A place of unparalleled natural splendou, with crystal clear water, powder soft sands of red, black and white and creatures so unique.
A place of unparalleled natural splendour, so untouched, so pure, it defies wonder. Crystal clear water, powder soft sands of red, black and white. Creatures so unique, so tame, they know not what it is to fear man.The seductive lure of the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, about 400 miles off the coast of Ecuador. Eternally disconnected from mainland, the islands seem extremely inhospitable to life, and yet life found a way.
Fast forward through violent convict uprisings and settler assassinations to perhaps the most perplexing episode, where prisoners were forced to construct a massive wall in inhumane conditions, aptly named the “Wall of Tears’’, for no other purpose but to make them suffer. Remnants of this charming wall still remain.The outbreak of World War II saw the location of the islands take on strategic military significance for protecting the Panama Canal.
Until it isn’t. The cacophony of barking sea lions that appear to populate every surface on land and sea in the bustling ports definitely have their charm. As does tip-toeing around baby sea wolves, gazing up at you with their deep soulful eyes, seemingly without the slightest concern about the presence of people. Watching on as these cheeky creatures jostle noisily for scraps amongst the fishermen in the fish markets like oversized puppies looking for treats.
We enter the water for our drift snorkel, traveling with the current off the coast of San Cristobal, along a small volcanic rock islet. Gently floating along the shore, we lock eyes with a giant bull sea wolf, or Lobos Marinos. Walking gingerly along this prickly, strange trail, we are led to a completely contrasting landscape. Powder-soft white sand, silky soft underfoot, this surf beach is bizarrely populate with hundreds of prehistoric looking marine iguana, which Charles Darwin named, “imps of darkness”archipelago, they gaze at us unperturbed by our presence. These herbivores are the only iguanas in the world that feed entirely underwater.
Here you can see huge, mature wild tortoises in their natural habitat. These primordial creatures grow up to five feet long, weigh over 500 pounds, and have been known to live over 150 years, making them the largest turtles on earth, and the world’s longest living vertebrates.Roam through the damp grounds, best done in enclosed wet weather shoe, around muddy ponds lined with their huge domes shapes, their heads buried under the mud.
These gentle creatures have even come up with a passive aggressive means of fighting each other, where they face each other with their most ferocious glares, open their mouths and stretch their heads up as high as they can. The winner is the one whose head reaches the highest, while the loser pulls his head into his shell as a sign the battle is over.In between the excitement of island visits, there’s plenty of time for reflection while travelling by boat.
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