Galapagos Islands - July 2021
RISK vs REWARD
It seemed like a fine decision when we booked our trip to the Galápagos Islands 2 months prior to departure. Things were quiet. Then the delta variant gained momentum in the days just prior to our departure. The inertia pushed us forward into go mode. All in all, we were fortunate to get it in.
The volcanic Galápagos Islands, found 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, provide a pristine unspoiled canvas of nature minimally touched by humans. . The most famous early visitor was Charles Darwin, a young naturalist who spent 19 days studying the islands' flora and fauna in 1835. In 1859, Darwin published On the Origin of Species, which introduced his theory of evolution — and the Galápagos Islands — to the world. In 1959, the Galápagos became Ecuador’s first national park and in 1978, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site
We traveled with our daughter Alison and her boyfriend Steve. They share our love of nature and wildlife as well for dessert. Three flights over 1.5 days and we finally arrived in Baltra, our departure point in the Galapagos. Little had changed since our first visit in 1985 while Michele was in early pregnancy with our oldest, Micheal. We again sojourned by sea to make the most of our time. On this trip, we were among just 40 guests on the 100 passenger Celebrity Flora (36 years ago we toured on the 80 passenger MV Santa Cruz), a boutique cruise vessel specially designed for Galapagos travel.
On each day of the seven-night voyage, we made 2 stops for hiking, kayaking, and spectacular snorkeling. The wildlife is the star of the show here. Iguanas, a multitude of indigenous bird species (including the remarkable Blue-Footed Booby), Sally Lightfoot Crabs, sea lions, penguins, and of course the GIANT tortoises. All of this is in the setting of a varied volcanic landscape, which looks more like the moon than Hawaii. The magic of the Galapagos is observing these creatures in their natural habit while they act as if humans are nothing more than slightly annoying paparazzi
We were ably educated in small groups by experienced certified national park guides. We learned about the volcanic origins of the islands, Darwin and his visit here, about the varied flora and fauna and sea life, and of course about the wild mating rituals of each of these unique species.
We learned how global warming is leaving its threatening mark in the Galápagos. Global warming creates the El Niño currents which are affecting marine life, by rising water temperatures, killing thousands of fish and destroying the food source for marine birds, and overall disturbing this fragile ecosystem.
We loved traveling with the kids especially when they can really appreciate and enjoy everything about the location. We all got along really well and had many laughs along the way.
In these trying times, the end of a journey is punctuated by the tense moments of COVID testing just prior to the departure home. Even though we were exceptionally careful, a positive result meant a 2-week quarantine in Ecuador. Fortunately, we were all negative and we were free to travel home with amazing memories of one of the few places left on the planet where the human footprint is kept to a minimum.
Next stop?
Read MoreIt seemed like a fine decision when we booked our trip to the Galápagos Islands 2 months prior to departure. Things were quiet. Then the delta variant gained momentum in the days just prior to our departure. The inertia pushed us forward into go mode. All in all, we were fortunate to get it in.
The volcanic Galápagos Islands, found 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, provide a pristine unspoiled canvas of nature minimally touched by humans. . The most famous early visitor was Charles Darwin, a young naturalist who spent 19 days studying the islands' flora and fauna in 1835. In 1859, Darwin published On the Origin of Species, which introduced his theory of evolution — and the Galápagos Islands — to the world. In 1959, the Galápagos became Ecuador’s first national park and in 1978, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site
We traveled with our daughter Alison and her boyfriend Steve. They share our love of nature and wildlife as well for dessert. Three flights over 1.5 days and we finally arrived in Baltra, our departure point in the Galapagos. Little had changed since our first visit in 1985 while Michele was in early pregnancy with our oldest, Micheal. We again sojourned by sea to make the most of our time. On this trip, we were among just 40 guests on the 100 passenger Celebrity Flora (36 years ago we toured on the 80 passenger MV Santa Cruz), a boutique cruise vessel specially designed for Galapagos travel.
On each day of the seven-night voyage, we made 2 stops for hiking, kayaking, and spectacular snorkeling. The wildlife is the star of the show here. Iguanas, a multitude of indigenous bird species (including the remarkable Blue-Footed Booby), Sally Lightfoot Crabs, sea lions, penguins, and of course the GIANT tortoises. All of this is in the setting of a varied volcanic landscape, which looks more like the moon than Hawaii. The magic of the Galapagos is observing these creatures in their natural habit while they act as if humans are nothing more than slightly annoying paparazzi
We were ably educated in small groups by experienced certified national park guides. We learned about the volcanic origins of the islands, Darwin and his visit here, about the varied flora and fauna and sea life, and of course about the wild mating rituals of each of these unique species.
We learned how global warming is leaving its threatening mark in the Galápagos. Global warming creates the El Niño currents which are affecting marine life, by rising water temperatures, killing thousands of fish and destroying the food source for marine birds, and overall disturbing this fragile ecosystem.
We loved traveling with the kids especially when they can really appreciate and enjoy everything about the location. We all got along really well and had many laughs along the way.
In these trying times, the end of a journey is punctuated by the tense moments of COVID testing just prior to the departure home. Even though we were exceptionally careful, a positive result meant a 2-week quarantine in Ecuador. Fortunately, we were all negative and we were free to travel home with amazing memories of one of the few places left on the planet where the human footprint is kept to a minimum.
Next stop?
