GALAPAGOS ISLANDS : WELCOME TO THE WILD 2021 ACTIVE & ADVENTURE | 4
From the moment you arrive in the Galapagos , your eyes stay wide open . While waiting for a zodiac to take you over to your expedition ship anchored off Baltra Island , coal-black marine iguanas shuffle below the jetty and magnificent frigatebirds glide over the bay . Another seabird dives close by , followed by a gang of pelicans skimming the sea ’ s glimmering surface . A shape appears in the sea . Could it be a seal ? A shark ? Nature is everywhere here , and it ’ s always on display no matter what time of the year you go .
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
PHOTOS
TOP : PARADIES GALAPAGOS BOTTOM LEFT : SEA LION IN GALAPAGOS INSLANDS BOTTOM RIGHT : LAVA CACTUS
Ask any travel enthusiast about their bucket-list destinations , their once-ina-lifetime vacations , and the Galapagos Islands are always on those lists , usually at the top . Everyone knows this is a wildlife wonderland , but no one tells you the backdrop is also remarkable : smooth , low islands , dotted by lime-green forests , with red-sloped volcanoes at their hearts and black beaches on their fringes .
The animal sightings grow with each passing moment . On a ride around the tranquil mangroves of Black Turtle Cove , manta and spotted eagle manta rays swim beside the boat while a lava heron hops around the branches following your route .
As well as the heron , you ’ ll frequently find the red lava lizard and the grey lava gull within eyesight . And let ’ s not forget about the lava cactus and the lava morning glory . Unsurprisingly the word ‘ lava ’ figures prominently in the names of Galapagos species . The whole archipelago is volcanic , the beaches often black and spiky , with the youngest of the islands , Fernandina , a mere 700,000 years old .