Most Inspirational Moment
On our final full day we were travelling between Isabella and Santiago. The trip had already been far more than I had wished for. We had seen the many changing faces of the islands and several of their charismatic inhabitants such as the inquisitive sea-lions, ancient tortoises, slovenly marine iguanas and the downright ridiculous blue footed boobies. The islands had decided however they would throw us yet another surprise. As our boat the Cachalote broke the waves, rocking back and forth in the now familiar rhythm, a cry was heard from our guide Darwin - "dolphins!". As the sight I had seen so many times in nature documentaries of dorsal fins breaking the waves became more and more numerous, the excitement grew. Suddenly one of the pod broke the waves and revealed itself to the boat load of gasping tourists. They then began to ride the bow wave of the boat occasionally leaning sideways and eying the smiling faces almost falling over the sides of the boat trying to capture a glimpse. Fully lost in the moment and mesmerized by the sight of the creatures it took a while for Darwin's comment to actually register, "OK, so we can try and swim with them if your grab your stuff". As the words sunk in I left the side of the boat and ran to grab my snorkel, mask and flippers. Within what seemed like a few seconds about half of our group were aboard the small panga boats and gliding along the surface of the ocean surrounded by our new friends now riding the much less impressive bow wave of the panga. We slowed and the cry of ‘GO’ was heard from Darwin. I let go of the side of the boat and rolled backwards, met with the usual sight of a mass of bubbles which cleared quickly to reveal the far more unusual sight of 4 dolphins staring straight at me. Three of them slowly swam into the blue whilst one, holding what seemed to be some sort of starfish or sea sponge in its mouth came closer as if to show me its prize. After exchanging eye contact for what seemed like an eternity it turned too and swam into the blue. Our group then slowly swam after the dolphins who occasionally turned, swam past us and then away again as if almost expressing surprise in our clear inability to swim with any sort of gracefulness. Eventually the pod, which in total must have consisted of between 20-30 individuals, began to disappear into the distance. We then climbed back aboard the pangas and once the engine was running and we were again surrounded by dolphins. Again we dived in, exchanging glances and momentarily forgetting the endlessness of the blue beneath us. This routine was repeated about 5 times until we were truly exhausted and had taken on a good few pints of sea water. We returned to the Cachalote. As we began once again to sail, the pod resumed riding the bow wave and glancing at us for another 5 minutes or so as if to wave us off. Then one by one they returned to the expanse of ocean to which they are so perfectly suited and I was left with one of the most moving experiences of my life.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our guide Darwin thankfully made a great first impression which was fully justified. As soon as we arrived on the Galapagos we were met by a smiling, enthusiastic and welcoming face. Throughout the trip he taught us much about the islands often derived from personal experiences and impossible to gain from the Internet, books or documentaries. It felt a very personalised tour. Darwin quickly realised the aspects of the islands that interested our group the most and talked more about these. This kind of treatment is what separates a great guide from a good guide. It was clear that he was as enthusiastic about the wildlife as we were and he seemed to love seeing our enjoyment of the islands as well. Darwin certainty had his work cut out living up to his name but it is a challenge he most certainly rose to and the trip would not have been half as enjoyable were it not for his knowledge and guidance throughout.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Personally on the jungle portion of the trip I did not find long trousers necessary. The paths are well cut and maintained and the amount of actual trekking is minimal. I suppose insect numbers and weather conditions vary and it is certainty worth packing them but I found it much more comfortable to trek in shorts. Washing services are available in the jungle and Quito and easy enough to perform yourself on the boat so don't fill up your case with endless clothes. Bird/wildlife guides are a great idea to take. I have never been a twitcher but recording my sightings in the Galapagos gave me great enjoyment and I was thrilled with my final count of 176 species. The only other piece of advice I would offer is don't forget your camera charger and after-sun. Although if you do I am sure you can borrow from the group if they are as obliging as mine was.
