Galapagos Islands
Our
family trip to the Galapagos was on one of Linblad Expedition’s Photo
Expeditions, with special effort to give optimum opportunities to the
serious photographers on the trip. Our guest photographer was Kevin
Schafer, NANPA’s Photographer of The Year, and the Linblad staff
photographers, Rikki and Jack Swenson, were along to offer their
extensive expertise.
Linblad,
a serious supporter of restoration of endemic species to the islands,
years ago formed the Galapagos Conservation Fund which works closely
with the Galapagos Park Service and the Charles Darwin Foundation and
its Charles Darwin Research Station, which are primarily concerned with captive
breeding for reintroduction of the eleven island specific subspecies of
Giant Galapagos tortoises and the Land Iguana. Both these species,
and many others, including a number of botanicals, had been severely
impacted, and in some case nearly eradicated by feral animals introduced
to the islands as potential food, pets, or in the case of the Norway
Rat, as stowaways. Goats, pigs and burros are now the subjects of
necessary eradication programs.
The
Galapagos are an incredible destination and the ships range from
Linblad’s 65 passenger Polaris down to 12 and 16 passenger yachts, each
traveling a path proscribed by the Park Service to minimize congestion.
In addition to one, two or sometimes three panga (small boat - in our
case Zodiac) landings a day, sometimes a bit rough directly onto wet
lava rocks, numerous opportunities for snorkling with Galapagos Sea
Lions, Green Sea Turtles, Galapagos Penguins, White Tipped Reef and
occasional Hammerhead Sharks,
as well as fish of many other species, a glass bottom boat is also
available.
On the
islands the animals and birds are as tame as you’ve read, and close
approaches to Galapagos Sea Lions, Giant Tortoises, Albatrosses, Masked
(or Nazca) and Blue Footed Boobies (our ship is too large to land on the
one northern island on which the Red Footed Boobies nest), Lava Lizards
(both island and intra island specific), and Land and Marine Iguanas,
are possible. Frigatebirds and Tropic Birds frequently fly overhead, and Sally
Lightfoot Crabs scamper across the lava rock shores.
I hope
this gallery captures some of my experiences for you, and perhaps help
seal that desire to visit the islands yourself. In either event,
enjoy.
