DARWIN’S MARLIN
Our 660-mile flight from Guayaquil, Ecuador, was nearing an end when San Cristóbal and the other islands of the Galápagos came into view, emerging green and mountain-ous from the Pacific. Formed by volcanoes more than 5 million years ago, the islands are well-known for their diverse fauna, and scientists hypothesize that much of this terrestrial life is descendant from creatures that drifted from the mainland.
The fish in the Galápagos aren’t as genetically interesting as the land dwellers. However, situated at the convergence of three major ocean currents, the islands attract an incredible mix of marine life, which is exactly why we were headed there.
I had been to Puerto Ayora in the Galápagos in 2005, and the trip was a disaster; we raised just four marlin in three days of fishing. Anglers fishing around San Cristóbal, meanwhile, were releasing dozens a day. Within a few years of that botched adventure, the government severely limited sport fishing, and the marlin disappeared. It’s my understanding that an El Niño episode eased the southwest trade winds, which caused water temperatures to rise to the point where baitfish left to seek cooler water. The marlin apparently went with them.
Over the last few years, stories of marlin license, which is required to fish in the Galápagos Marine Reserve. I’d fished for payara with Guevara in Colombia, so it didn’t take long for me to sign on for his Galápagos trip. Rhona Chabot and I were joined by Chris and Jennifer Lalli. We fished the islands in February, and Guevara arranged every detail.
