The Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands

By Jim Prueter

A place where exotic animals live without fear of human contact

There aren't many places in the world where you can swim with a sea lion and, seconds later, engage a penguin who playfully taps his beak on your snorkel mask and just as quickly dives away. The remote Galapagos Islands, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, are among those places.

Until you've been there, it's hard to imagine a place where the exotic animal inhabitants live without fear of human contact. Some, like the sea lions and penguins, actually seem to delight in it. Because many of the islands' species have never known any threat from humans, to our amazement the animals don't fly, run or swim away when approached.

The Galapagos are an archipelago of 13 large islands, six smaller ones and more than 40 islets. Volcanic activity has continuously altered the terrain, with the most recent eruption occurring in 2005. About half the islands' species—some 1,900 animals and plants—are endemic; a quarter cannot be found anywhere else. Among them are the waved albatross, the lava gull, numerous iguanas (including the world's only marine variety), different species of giant tortoises that can weigh up to 600 pounds, and the flightless cormorant. The last is one of the rarest birds in the world, with an estimated population of just 1,000.

The islands and their unique fauna were made famous by Charles Darwin, who visited in 1835 on the British ship H.M.S. Beagle. His observations there led to his theory of the origin of species, which shook the scientific and theological worlds.

Today, most visitors to the Galapagos see it as a part of a cruise tour. Ours was aboard Celebrity Cruise Lines' Xpedition, a 98-passenger luxury vessel. After a five-hour flight from Houston, we arrived in Quito, the 9,350-foot-high capital of Ecuador. We spent the following day on an organized bus tour that included the old city of Quito and the Middle of the World Monument, where visitors can straddle the equator with one foot in each hemisphere.

A two-and-a-half hour flight from Quito brought us to Baltra Island in the Galapagos. Only two of the large islands—Baltra and San Cristobal—are inhabited, with a total population of about 25,000. Soon we were aboard the Xpedition, where we were warmly greeted by Captain Fausto Pacheco and his friendly crew.

The Ecuadorian government strictly limits the number of visitors to the islands and regulates the size of the boats that are allowed to conduct tours there. About 60,000 people visit annually—fewer in one year than Disneyland sees in a single day. A licensed, registered Ecuadorian guide accompanies all groups. To avoid making the wildlife dependent on humans, visitors must abide by strict rules, including no touching or feeding animals either on land or in the water. We were even asked to hide our water bottles because Galapagos mockingbirds have been known to drink from them.

On the cruise's twice-daily shore excursions, Zodiac inflatable tenders ferried us ashore to explore each island's distinctive ecology, wildlife and geography. Hikes and walks of varying intensity were available, accompanied by guides, while low-impact options included shoreline exploration via Zodiac.

But it was the awesome snorkeling that I will long remember. I never dreamed I would be swimming alongside sea lions, trying to keep up with darting penguins, or feeling like I was swimming in the world's largest aquarium among colorful fish, sea cucumbers, moray eels, eagle and diamond rays, and even hammerhead sharks.

We traveled from island to island, often visiting two in a single day. We encountered the very black and dragon-looking marine iguana, warming in the sun surrounded by bright-red Sally Lightfoot crabs. Despite the islands' location on the equator, currents tend to keep the water cool. Marine iguanas spend a lot of time feeding in the water and need to sun themselves to maintain their body temperature.

With our naturalist guide leading the way, we were able to get within reaching distance of the amazing blue-footed boobies and their marching dance-step mating ritual; green sea turtles; colorful red-green Christmas iguanas; penguins; sea lions and fur seals sleeping in the sun, playing in tidal pools or surfing the waves; and great frigate birds, the males inflating a large red pouch under their throats to attract and seduce females.

Each day was a day of discovery. We thrilled at our first sighting of the flightless cormorant with its atrophied wings. We marveled at pink flamingos, playful lava lizards, masked boobies with their white feathers and black featherless faces, the yellow-orange land iguana that can live for more than 60 years, and the 14 species of Darwin's finches that served as proof for natural selection.

One of our final stops was the largest town in the islands, Puerto Ayora, home of the Galapagos National Park headquarters and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here we observed tortoises being bred for release on their native islands and met one of the most famous animals in the world, Lonesome George.

Lonesome George is a giant tortoise from the island of Pinta. He weighs almost 400 pounds and gets his lonesome status from the fact that he is the only tortoise of his subspecies left. George is well cared for at the station and numerous attempts have been made to get him to mate with females from related subspecies, all without success. Estimated to be close to 100 years old, George could live for another 60 to 70 years, but the Pinta tortoises will be extinct once he is gone.

After a week that seemed like a couple of days, we returned to Baltra for our flight back to Quito and home. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. All of our newfound friends agreed that it was, by far, the best cruise they had ever taken.

We felt privileged to have been in such a special, unique and sacred place. Fully 97% of the Galapagos Islands are a National Park. The archipelago is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1998, the Galapagos Marine Reserve was created, the second largest in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

If you expect a cruise to include stage shows, a casino, formal dining nights and endless shopping trips in port, you'll be thoroughly disappointed with the Galapagos Islands. However, for anyone who is interested in unspoiled nature, biology, history, geology and the feeling of having stepped back in time—it doesn't get any better than this.

Jim Prueter is senior vice president of AAA Arizona, and a travel and automotive writer.

If you go

The best time to visit the Galapagos Islands is November through April, due to calmer seas and warmer water for snorkeling. Rainy season runs from January through June; January through March are the hottest months, with daily highs near 90 degrees.
Don't over-pack. Most days you'll be in shorts, a t-shirt and swimsuit. A good pair of water sandals is excellent for wet landings, and sneakers for everyday wear—no need for heavy hiking boots. Bring SPF 30-45 sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat for the intense equatorial sun.
Bring two swimsuits. Get in line early for wetsuits, as availability of some sizes is limited on cruise tours.
A passport is required.
Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar as currency.
Don't take a chance. Only drink bottled water.
Book early—Galapagos cruises are popular and cabins sell out fast.