A Greatest Adventure: Cruising around the Galapagos

April 26, 2016

Picture this:
Waking up in the morning in a king size bed, strolling out to a balcony, gazing out over warm clear blue water, watching the odd turtle or stingray swimming by… that’s where I was about a year ago.

The Galapagos Islands

It’s a spot with a fair amount of hype that comes with it. It’s no Africa, nor is it a boring river cruise. The Galapagos is a unique space in Ecuador that is home to some incredible and diverse wildlife, both land and water-based.

One day I could be snorkelling amongst turtles and see a penguin zip past. After canapés and a relax on the top deck of the boat, the next adventure might be hiking across barren land or volcanic rock and seeing pools of water where sea lions play and iguanas sleep in the sun. The odd group of colourful crabs will be keen bounding across a small inlet of water. That’s just a typical day in the Galapagos.

Marine Iguanas on Islote Tinoreras

Crabs taking turns jumping

One of my favourite days was actually prior to the cruise I took. It was a day I spent travelling around San Cristobal Island by speed boat. It was my first taste of swimming with turtles, my first experience seeing the Blue-footed Boobies (the birds) and the stunning Red Frigate birds. Dolphins played in the rocky waters too. Gliding back to shore, a vast array of sea lions greeted me and made sure I watched them swim and play until I was mesmerised.

Male Red Frigate Bird, Punta Pit, San Cristobal

Sea lions in the harbour, Galapagos

Cruising around the Galapagos

The cruise I went on was filled of only 16 incredible people that could not have gotten on better if we’d tried. While I was one of the youngest on board that didn’t seem to matter at all — and I got upgraded, finally a bonus of being a solo female traveller! The cruise ventured out to the Western Islands that were a bit more isolated, each with their own stunning scenery.

Treasure of Galapagos

Blue Boobie, Eden, Galapagos

Land Iguana, Isabela Island

Rabida Island

Cactus Rabida Island

Marine Iguanas, Fernandina Island

Penguin on Islote Tinoreras

The Galapagos Islands was a destination that I was pleased that I took the time to experience. It’s an area that I can easily imagine will either get closed off or flooded with tourists in the future if the powers that be aren’t careful. The Galapagos is very unique with each island being home to a couple of different incredible species that may be difficult to find anywhere else in the world.