Friday, February 12, 2016
Many wildlife enthusiasts include The Galapagos Islands on their bucket list for numerous good reasons; to see one-of-a-kind species endemic to the archipelago, to visit the birthplace of Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking theory of natural selection, and to experience the sheer diversity created by the islands’ isolation from one another and different ecological zones. But what may or may not come as a delightful surprise to the first-time visitor is how unfazed and unafraid the Galapagos wildlife is by our human presence.
From sea lions lolling lazily on the beach and often directly across the only path, to marine iguanas warming themselves on the lava beds, these creatures hardly seem to notice us. Blue footed boobies and waved albatross engage in nesting and mating rituals with little thought to the humans’ close proximity. Migrating giant tortoises move slowly but steadily; the fields we visit are dotted with them like boulders.
Up close and personal wildlife encounters are not limited to the land, either. Snorkeling in Galapagos can include watching a Galapagos penguin dart effortlessly along the shore’s edge. Sea turtles, sometimes in large groups, sail effortlessly past us humans. And those sea lions that seemed so lazy on the beach are keenly curious and playful in the water.
Telephoto lenses are completely optional here. While the animals’ lack of fear is legendary, it is hard to imagine until one experiences it. To witness such extraordinarily unique creatures so close in their natural habitat without artificial barrier or intrusion is, truly, a bucket list experience. And we have three front row seats left on our Ecotour this summer: July 24 – Aug 2. Join us!