December 7, 2019

Wonderful Wildlife Encounters in the Galápagos

By WT Adventurer Jay Frogel

Latin America Small Ship Cruising Snorkeling & Kayaking Wildlife & Natural History

There are some places that stand the test of time and continue to amaze travelers after many years. The fascinating Galápagos Islands is one such place. One of our WT travelers made a return trip to the Galápagos with his wife and two friends and still found them as intriguing as his first visit in 1993.

A rainbow stretches over the ocean near rocky cliffs and green vegetation, under a clear blue sky, setting the stage for wonderful wildlife encounters in the Galápagos.

In May, my wife, Susana, and I as well as two close friends—Garth and Wendy—toured the Galápagos Islands on board the three-masted sailing yacht the Mary Anne. Wilderness Travel and our Trip Leader, Cecibel Guerrero (“Ceci”), ran the trip in excellent fashion. My previous trip to the Islands was in 1993 on a smaller sailing yacht. Susana had a rather restricted visit to the islands a few years ago as part of a scientific conference she attended.

A man in a white uniform and blue hat stands at the helm of a ship, surrounded by various navigational instruments in the control room, as he charts a course for unforgettable Wildlife Encounters in the Galápagos.

Our jolly captain was Mario, who welcomed visitors to the ship’s control room. There was no overlap in sites visited each of the two weeks. We saw a variety of environments on many of the islands.

A panoramic view of a lush, green forested area with a deep valley in the center, surrounded by dense vegetation and a cloudy sky overhead. A person stands on the right side, likely anticipating encounters with wildlife reminiscent of the Galápagos while gazing at the scenery.

Since the Galápagos Islands straddle the equator, sunrise and sunset were always around 6:00 am and 6:00 pm, with only a very short period of twilight as the sun sank nearly straight down below the horizon. It is only between these times that visitors are allowed to set foot on any of the islands, and the total number of visitors at any one time and on one trail or landing site is strictly limited. In addition, each walk is limited to two hours. Tour companies must reserve landing times and spots well in advance of a guided trip.

Three people in outdoor clothing observe a giant tortoise and take a photo in a lush, green forested area, epitomizing the magic of Galápagos wildlife encounters.

A wonderful close-up view of a large Galápagos tortoise, partially covered by its shell. The tortoise's textured, rough skin stands out as it rests, surrounded by lush greenery—a truly remarkable wildlife encounter.

Much to Wilderness Travel’s credit and planning, they managed to reserve the two best times for our twice-daily walks on the islands—the two-hour periods just after sunrise and just before sunset. There are two key reasons why these are the best times. First, they are the coolest hours of the day, and second, these are the so-called “magic hours” with a good mixture of light and shadow and a warm glow to the landscape that make for ideal photographs.

A blue-footed booby stands on a rocky surface against a background of clear sky and scattered clouds, embodying the essence of unique wildlife encounters in the Galápagos.

A bird with red feet and a pale blue beak perched on a branch, showcasing the wonderful wildlife often seen during Galápagos wildlife encounters, set against a blurred natural background.

On a typical day, we would leave the Mary Anne on two pangas (inflatable Zodiacs) in time to make a landing just at sunrise. With such an early start, we enjoyed some magnificent sunrises.

A brown sea lion with a wet slick coat is partially submerged in water, looking to its right—truly a moment from Wonderful Wildlife Encounters in the Galápagos.

A fur seal is sleeping on dark, rough rocks in the Galápagos. Its eyes are closed, and it appears relaxed in the natural environment—a true testament to the wonderful wildlife found during such Wildlife Encounters.

There were both ”wet” and “dry” landings, meaning we either waded through calf-deep water to get onto a sandy beach or were able to step directly onto rocks from the pangas.

A large lizard basks on a rock among cacti and rugged terrain, with patches of green vegetation in the background, epitomizing the unique wildlife encounters one can expect in the Galápagos.

After the morning walk on carefully marked trails, we headed back to the boat for breakfast. Those who wanted could then go out for about an hour of snorkeling. After lunch and a brief siesta, we had a second opportunity for snorkeling.

On some days, this activity was replaced by a coastal tour in the pangas, where we were able to see penguins and sea lions as well as examine the spectacular rock formations along the coast and appreciate the incredible layering in the rocks that resulted from multiple volcanic eruptions and lava flows. At the end of the afternoon walks on most days, we were treated to spectacular sunsets.

“Sundowners” usually greeted us on our return to the Mary Anne. Then a quick shower and change into “evening dress” (though no one had a tuxedo or a ball gown!). Dinners were sumptuous with wine and beer. The stars in the sky were brilliant. Since we were on the equator, we could see the brightest stars in the Southern Hemisphere and the brightest parts of the Milky Way as well as many of the familiar northern constellations such as the Big Dipper. Susana, Garth, and I are astronomers; Garth and Wendy grew up in Australia. So naturally, we held a constellation identification session. However, we were a bit disoriented viewing the sky on the equator. After some time of trying unsuccessfully to identify constellations (how embarrassing!) Ceci came to the rescue with—what else?—an app that could clearly show you what constellation you were looking at as you moved the phone around the sky!

Notes on equipment used for the photographs. All of the images were made with two Nikon Z7 bodies and three Nikon lenses: The Z-type 24-70mm f/4.0, the 14-30mm f/4.0, and the F-mount 80-400mm zoom.

Wonderful Wildlife Encounters in the Galápagos

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