A week of type I fun - life aboard a cruise around the Galapagos islands
Each day, we were taken to new exciting locations with our wonderful guide, provided with snorkelling equipment and generally didn't have to worry about any logistics. On return to the boat, we were delicately helped off the dinghy by the attentive crew, greeted with refreshments, and we found that in our room, our fresh towels had been folded into the shape of animals we had seen that day.
We'd booked our cruise pretty last minute, and thought we'd got an okay deal on it. The boat capacity was for 16 people, but we were amazed to be told at the airport there were just five of us on board. Whilst this had the potential to be a little intense, the ratio of crew to passengers (9:5) was pretty wonderful. So far, the people we'd met this trip had mostly been backpackers travelling on a budget. This time our company was a self described "whacky family from Kent"; who were all very fun, and easy to get along with - you know people are good eggs if they enjoy the Detectorists! At times it felt like we had joined their family holiday, it was a real pleasure spending the week in their company.
The Galapagos islands lie 1000km west of Ecuador, and consist of 13 main islands, along with countless smaller ones. They aren't close to other landmasses, instead arising from a geologic hotspot - as a result of a stationary thermal plume building volcanoes on the shifting tectonic plates above. This geography and isolation has created the unique environment and ecology that we see today.
Our days involved walking on the volcanic islands, boat trips along rocky shores and snorkeling with sea lions. The number of animals you could see was simply stunning, and it was incredible that they weren't at all scared of us. The diversity of animals you could see on a single rock was mind-blowing - a sea lion, mounds of iguanas, blue footed boobies, crabs and flightless cormorants all peacefully nestled together. In the UK, it's pretty incredible to see a single badger, with bonus points for it being alive!
Rhys had never snorkelled before, and it was quite a few years since I'd done it, but we were both so impressed by our experience here. We'd opted to forego the wetsuits (an extra $10 a day we thought we'd avoid spending!) But the temperature was certainly warmer than any bodies of water in the UK! It was great to be immersed in the water among turtles, penguins, flightless cormorants and so many brightly coloured fish! Later in the week we even swam amongst Whitetip and Blacktip sharks, and were amazed by the sight of ethereal manta rays gliding past us. Sea lions would turn up during most activities, and their playful swimming and diving was a joy to watch.
The walks on the islands showed off impressive and dramatic landscapes. Despite the abundance of wildlife on the shoreline, inland could be fairly desolate with a scarcity of freshwater and regular volcanic activity. Eruptions had wiped out tortoises from some islands, and we'd seen photographs of iguanas suffering from burns from walking in front of lava flows, reminding us of how unpredictable and hostile the environment could be.
It was hard to imagine Darwin making this trip in 1835 on the Beagle, with little knowledge of what awaited him. For ourselves, we were impressed that we went a full seven days without internet access! Which is probably longer than we've ever done. It was surprisingly refreshing, and apart from having a slight worry that people were trying to contact us, incredibly freeing.
The boat itself was a fantastic experience. Our every whim seemed to be catered for - after snorkeling we'd immediately be given fresh towels, and when we arrived back on the boat, given amazingly tasty hot chocolate. Lunch and dinner were fabulous three course concoctions featuring tuna tartar and caviar, as well some more familar meals! Our eight days flew by. Each day had a busy itinerary, with breakfast at around 7am, followed by getting on the dinghy to go for a walk on an island, snorkeling, another walk and further dinghy tours of the shore. Every walk we'd see something, though the dinghy tours probably showed the most wildlife.
The boat itself was a fantastic experience. Our every whim seemed to be catered for - after snorkeling we'd immediately be given fresh towels, and when we arrived back on the boat, given amazingly tasty hot chocolate. Lunch and dinner were fabulous three course concoctions featuring tuna tartar and caviar, as well some more familar meals! Our eight days flew by. Each day had a busy itinerary, with breakfast at around 7am, followed by getting on the dinghy to go for a walk on an island, snorkeling, another walk and further dinghy tours of the shore. Every walk we'd see something, though the dinghy tours probably showed the most wildlife.
There were fun moments when the boat was navigating, such as when Rhys questioned where a spray of water came from, only to have one of the crew running up to day there was a whale in the distance! We didn't see more than a fin, but it was an exciting 30 minutes of spotting the sprays of water nonetheless.
Being on a cruise meant we didn't see any buildings for a week. We ourselves were a party of five, with our guide. Sometimes we'd see see other tourists on the islands, but generally everything was carefully coordinated to minimise visitors at the same site. This meant we had beautiful shorelines to ourselves. It was an incredibly immersive experience that we're so pleased we went for. I'd been the one pushing to do a cruise, and I know Rhys was a little sceptical due to the cost, but I was so pleased that Rhys enjoyed it as much as I did!
Being on a cruise meant we didn't see any buildings for a week. We ourselves were a party of five, with our guide. Sometimes we'd see see other tourists on the islands, but generally everything was carefully coordinated to minimise visitors at the same site. This meant we had beautiful shorelines to ourselves. It was an incredibly immersive experience that we're so pleased we went for. I'd been the one pushing to do a cruise, and I know Rhys was a little sceptical due to the cost, but I was so pleased that Rhys enjoyed it as much as I did!
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