I was over the moon when my dream vacation to visit the Galapagos Islands became a reality. Although land-based tours of the Galapagos Islands are possible, where you sleep in hotels by night and shuttle between the islands by day, taking a cruise provides more opportunities to see diverse types of wildlife and the flexibility to visit the remote islands. Budget cruises can offer similar itineraries, but they provide less cabin space (often bunk beds) and basic food choices.
Since I am an avid birder and this was a bucket-list trip, my husband and I chose to book an eight-day luxury cruise with Royal Galapagos. This small tour of fifteen guests allowed for a personalized experience.
Wildlife enthusiasts will not be disappointed given that 80% of the land birds and 97% of the reptiles on the Galapagos are found nowhere else on the planet due to its isolation from human contact and scientific importance to Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
But close encounters with wildlife were not the only reason my expectations were far exceeded. Culinary delights, the ship’s crew’s attentiveness, and the knowledge and enthusiasm of our naturalist, Alejandra Camacho (who often said after an excursion, “This is not typical,”) contributed to making this trip extraordinary.
As I snorkeled along a lava reef at Moreno Point, colorful hogfish, blue parrotfish, and rainbow wrasses wowed me.
Hundreds of yellowtail surgeon fish, each about the size of my forearm, swimming in tight formation, were also spectacular.
Five Galapagos sea lions tumbled in circles around our group. Some approached close enough to touch, arching their bodies to travel upside down and blow bubbles in our faces. Two sea lions interacted with a green sea turtle while two others played chase, one nipping the tailfin of his companion.
Meanwhile, a Galapagos penguin dove into the water from the adjacent lava rocks to join the underwater foray. During this show, I drifted to a shallow shelf with only a few feet of water below me. One giant turtle swam so close underneath me I had to suck in my stomach to avoid touching it.
During a dinghy excursion along the cliff face of Vincent Roca Point on Isabela Island, we saw blue-footed and Nazca booby birds while our guide spotted a red-footed booby. It was a remarkable sighting as these birds are typically found on Genovesa and San Cristobal Islands located 126 and 180 miles away, respectively.
Camacho explained boobies got their unusual name from a mispronunciation of the Spanish word “bobo” which means stupid — a label given to the birds by early explorers because they did not fly away when approached.
My favorite wildlife encounter occurred on Chinese Hat Islet. Two juvenile sea lions rushed to join us as we disembarked our dinghy, breaking the “six-foot distance rule” given to tourists. One of the sea lion’s fascination with my hiking pole brought him so close that before I stepped away, his whiskers brushed my knee, a moment I will never forget.
The Galapagos Islands are not as untouched by humans as I had believed. Yellow iguanas went extinct on Santiago Island after mariners introduced livestock and disappeared from Baltra Island after the construction of a World War II United States military base. Fortunately, reintroduction efforts have re-established yellow iguanas on these islands.
No trip to the Galapagos would be complete without seeing giant tortoises and marine iguanas. We visited two different tortoise breeding centers. Their size alone makes these adorable creatures a fascinating sight. They are indeed huge. On Fernandina Island, our morning hike brought us in close contact with clusters of marine iguanas.
Other notable sightings included reef sharks, stingrays, mating spotted eagle rays, Darwin’s finches, and many other bird species. While changes in beak shapes among the seventeen species of finches across the islands are attributed to Darwin’s formation of his theory of natural selection, differences between the four Galapagos mockingbird species actually triggered his scientific discovery. The adaption of the flightless cormorant’s stunted wings almost seems like a disfigurement, but their stunted appendages allow them to dive deeper to catch fish.
In addition to snorkeling excursions, our itinerary included hikes, kayaking, and amazing dining. Our hikes included visits to Sierra Negra, a volcano caldera that is the second largest volcanic crater in the world, as well as climbing 370 steps to an iconic viewpoint on Bartalome Islet and trekking across fascinating lava bed formations. Also, We were all given a turn at the ship’s helm near the equator crossing, which was an interesting experience.
Each delicious meal included a mix of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine and standard American fare. During our last excursion, we walked among nesting frigatebirds and swallow-tailed gulls at sunrise. The symphony of male frigatebirds fluttering their inflated red gular sacs felt otherworldly, an appropriate ending to our Galapagos adventure. Truly, there is no other place like it in the world.
Many land and cruise options are available to visit the Galapagos. Our itinerary aboard Cormorant II included six different western islands. For a personalized experience, luxury tours came with a hefty price tag, but we were glad we splurged on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. To learn more about Royal Galapagos tours visit www.royalgalapagos.com.
Birds of Galapagos
UNDER THE SEA
A Snorkeling Adventure
Aboard the Cormorant II
Views and Excursions
More Galapagos Wildlife
Jill Hedgecock has a master’s degree in Environmental Management and a bachelor’s degree in biology. Her love of nature inspired her to write the award-winning novel, Rhino in the Room and the sequel, Queen of the Rhino Her books are available on amazon.com.
Photos courtesy of Alejandro Camacho, Jill and Eric Hedgecock.