As much as I love exploring this beautiful country we call home, I’ve also spent quite a bit of time overseas checking out all sorts of places. One of the things I’ve learned is that I love destinations where I can get away from the cities and crowds, and find quiet retreats, interesting wildlife and inspiring landscapes. And so, just one short year ago I found myself boarding a plane to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands.
This group of volcanically formed islands offer an amazing array of unique wildlife and the critter spotting started almost as soon as I landed. On the short drive from the airport to the marina I spotted a number of birds perched on rocks along the shore. As soon as they stood up I saw the bright blue feet of the blue footed booby. These quirky looking birds became a frequent sight as I explored the islands and I would always stop look at their quizzical faces and blue feet. And, if you happen to see a male courting a female, then you’ll also enjoy the showy dance and display of feet that he puts on.
Upon joining my travel companions onboard our boat I learned that it would be a busy week. Our naturalist guide was planning to take us to nine different islands where we would go for daily hikes to view the wildlife and then snorkeling at least twice a day to check out the marine life underwater. I was pleased to see that, as promissed, it would be a small group of only 10 travellers. Our guide was very good at explaining the importance of staying on the trails during hikes, respecting the wildlife, taking only photographs and leaving only footprints. In fact, some islands were out of bounds as the authorties and conservation groups worked to preserve habitat and manage invasive species.
The days flew by as we learned about marine iguanas, land iguanas, the waved albatross, sea lions and many other interesting creatures of the Galápagos. The sea lions were surprisingly calm and while you always need to remember that they are wild animals, most were at ease with the humans walking up and down their beaches. Some were down right curious and playful, especially in the water.
There are only a few established towns in the islands and we stopped at Puerto Ayora on the island Santa Cruz to check out the Galápagos Giant Tortoise sanctuary. The Galápagos tortoise is the largest living species of tortoise and the 10th heaviest living reptile. After donning a stylish pair of rubber boots I was able to walk around the park and see the tortoises cooling off in mud puddles, chomping on leaves and generally living a pretty simple, laid back life.
On the final day of the trip the group was heading out for the morning snorkel. The sun was out and I decided to take a break from the cold water and rest up for the afternoon hike with a short nap on the deck. This turned out to be a huge mistake and my only regret of the entire trip. On that particular swim, and purely by chance, my friends ran in to a whale shark! Apparently it was just a baby, only 10-12 feet long. As an avid scuba diver and lover of creatures big and small, I was truly disappointed. I guess I should consider this a lesson learned. Never fall asleep on deck when you could be swimming with giants.
Thank you to Susan who provided this photo and didn’t rub it in too much that I missed out on the whale shark.
Filed under: Activities, From Our Staff, Hiking/Camping, Watersports
