GALÁPAGOS
alongside sea turtles, iguanas and other species more typical of warmer climes — that makes the Galápagos unique. Dotting the Pacific Ocean around 600 miles from the Ecuadorian mainland, these volcanic islands of lava fields, scrub and forest have been isolated for millions of years. As a result, many species here, like the Galápagos penguins, are endemic to the archipelago. To protect this delicate ecosystem, cruise
ship schedules are managed by the Galápagos National Park to ensures no site receives more than 100 visitors at a time. The La Pinta expedition yacht I’m sailing on is a mid-sized vessel that can accommodate a maximum of 48 guests, which means that, during our four-night northern Galápagos tour, only once do we share a stop with another boat. And the experience of sailing across the archipelago is even more blissful for the fact we barely see another ship throughout our entire voyage. Out here on our own, nature feels raw and Edenic. On Bartolomé, the jagged lava fields look so prehistoric that the frigatebirds soaring overhead could almost be pterodactyls.
Island-hopping Our Galápagos adventure begins on Baltra, one of the smaller islands, defined by basalt rock and sparse vegetation — a visible legacy of underlying volcanic activity — and home to one of the archipelago’s two airports. Within minutes of touchdown, we meet our first endemics: a couple of chocolate-coloured land iguanas with cinnamon-speckled heads, basking on the tarmac. Wildlife always has the right of way on these roads, so our transfer to the pier is delayed as we wait for the two sunbathers to move sluggishly out of our way. Each of the islands is as distinct as the
wildlife it’s home to. We see this difference for ourselves as a ferry hop brings us to Santa Cruz, a much larger island covered in tropical woodland. Here, we watch the scrubby, dry coastal forest become ever greener as we gain elevation, travelling to its uplands. Eventually, we bump down a dirt track
to reach Rancho El Manzanillo, a working farm where cattle, along with coffee and other crops, share the land with wild, giant Galápagos tortoises.
From left: Spotting Galápagos penguins is one of the highlights of Bartolomé Island; scuba divers preparing for a dive; the beautiful scenery of Bartolomé Island
Previous pages: Marine iguanas in Gardner Bay, on Española Island
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