The strangest fish market in the world
NO FEAR HERE: Meet many creatures on your trip through Galapagos islands
Apparently it takes six generations for an animal to develop a genetic fear of mankind, I was reliably informed by Rafael Pesantes, the world-class naturalist and guide aboard the MY Grace, the yacht on my trip through the Galapagos islands.
The sea lions, birds, iguanas, tortoises and other creatures you meet on your journey there have never been hunted, he said, and have no fear of people so they do not flee or fly. They simply look at you and shrug. When was the last time you got a foot away from a blue-footed booby sitting on its eggs and it simply smiled at you?
This does not mean the animals have been “tamed.” They simply do not regard people as predators. The most obvious example of that can be found at the fish market on the docks of the town of Puerto Ayora on the main island of Santa Cruz. This may be the oddest store in the world. The seafood on display is not wrapped in plastic. It’s part of the employee team.
Puerto Ayora is a lot larger town than you might think for such a remote location, over 20,000 people with such big city attractions as discos, bars and nightclubs. Hey, they might even have a Starbucks by now.
Among the usual plethora of souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants, you’ll find the town fish market, a small shop right on the waterfront where the fish boats tie up. This is as fresh as seafood gets.
Walking by, I was startled to note sea lions slithering around on the sidewalk. I am told you may even see them waddling across the street, and not always in the pedestrian walkways either. You have to wonder if they are going to fetch a coffee on their break. Stopping at the fish store to watch the fishmonger cutting up the daily catch, I was amazed to see that his shop assistants consisted of one sea lion and several pelicans, looking for all the world like cashiers or bag boys at your hometown supermarket waiting to take your groceries to the car.
The sea lion waddled back and forth with the fishmonger, sticking his nose on the counter from time to time as if to check if the weight was accurate. The pelicans perched at the end of the counter, supervising closely. They were, of course, just looking for handouts, but when was the last time you saw pelicans hanging around your local supermarket? They posed patiently for photos, and I’m not sure but the might also agree to sign autographs if you asked nicely.
Occasionally the fishmonger would relent and slip the sea lion a snack, which kept it quiet for about 10 seconds and then the pup would get right back in the action. Sure beats fishing for a living. When the fishmonger crossed the room, the pelicans would dart in and snatch up the bits.
This was, I decided as I reluctantly left to catch my boat, definitely a tourist attraction of another dimension entirely and should be prominently mentioned in tourist brochures inviting folks to visit the Galapagos. I can see the wording now: “Never mind the giant tortoises! Come chat with our sea lions!” Judging by the reaction of other tourists, I wasn’t the only one with this reaction. I wandered off wondering if they made home deliveries.