Galapagos Islands, Equador
Charles Darwin in 1859 wrote ,”On the Orgin of Species,” which was the Theory of Evolution. This book was based on the Galapagos Islands. The islands are a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE site. Due to the lack of predators, the wildlife is playful & friendly such as sea lions and gigantic tortoises.
Each island boasts its own unique landscape & is surrounded by the crystal gemstone-blue waters.
I found myself in love with the islands. I travel by myself and as a single woman, I wanted to go on a trip that I could do a lot of photography and learn more. I did research on the Galapagos Islands and made a decision to go with Lindblad Expeditions and was not disappointed.
Traveling on your own takes some courage, but once you have done it, you might find you love it. Not all the time, but once in awhile, I like the options of doing what I want, when I want and not have to have a discussion about it. It gives you a chance to get out of your comfort zone and make new friends. I chose the Galapagos as a location to go single and it forced me to ask others on the trip if I could sit with them during meals, hike, etc and because of that I met some wonderful people that I don’t know if would have, if I was with someone. Traveling solo has benefits and downfalls. The benefits are as I mentioned above, downfalls, I love to share my adventures with my friends and family so now I am very picky on who I travel with or I go solo.
Bright Sally lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas and tiny penguins are some of the wildlife that are residents of these amazing islands. I was blown away at the beauty and various landscapes and wildlife on the different islands.
As a photographer, there were so many things to take pictures of, not only on land, but the marine life is mind-blowing! Lindblad Expeditions offered daily boat rides to the islands and had naturalists leading us on wonderful guided tours on the different islands. No two islands are alike and differ in scenery.
Traveling to the Galapagos Islands is like going to Eden. You will be captivated by the unique animal life above & below the Earths surface. The islands are located 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador’s mainland. The islands are various sizes and home to some of the rarest wildlife on the planet. Animals that you may encounter are the Giant Galapagos tortoises, blue & red-footed boobies, marine iguanas, Darwin’s finches, roaming penguins, frolicking sea lions, wandering Sally lightfoot crabs, hammerhead sharks, dolphins, sea turtles and so much more for your enjoyment.
Lonesome George. He was a staple at a the Galapagos National Park, believed to be 100 years old and the last of his subspecies, the Pinta tortoise. He has since died but remains a celebrity in the islands.
Galapagos Islands are a great display of biodiversity.
The blue-footed boobies, the swallow-tailed gulls, and the frigate birds along with red-footed boobies caught my attention as a birder.
The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean and have several islands, but you can’t visit every one. It is know as a “living museum & showcase of evolution.” Because it sits at the confluence of 3 ocean currents, the Galapagos are a “melting pot” of marine species. There is ongoing seismic and volcanic activity which is reflective of the processes that formed the various islands. Together with the isolation of the islands it makes for a perfect development of unusual wildlife. One thing I highly recommend when you visit is to go snorkeling or scuba diving. I had a chance to swim with sharks, penguins, sea lions turtles and a variety of fish. What a magnificent display of activity under the water. The marine life was playful and curious. No other place have I ever been accompanied on my snorkel tour by a young and curious sea lion.
There are 127 islands, but I recommend visiting a few of the following:
Floreana Island, Office Bay or free “postal service,” where travelers can take and leave postcards & letters with no stamps. The idea is…travelers go through the stacks of postcards and take them back to their hometown and you can hand deliver to the intended recipeint.
Santa Cruz Island, home to the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Genovesa Island, best place to see the red-footed booby. This island is home to the smallest marine iguana and the nutrient rich waters attract lots of hammerhead sharks.
Isabela Island, flamingos & penguin sightings along with all five subspecies of giant tortoises reside here.
Fernandina Island, here you are likely to find the largest population of flightless cormorants and the biggest iguanas. This island is also the most volcanically active island without any introduced species so it is in a league of its own.
North Seymour Island, a birders paradise. Here you can see the blue-footed booby, swallow-tailed gulls, tropicbirds, Nazca boobies and the frigate birds. It is also a fantastic place to snorkel or scuba dive. The waters are filled with tiger sharks, Galapagos sharks, sea turtles and manta rays. Definitely a must!
Española Island, this is the southern most island and one of the oldest. It is estimated to be over 4 million years old and full of wildlife.
Start planning a trip for the future and enjoy every minute.
I would love to go to the Galapagos Islands. Awesome photos.
Thank you so much. I leave for Africa in a week and will be posting during the trip so people can fall in love with the country and all it has to offer.
Hello I am Maura’s kid I received multiple of your photos for my birthday and Christmas and I think they are absolutely amazing.
Matteo, I look forward to meeting you someday. I am so happy that you like adventure as much as I do – keep that spirit with you always and it will take you to amazing places. I leave for Africa in one week and you can follow my blog – I will be posting the entire time. Have your mom join you.