceptional days yet.

A few of the Floaties and teachers had stayed near Puerto Ayora that day. Some had wanted to return to the Darwin Research Station, others to explore the little town and shop for souvenirs and postcards.

Mac, who had seen all of the sights on Santa Cruz Island several times by now, headed straight for a restaurant with a bar. Three students joined him, ordering sandwiches and beer for lunch and listening with rapt attention to one of his tales of adventure. Mac had so many extraordinary stories the Floaties were never quite sure how many of them were true; indeed, by now, Mac wasn't always entirely sure himself.

He was just in the middle of one about his days working in the copper mines in Zambia when Mary Wilson and Tom Michaels walked into the restaurant-and immediately spotted the beer on the table. The students were all over nineteen, so of legal drinking age, but the BWA rules were absolutely clear on this point: No alcohol whatsoever for students in the program. Mary and Tom hated to do it, but they would have to tell Anika.

What made the situation even stickier was that Mac was with them, too. By rights, he ought to have enforced the rule even if the kids were willing to flout it. But he had been so involved in his story, he'd never given it a thought.

"At home in Scotland, the legal drinking age was sixteen," he said. "It didn't seem out of the usual to me for these young adults to be havin' a beer or two."

Silly rule, anyway, he thought, while apologizing profusely. It had been his responsibility, and he had blown it.

"Ye couldn't blame the kids for seein' what they could get away with; that's the way of kids. If there was to be any disciplinary action, it should be taken with me."

Mary and Tom were in full agreement with that. However, there wasn't anything they could do other than give him a light reprimand. Mac was an independent contractor, hired directly by Captain Marzynski, so he was not directly accountable to the BWA program. And the fact was, he was such a valuable member of the crew, such a steady and capable workman, with unparalleled skills and ingenuity, there was no way they could do without him.

In the end Anika decided to give the students a port suspension, meaning no sh.o.r.e leave at their next port of call. It was a lesser penalty than the usual two-week suspension at home but one she still hated to levy on the students. The next port of call would be Easter Island, another high point of the voyage and a fantastic educational opportunity. Why couldn't the kids have had their beer somewhere else on the trip? It wouldn't have been so bad for them to miss the sights of Puerto Vallarta, but Easter Island?

Easter Island was thirteen days away, she thought. A lot could happen in that time. Maybe the thought thought that they were going to miss out on seeing Easter Island would be punishment enough for the kids. It certainly was punishment enough for her. that they were going to miss out on seeing Easter Island would be punishment enough for the kids. It certainly was punishment enough for her.

16.

Jon Tun Aung, crewman of the MV Great Princess Great Princess, was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with good cheer this morning at breakfast, as he had been every morning since the oceangoing freighter had left from Taiwan twelve days ago.

The Great Princess Great Princess was headed for Lima, Peru, fully laden with a cargo of textiles and electronic equipment. At six hundred feet in length, she was a modestly sized cargo vessel, with a crew of twenty-two, most of them from the Philippines. Her skipper was Captain Than Hun. She was now roughly three hundred and seventy-five miles west of the Galapagos Islands, about eight hundred and seventy-five miles from her final destination. was headed for Lima, Peru, fully laden with a cargo of textiles and electronic equipment. At six hundred feet in length, she was a modestly sized cargo vessel, with a crew of twenty-two, most of them from the Philippines. Her skipper was Captain Than Hun. She was now roughly three hundred and seventy-five miles west of the Galapagos Islands, about eight hundred and seventy-five miles from her final destination.

The reason for Jon's cheerfulness was simple: The day before the Great Princess Great Princess had set sail, he had at last persuaded his sweetheart of several years to be his wife. The marriage was to take place as soon as it could be arranged after his return from Lima. He'd been grinning from ear to ear, unfazed by the teasing of his crewmates, ever since. This morning, as on every other morning, he was ravenously hungry. He could never seem to get enough to eat. had set sail, he had at last persuaded his sweetheart of several years to be his wife. The marriage was to take place as soon as it could be arranged after his return from Lima. He'd been grinning from ear to ear, unfazed by the teasing of his crewmates, ever since. This morning, as on every other morning, he was ravenously hungry. He could never seem to get enough to eat.

He was reaching across the table to pour himself a third cup of tea, imagining what his fiancee, Lili, might be busy doing today in preparation for the wedding-another fitting for her gown, perhaps?-when he suddenly felt as though someone had plunged a dagger into his back.

He collapsed against the table, struggling for breath, the pain radiating from his back through to the left side of his chest and all the way down his left arm.

His crewmates sat agape for a moment, unsure what the jovial Jon was up to now. Then, realizing the man was not joking, they laid him out on the floor and called for the captain.

Captain Than found no obvious external reason to account for the pain; no blood or signs of trauma anywhere on Jon's body. He ordered two crew members to get a stretcher to transport Jon to the ship's hospital room, where he could do a more thorough examination.

Like most merchant vessels of its type, the Great Princess Great Princess had no doctor onboard. Both captain and first mate had to undergo a rigorous four-week course in first aid. The ship had a small hospital room, just big enough for a bed, a washroom, and four cabinets stocked with basic medical supplies. The ship's bible- had no doctor onboard. Both captain and first mate had to undergo a rigorous four-week course in first aid. The ship had a small hospital room, just big enough for a bed, a washroom, and four cabinets stocked with basic medical supplies. The ship's bible-The International Medical Guide for Ships, published by the World Health Organization and mandatory equipment on all ships-lay open on a shelf for quick reference.

Captain Than's first thought was that Jon was having a heart attack, even though he was only twenty-seven years old. He summoned the first mate, and they went down the list of symptoms: shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, continuing severe pain on the left side. They referred to the medical guide under "Chest pain: a.s.sociated signs." A number of possibilities existed: coronary thrombosis, pleurisy, pneumonia, pneumothorax. They made Jon as comfortable as possible without giving any medication or fluids until further direction could be provided from a doctor via satellite radiophone at a coastal station.

Captain Than reached Dr. Patrick Herrigan at his Philadelphia office, and described the symptoms.

"Is there any coughing?" the doctor asked.

"No," Captain Than replied.

"Any pain in the abdomen?"

"No."

"Continuing pain in the left arm?"

"No."

"Does he have tightness in the chest?"

"Yes. It hurts when he breathes, so he is making short gasps for air."

"And his heart rate has been consistently high?"

"Yes."

"Any skin discoloration?"

"Yes, his skin seems to be turning a little blue."

"How about his back, any pain in his back?"

"Not now, but at first he had a stabbing sensation in his back on the left side."

"All right. I want you to listen to his breathing with a stethoscope. Check the right side of his chest first, listen to a few breaths and then do the same on the left side and tell me if they sound any different."

Captain Than got his stethoscope. He heard movement of air when he listened to the right side of Jon's chest, but nothing on the left side.

The doctor said, "Okay, I'm ruling out a heart attack. If he were coughing it could be pleurisy or pneumonia, but he's not, so I'm ruling those out too. Is he tall?"

An odd question, the captain thought. Jon was was a little over six feet, he told him. a little over six feet, he told him.

"Does he smoke?"

"Two packs a day."

"What I think we're dealing with here is spontaneous pneumothorax. It's far more common among tall people than short, and especially if they are smokers. How far from land are you?"

"We're about nine hundred miles from Lima-that's almost five days."

"No good. He needs to have the pressure in his chest relieved as soon as possible. Is there nowhere closer?"

"If I alter course, we could get to the Galapagos Islands in just under two days. We're around four hundred miles away."

"This man needs a chest-tube insertion right away to allow air to be released so the lung can re-expand. I'm going to contact the Automatic Major Rescue System to see if there are any ships in your area with a doctor onboard. What are your coordinates?"

Within ten minutes Dr. Herrigan was back on the satellite radiophone.

"Captain Than, there is a doctor onboard the tall ship In Inspiration, which is currently a little over sixty miles from your position. His name is Dr. Elliott Williams. He is going to contact you directly in the next few minutes. I'm strongly recommending you rendezvous with the In Inspiration ASAP so he can do the insertion. He has the necessary equipment onboard to do it properly once he confirms the diagnosis. If he can solve the problem with a chest-tube insertion then you can likely proceed to Lima with no further delay. Good luck." ASAP so he can do the insertion. He has the necessary equipment onboard to do it properly once he confirms the diagnosis. If he can solve the problem with a chest-tube insertion then you can likely proceed to Lima with no further delay. Good luck."

The radiophone soon came alive again.

"Captain Than, this is Dr. Williams on the In Inspiration. We have been advised of your medical emergency and are prepared to offer a.s.sistance if you wish. We are currently sixty miles northwest of your position. We are altering course and heading toward your position. Will you do the same?"

"Yes, I have already asked for a course change. How long is the In Inspiration?"

"One hundred and eighty-eight feet."