I am lucky enough to have sailed to the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador’s west coast twice in my life and to spend weeks exploring them. The first time was before the islands had been designated a national park so we were free to cruise freely.
We were one of only a few cruising boats in the islands, so we had them all to ourselves. I can honestly say those weeks were a revelation and all of us onboard would never look at the natural world in the same way again.
The second time was long after the islands had become a national park and one of the world’s favorite tourist attractions. We were limited to anchoring in Puerto Ayoro, Academy Bay, and had to use local tour boats to visit the other islands.
Although we were not cruising the islands, we still got to see several islands and encountered the wildlife that lives there. Most of the native creatures have no predators on land so they are unafraid of humans and often are as curious to see us as we are to see them.
Here’s a story of a naturalist’s visit to the islands and to Ecuador’s rain forest that shares some interesting insights. Read more in The Telegraph here.
