Destination: 0º 0º
The Galapagos Islands of Ecuador
By Janie Pritchett-Clark
We stand nearly toe-to-toe. Or toe-to-flipper, to be true. A week-old sea lion the size of a cat, dark and sleek from his swim and spotted with sand, investigates my presence. He isn’t shy or frightened. He’s inquisitive. Hungry. He calls again in loud bleating cries, much like a little lost lamb. “Baa. Baa," while the colony of sea lions nearby watch from behind half-closed eyes.
These are our first moments after landing on Genovesa (G sounds with an H), the first island stop on our Galapagos Island trip. A soft mist keeps us tight in our rain slickers and the birds tucked into their wings. We stare at each other -- baby sea lions, fuzzy baby frigate birds, and blue-footed boobies in their nests. We are close enough to touch them, though we don’t. We can see the quills of their feathers, the pupils of their eyes. Neither of us seems to measure the other with fear, only curiosity.
This is miraculous. Mind-boggling even, to stand so close to nature, neither captive nor caged. We are in their home. And, it seems, we are welcome.
We live in a miraculous time. We can cross thousands of miles in a few hours and land in cultures that time has nearly left behind. When Charles Darwin first came ashore of the Galapagos Islands in 1835, he encountered bare rock lava islands with huge colonies of birds and giant tortoises, large “clumsy” lizards, and the adorable but unofficial welcoming committee – sea lions.
Today an adventure to the Archipelago de Columbus is a similar discovery. The comforts of travel have been well-improved, of course, but life on these islands seems to have stood still. You won’t find a cabana bar or lounge chair on any but two of the islands. It’s all theirs, still, the creatures that have inherited this evolutionary destiny on 3,000 square miles of rock in the Pacific Ocean.
Sometimes the goal for a downtime destination is to become a jellyfish, all your needs catered to with colorful garnish and a long straw. Other times the journey is the destination, the adventures of another culture, another time, another place is what beckons the traveler.
This was our intent when mother and teen set a course for the Galapagos Islands off the western coast of Ecuador, South America: Destination 0º 0º.
Cruising the Islands
The Galapagos Islands was established by its Ecuadorian government as a national park in 1959. Today the islands are managed by the Galapagos National Park and Galapagos Marine Reserve, which approves itineraries to make sure tourism is distributed evenly throughout the islands at any given time. The number of visitors is controlled, too. No one can visit the islands without a licensed naturalist guide.
A small-yacht cruise is the most personable and elegant way to see the islands and experience the culture and wildlife. The accommodations are perfect for an adventurer – not too pretentious, not too rugged – and the lifestyle aboard is endearing.
Ecoventura operates a fleet of four expedition yachts in the Galapagos Islands, catering to active adults, families and green travel. Every need is anticipated and met with charm, from the funny towel creatures left on the bunks to the expert beaching of the inflatable boats. The staff's knowledge of the region is unparalleled – captain, crew and naturalists all lend their expertise to keep you safe, happy and thrilled.
We enjoyed delicious Ecuadorian food three meals a day. Luis met us at the stern after each excursion with snacks and juice. By the end of the first day, they knew us by name. It wasn’t long before we were part of the crew’s tomfoolery that made us feel as loved and welcome as family. Between broken English and broken Spanish, we were guided to enjoy the sites, scenery and customs of a proud and romantic people.
A trip to the Galapagos Islands is for people who want to step out their box, step out of their lives, and experience time in a place like no other in this world. Most of the animals you encounter are endemic to the Galapagos, meaning they can be found no other place on the planet. Birds, reptiles and marine life surround you every day. Each island visited brings something new.
On board the "Eric" we are not to be reduced to a cabin number or be cattle-called. The cruise is private and personal. No whistle blows to raise you from deep sleep, only the clang and rattle of the giant anchor lowering into the water below. We travel at night, covering hundreds of nautical miles while we sleep. When we awaken, a new day in Galapagos has arrived.
Taking in the sights
There are thousands of sea lions on the shores of the Galapagos Islands, but in the seven days of our journey, we never seem to tire of their antics. Nor do we lose our surprise in finding them scattered on the sand in heaps like seaweed pushed up on the shore. The elders groan, snore, grunt. The young ones take to the surf, presenting a full-on circus act of acrobatics and noisy fun.
Twice a day we leave the Eric, board the Zodiac inflatable rafts and motor to a new island. We come ashore to beaches made of sea urchin quills, thick with years of accumulation and bleached by the sun. We land on beaches of black sand, or white sand, or rocks under every step. Even though they share closeness, each island landscape is different and unique.
Genovesa is a rocky breeding ground for birds and owls and little else. Fernandina has an active volcano that last erupted in 2009. The island is home to the dark, dragon-like marine iguanas that swim into the ocean for algae and then slither back, snorting salt water from their nostrils before piling up together for warmth.
Isabella, the largest island by far with 1,800 square miles, is the only island that lies on the Equator. Here we get our first sighting of the Galapagos penguins perched on the cliffs along the bay.
On Santiago, we discover a lush island (for such an arid place) with an abundance of birds and bright orange Sally lightfoot crabs clinging to the rocks. On Bartolomé, we think we’ve landed on the moon, its landscape as eerie as it is steep. We climb the 300-some-odd wooden steps to the summit to scan the horizon. Down below is Pinnacle Rock, the most photographed point in all of Galapagos.
Later we plunge overboard into Chinese Hat bay to explore the underside of the islands. Beneath us is another world altogether – a crystal blue fantasy garden full of gold, chocolate chip and purple sun stars (starfish), huge schools of neon blue and yellow fish that swim along with us as if we are one of their own.
Penguins dive from their perch on the rocks and bullet past us underwater, beady penguin eyes curious about our intent. The cartoonists in the movie Madagascar must have studied penguins here, because the artists captured their expressions perfectly.
On Espanola, we come across the giant land iguanas with turquoise and coral-colored skin. On Floreana, we discover a colorful history of buccaneers, whalers, convicts and colonists.
At Santa Cruz, we moor out in the bay among other yachts and old fishing boats. You can just imagine pirates aboard the raged hulls. We motor in by Zodiac for a day on the town among fellow humans and shops. This island offers the first green and lush terrain we’ve seen so far, and we drive high into the mountains where they grow coffee and giant tortoises.
When we get to the highlands coffee farm, the tiled patio is full of rubber boots of all sizes, lined pair after pair around the parameter of the room. We pick our pair and pull them on to muck around the plantation in the mud and mist, where giant tortoises are sitting quiet in every giant mud puddle. Some tortoises are hundreds of years old and just as many pounds, all lumbering and eating their way to the coast, which will take them months to arrive at their destination. A tortoise travels less than a quarter-mile an hour.
It took us seven days to cover the 44,000 nautical miles of Galapagos. Hours go by unnoticed. Memories are made on the islands, at the dinner table, on the decks. The camera clicks away. Yet, there are some pictures a visitor just can’t snap.
One such occasion was on late afternoon when the sky had cleared from the storm cover enough to let the sun stain the sky a pale peach. The captain called us from cocktails to the bow of the boat. Ahead about 1,000 yards or so, an entire pod of dolphins was jumping and roiling from the waves.
“Look! Look!” someone called. As far as you can see to the right and again to the left, dozens, hundreds, maybe even a thousand dolphins were jumping in and out of the water as if dancing to some neap-tide tune. I don’t know how long we watched them before the sun darkened, and they were gone. It was a magical moment never to be forgotten. No wonder the Galapagos Islands is on so many people's bucket list.
Myth and misinformation aside (Darwin wasn’t a God-hater out to destroy Christianity), life in the Galapagos Islands is all about survival. It’s about eating, sleeping and furthering the species. You might say that’s one of the reasons we go on vacation. It repairs our sanity and rejuvenates our will to thrive. We could take a lesson from the finches, the tortoises, and the marine iguanas. Life is about living!
