By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Galapagos Islands — If Jonathan Schechter’s hiking boots could speak they would have plenty to talk about.
From climbing Mt. Kilmanjaro to hiking the Golan Trail along the Syrian border to several stints as a lighthouse keeper for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s South Manitou Island, the Brandon Township resident is no stranger to outdoor challenges.
Schechter’s latest trek landed him on the Galapagos Islands about 600 miles west of Ecuador’s coastline in the Pacific Ocean.
The 10 day excursion which started in the South American City of Quito, Ecuador was aboard the ship “Petrel” and included a trip across the equator. Schechter was one of ll passengers that arrived like Charles Darwin did on Sept. 15, 1835 aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin conducted surveys of the South American coast when he landed on the Galapagos archipelago.
“The animals were all new to me too,” said Schechter. “All kinds of strange creatures. Their behavior was so different, nothing was fearful of people, you could walk right up to birds on their ground nests. You don’t need a telephoto lens to get close-up pictures.”
The animals seemed oblivious to humans, he said.
There are no docks or structures on the islands except for light stations for navigation. The shore excursions are via pangas, small fishing boats.
“Everyday was a different island,” he said. “The water was very clear and rays along with sharks would swim by in the shallow, it’s wildlife abundant. Many on the trip snorkeled everyday. Much of the land is barren and volcanic, they are very young.”
The entire archipelago remains pristine, said Schechter.
“We did find an old Coca-Cola bottle,” he said. “There’s no homes on the islands or development. It was all new to me, just like Darwin. I learned there’s a lot we don’t know about nature.”