Is there a place on earth where wildlife is unafraid of humans? Is it possible that sea lions, iguanas, and birds could pass you by as if you’re one of them? Yes. Animals like that live on a group of about twenty archipelago volcanic islands off the coast of Ecuador—The Galapagos Islands.
A Galapagos tour of our own
In late May of 2006, my husband, Hoyt, and I joined a group of 14 other travelers—Rollins College alumni and faculty—for a trip of a lifetime to what I call Darwin Country. Our guide, from Ecuador, was a local expert on the Galapagos who daily taught us about the history of the islands and the kinds of animals who live there. Efficient staff cooked our meals and other staff motored us to and from the islands from our beautiful catamaran where we lived for about ten days.
A Galapagos gift to me
One moment struck me our very first day, right after we arrived on the island called Isla San Cristóbal (or Chatham). We were standing on a narrow strip of beach, watching sea lions lying around (they do a lot of that!) and a gentle, yellow-streaked sunset in the distance. I could hear the waves on the beach, a low, pulsing swish.
Quietly, we just stood there, listening, watching the sleek brown animals, and listening and watching for any nearby birds, especially finches. We had to be quiet, and mostly still. This was the basic rule of our life on this trip. “Just be here now and watch for what might happen.” Might. You never know for sure what animals will do. If you space-out, you may miss something rare and wonderous.
In the warm breeze, I thought about how busy my work life had been only a few days earlier, working as a writer in a software company. This environment was the opposite. We were on an island out in the ocean away from human “civilization” in cities and on neighborhood streets. I was the outsider. It hit me that being on that beach in that moment had landed me far out of my comfort zone. I was no longer slave to deadlines at work but had suddenly switched to slow motion animal time. Wow. I knew I needed that. Nature was speaking to me, and I wanted to listen.
So within the first few hours of this Galapagos experience, I’d gotten my money’s worth. I’d already had my take-away moment: slow down, watch, and listen. That’s how you notice the wonders life has to offer.
The Galapagos gift keeps on giving
I can’t help but comment on the timeliness of this lesson while the world currently suffers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, I read that bird-watching has increased in these last few months by leaps and bounds. So has outdoor walks and gardening.
Darwin paved the way to the Galapagos
One exciting adventure while we were there was visiting the Darwin Center. Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) was a naturalist, explorer, biologist, and author most famous for writing The Origin of Species, published in 1859. At the center we met the famous Lonesome George. He never had kids. Here’s a rundown on him from the National Geographic.
Lonesome George was the last surviving Pinta Island tortoise, native only to the Galapagos Islands. Until 2012, Pinta Island tortoises were extinct in the wild. On June 24, 2012, Lonesome George died, and the Pinta Island tortoise became entirely extinct.
Poor George. We’re glad to have met him. Hoyt especially loves turtles, so that was the highlight of the trip for him.
Galapagos Photo Gallery
To begin the slideshow below, click the first photo. Prepare yourself. There are a whole bunch of photos this time. Enjoy!
All photos in this post are copyright © Charlene & Hoyt Edge.
See you next time.
Your writer on the wing,
Charlene
Robyn
What a fabulous trip! Thanks for the good memories brought back by your story and photos.
Charlene L. Edge
Indeed it was, and we were so happy to experience it with you, Roger, and so many other friends!
Steve
LOVE the pics! Thanks Charlene.
Charlene Edge
Glad you enjoyed this, Steve. That trip taught me so much about being still and watching. Lessons every writer needs.
Goddard
Oh Charlene,
Thank you for sharing this amazing trip! The pictures are just so engaging!
I’m sad about the one last of its species turtle, who died.
I, too, love turtles.
You are a generous dear to share all of this island with us!
Pat
Amazing, thanks for sharing the world with us.
❤️
Pat?
Charlene Edge
It means a lot to me to share these adventures. Thanks for reading this post.