It is very clear now that all the hype about the Galapagos islands is no hype. Our five-day boat tour of four of the islands was from moment one until the very end a truly magical – and humbling experience. While so many places in the world are abusing and ultimately destroying natural ecosystems, the powers that be in the Galapagos are steadfast in their protection of this unique geographic gem. While paperwork, fees, and fairly structured visitations to each of the islands at first seemed cumbersome, we left the islands with a clear understanding of why the Galapagos can never become, and should never become, a free-wheeling tourist destination. The needs of the indigenous species including flora and fauna must always come first.
Our journey to Galapagos islands began on flights from Quito through Guayaquil to the first island we were to visit – San Cristobal. There we visited an information center where we were able to learn a bit about the history of the Galapagos islands.
Our home on the sea for the next few days was the Coral l. This ship could hold up to 36 passengers but there were only 24 of us on this tour. Both Andrew and I agreed that this was a great size for touring in this environment.
We were very blessed to meet and get to know some wonderful people from Australia, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, and a handful of Americans from different parts of the US. Most of the passengers were in their 60s and early 70s but it was delightful to have a few younger couples along as well.
The ship itself was very well appointed and the food was pretty darn good too. If you ever plan to take this kind of boat tour you should know that there are various levels of luxury – this one was not top-of-the-line but had everything we could ask for, including a very comfortable bed!
As we walked down to the dock where we would board our boat we were greeted by a handful of sea lions just hanging out on the dock.
There were many times during our trip that the beaches we would land on would be inhabited by these seriously playful animals – sometimes chasing each other in the water off the beaches or just sunning and relaxing. We would often see mothers nursing they’re young and that was a beautiful treat.
Each time we left the ship we were transported via inflatable, motorized pangas – quite similar to zodiac rafts that are often used for white water rafting, only these were large enough to carry a dozen people. Some landings were “wet landings” meaning we got off the panga directly into the water and had a quick few steps onto the beach. A “dry landing” would have the panga bring us right up to a dock or right up onto the beach.
The evening itinerary was very similar each night; wash up from the days activities, congregate in the dining room for dinner, and one of our two guides would give an after dinner briefing about the next days activities. We had two wonderful guides, both women, who were very knowledgeable about Galapagos ecology and ecosystems.
That’s the first installment. More to come!
Living La Vida Loca 