We headed to the Galapagos Islands to conclude our trip to the western hemisphere. The Galapagos had been on my bucket list for some time, and we thought of it as a “prize” after our US sojourn. The islands are a unique destination that did not disappoint one bit.
We chose the National Geographic / Linblad Expeditions’ Gemini, a 48-passenger ship. We rarely take group tours, with the occasional allowance for a day trip, but we made an exception as doing the Galapagos on our own would have been difficult and inefficient. The islands are a national park and visiting any part requires a licensed tour guide. By choosing the cruise, we were able to visit 8 islands in 7 days – Baltra, Santa Cruz, Rabida, Santiago, Isabela, Fernandina, Genovesa, and Bartolome. Everything about the trip exceeded our expectations.
There are no large ports in the Galapagos, and for this reason the cruise ships are small (generally about 100, 50, or 16 passenger capacity). 48 passengers was our “Goldilocks” solution – just the right size. We splurged for a balcony to ensure that little bit of extra space and fresh air. The balcony came in handy for drying swimsuits and water shoes.
Without ports, you never actually dock, which means that egress from and ingress to the ship is by zodiac. We learned that driving a zodiac is truly a skill. Note the crane on the back of the ship to raise the zodiacs up each evening and that zodiacs can tow multiple kayaks.
While zodiacs are not the most comfortable mode of transport, you do get used to them quickly.
Despite our study of the Spanish language, we did not know the significance of the word “Galapagos.” It has a dual meaning, signifying tortoise and saddle. Tortoise is related to the famous gentle giants who have roamed the islands for centuries (as opposed to turtles who gracefully glide through the sea), and saddle for the shape of the shells, especially a certain sub-species with the marked saddle shape (which allows this type to reach higher trees and shrubs).
That’s Lonesome George, the most famous Galapagos tortoise, known for being the last of his species, the Pinta Island tortoise. He died in 2012, and the American Museum of Natural History (NY) helped preserve him for posterity. Explorers ate tortoise meat and mostly captured the smaller females, leading to challenges for reproduction, and leaving George without possible mates. He is on display at the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is doing amazing preservation work. More on that later.
The Galapagos are a photographer’s dream – a target rich environment. I only used my phone for the photos featured in these posts, having given up on schlepping all the camera gear I previously owned. These days, phones take very good pictures. Several others on the trip had the big guns out, and their photos were definitively a step above. And although sometimes I miss shooting with a “real” camera, overall, I don’t.
Here are a couple of photos of Darwin’s famous finches, which are still thriving throughout the islands – some species better than others. Being so small, they are tougher to photograph. These are the only 2 photos of them I took. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of bird photos in a later post.
Lastly, the Galapagos are volcanic islands. The landscapes are barren, wild, and rough. I wasn’t sure I’d appreciate this geology, but the amount of wildlife it supports, and the unusual scenery was fabulous.
Much more to come soon,
Shana & Jeff
