The Galapagos Experience: No Long Camera Lenses Needed
It’s not just much of the wildlife that is unique or endemic in the Galapagos Islands; it is also the experience of viewing animals in the wild, up close and personal that is so very special. In the Galapagos, birds often nest or guard their young right next to and sometimes even on the hiking trails. Long camera lenses are rarely needed, especially when a sea lion pup waddles into your space and your heart. Bright orange Sallylightfoot crabs and darkly primeval marine iguanas become obstacles to avoid on land, while in the ocean it is the abundant and indifferent sea turtles that may get in your way. Through protection, conservation, and strongly managed tourism, the animals of the Galapagos are unafraid of humans. So much so, that viewing wildlife in the Galapagos is like few other places on earth¾fear or nervousness does not drive animals away. Instead, it is the humans whom must make way, creating an experience of a lifetime.
Every island in the Galapagos is unique; from their impressive geologic landscapes to the density and diversity of animal residents. But one thing that does not change is the visitor’s ability to closely observe the islands’ wildlife (no closer than 2 meters per Galapagos Park rules.)
Sea lions are a guaranteed get when it comes to observing and photographing in the Galapagos. Sleeping seems like one of their favorite pastimes and many beaches in the Galapagos are the perfect place for a sea lion snooze. Sea lion pups make for even better, and undoubtedly cuter, viewing. They can often be found suckling their mother’s milk or waiting for her return from a day of fishing. But perhaps nothing beats watching sea lion pups frolicking in the shallow, clear tropical waters of the Galapagos. And if a snorkeler is lucky enough to be part of the undersea playtime, it is nothing short of magical.
Some of the most astonishing phenomena to witness in the Galapagos comes care of its bevy of winged creatures. Even the islands’ top predator, the majestic Galapagos hawk, often perches close to the trail and pauses for a close-up. As for the blue-footed booby, it is difficult to stop staring at the extraordinary color of their feet as they do their mating dance or sit atop a young chick nearby. Throughout the year, the possibility of seeing fluffy down-covered chicks is high, including young blue-footed or Nazca boobies and frigatebirds. Between May and December, the waved albatross nests on the island of Espanola. Bowing to one another and clacking their bills like swords is just part of their one-of-a-kind courtship ritual, which can only be beat by the sight of their astonishingly large fluff-ball chicks awkwardly learning to walk (before flying).
Two of the islands’ endemic birds are amazing to see on land, but even better when observed underwater. The Galapagos penguin is the world’s second smallest penguin and the northernmost of its kind. These penguins are compact bundles of cuteness and undersea agility. On land they hop about the rocks to nest, molt, and breed. But in the water, Galapagos penguins are nothing short of winged torpedoes. Using their wings as fins, penguins propel themselves undersea seemingly without effort to dive, do loop-de-loops, and chase fish for a quick, if not, acrobatic meal. How many places in the world can you snorkel with penguins?
Once reaching and adapting to the rich resources of the Galapagos, the flightless cormorants lost the ability to fly¾hence the name flightlesscormorants. Their wings are small vestiges of their past and are used mainly for balance when hopping about on the rocks. With thick strong legs and wide webbed feet, the flightless cormorants are extraordinary undersea divers.
Resembling miniature dinosaurs, iguanas roam the land and sea in the Galapagos. Land iguanas are large and colorful. Some use the islands’ cleared hiking trails as easy iguana walkways, making tourists take a detour. Marine iguanas, on the other hand, are dark and blend in with the volcanic rocks along the coast. In some places, care must be taken not to step on a carpet of lounging marine iguanas. These are the world’s only true marine iguanas. They swim and dive into the sea to feed on algae. Much of the day, however, is spent between meals warming up on the rocks or sand.
Even if the giant tortoise wanted to run away from curious onlookers, it would be a slow getaway. Visitors can get a close up view of giant tortoises, but care must be taken not to startle or make them nervous as they then settle down and retract into their large dark brown shells. It is an extraordinary sight to see these lumbering aged creatures first-hand in the wild.
While the view on land in the Galapagos is extraordinary, so too is the undersea experience. White-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, playful sea lions, eagle and manta rays, and schools of colorful tropical fish are just some of the underwater spectacles seen while snorkeling in the Galapagos. Undoubtedly though, one of the most unique and startling sights to witness is that of a marine iguana underwater, sitting on a rock, craning its neck to munch on algae.
In addition to the wildlife, the landscapes of the Galapagos are no less wondrous and unique. In the younger western islands, hardened dark lava flows splay over the land and make for an otherworldly appearance. Dotted with dark cinder cones, red scoria mounds, tan spatter cones, and black sand beaches, the terrain is a volcanologist’s dreamscape. In the southeast, the older islands offer their own surprises: the astonishing red sand and rocks of Rabida, the towering cactus of Santa Fe, a dry season carpet of redSesuvium on South Plaza, and the geyser-like blowhole on Espanola.
Sometimes visitors lament the strict regulations of the Galapagos National Park requiring them to stay on the trails, keep a reasonable (2-meter) distance from the animals, and to always be accompanied by a licensed naturalist. But, it is exactly these regulations that protect the Galapagos and allow visitors to get such a unique and close up view of the islands’ extraordinary wildlife. It would be wonderful if elsewhere on the planet, humans and animals co-existed so harmoniously. But for now, head to the Galapagos, follow the rules, and enjoy all that the islands have to offer.
Dr. Prager is a marine scientist and author of numerous children’s and popular science books. She is also a science advisor and a consultant to Celebrity Cruises in the Galapagos … and a regional destination expert for Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Follow Dr.Prager on Twitter: @elprager
