The Galapagos Islands – remote, uncivilized, wild – are not a typical vacation spot. But for a certain kind of traveler, they might be the best destination on earth. Their reputation as a place for a unique experience with the natural world is unmatched and supremely deserved. It is a place where a person can step out of a dominant place in the animal kingdom, where nature does not flee from mankind, where the behaviors and expressions of wildlife may be observed at a uniquely close range. It is a wonderful feeling, to be surrounded by wildlife and viewed as a curiosity, not a threat.

Growing up, I had never really liked birds. They are kind of scary, even, with their fast fluttering, flighty nature and reptilian eyes. And they were just too hard to know. Those in cages were pitiful, and those in nature too far away. I could hear them, but never spot them, even if they were right above my head – frustrating and boring.

The Galapagos changed all that. Sure, the sea lions were furry and playful, the marine iguanas silly and ornery, the tortoises grand. But it’s the birds that will forever be the Galapagos for me. They did not fly away. In fact, the opposite – they squawked at me to get out of their way. They landed on our hands and heads, plucked hairs from our guide for a nest, swam around us, danced right by us and mostly carried on as if we were insignificant to their world.

Which we were.

Why they don’t fear us 

Why do the animals have no fear of humans? Lying 600 miles west of Ecuador, the Galapagos’ climate, scarcity of resources and position at the confluence of five oceanic currents have kept them relatively safe from human interests and provided for a select pool of animal and plant colonizers. There are no large predators, no amphibians, few mammals, few reptiles and few flowering plants, yet there’s an abundance of marine and pelagic life.  

The species that have made the ocean crossing to the islands have adapted to fill ecological niches to which their mainland counterparts have no access. The natural history of these islands is truly fascinating, one first noted by Charles Darwin on his visit in 1835. But it’s the barren nature of the islands that preserved the natural history that stirred Darwin’s imagination. 

The Islands first appear in Western records in 1535 when the Bishop of Panama was becalmed in route to Peru and drifted west on the currents. In desperate need of water, his party spent several days searching, finally finding a small amount in a ravine. Fortunately for us, the Bishop found little value in the islands, reporting that the land "dross, worthless, because it has not the power of raising a little grass, but only some thistles." 

Beginning in the late 16th century, the Galapagos became a base of operations for English pirates preying on the Spanish galleons laden with Inca treasure sailing from Peru to Mexico. By the end of the 18^th century, whalers were replacing pirates, and in much greater numbers. The giant tortoises were highly prized by mariners as a source of fresh meat because they could be kept alive in the holds of ships for many months without food or water. Some of the subspecies became extinct. Fur seals were also hunted to near extinction, and although they have made a remarkable comeback, they are a Galapagos species that seems to retain a healthy distrust of humans. 

Thankfully for the Galapagos, the sperm whale trade died out in the 1860’s and with it the islands’ commercial appeal for nearly 100 years. Unfortunately, the whalers and early colonizers left a living legacy of feral goats, donkeys, pigs, dogs, cattle and introduced plants. 

European and American interest in the Galapagos was stimulated by the publication of William Beebe's book Galapagos: World's End in 1924. This book inspired the beginnings of the eco-tourism that today dominates the local economy, as well as colonizers attempting to create “Edens” on the islands. Surviving in the Galapagos proved difficult, and most colonists left. A few remained, and their descendants played important roles in developing tourism. 

Newly independent Ecuador claimed the islands in 1935. In 1959, the Ecuadorian government set aside 90% of the Galapagos Islands as a national park. All the lands not already included in settlement areas were incorporated into the park.  

Eradication of introduced species was one of the park’s first, and still important, tasks. Saving subspecies of land iguana and tortoise from extinction was another. A hatching program was set up at the Charles Darwin Research Station, and has been so successful that tortoises and land iguanas have been repatriated to some islands. Now the Galapagos Marine Reserve provides legal protection for the marine environment to match the protections of the islands. 

Popularity’s effects

Because of the economic boon of eco-tourism, the Galapagos is now Ecuador’s fastest growing province. There are continued challenges between development and conservation, yet the unspoiled nature of the Islands continues to draw adventurers from around the world – as they did me.

In 1981, I was 16 and heading to the Galapagos for the first time. We were flying over 600 miles of Pacific in a rickety converted military plane, the ocean and sky merging into one. Would we merge with them? The constant rattling and shaking left the question uncertain. We’d been warned not to eat the airplane lunch – too many people had been getting sick from it, ruining their vacations. What were we getting into?

We were getting out of the wet and cold up north, heading to the Galapagos Islands for some thawing out under the guise of nature discovery. My father had spent summer training as a Galapagos naturalist, and now he was taking my sister and me to discover the magic of the islands.

But so far, all the magic seemed necessary just to get there. I had flown a lot and usually had no fear, but this flight was getting to me. Or maybe it was thinking of living on board a sailboat for eight days. What if I got seasick? The jarring plane did not help that sensation.

Suddenly, one of the oxygen mask compartments sprung open, disgorging its contents into the faces below. My stomach knotted. . .was this it? The stewardesses, cool as cucumbers, retrieved the masks, shoved them back into their hideaway, and with undisguised irritation, whacked the doors closed tight. A relief they were not needed, but also a worry. . .were all compartments similarly managed and possibly defective? I could not wait to land, and safely!

Finally, white-ringed scraps of land materialized from the sun’s glare: The Galapagos, the Enchanted Isles, the only solid surfaces west of Ecuador on our flight path until Samoa. Certainly this rattrap would never make it that far should we miss our landing. Land we did, to the most heartfelt, grateful applause I have ever heard in a plane.  

Joy on the tarmac

So glad we passengers were to disembark, the blast of heat and dust of the Baltra airfield went unnoticed. But after weaving the line to get our passports stamped, the strangeness of the landscape had a chance to register. Cacti on steroids loomed beyond the runway. Scruffy, nearly leafless trees spotted the land like a five o’clock shadow. Where were we, and why had we spent so much effort and expense getting to this place? 

The answer would unfold both dramatically and subtly over the next 10 days, leaving me spellbound for a lifetime. 

Thankfully, getting to the Galapagos has improved enormously since my first visit. Modern jets fly daily to airports on two islands. Oxygen mask compartments stay closed. Lunches are edible. Now even private jets can land in Galapagos (with special permission). 

Being in Galapagos has also gotten easier and more comfortable. There are now several 90-to-100 passenger cruise ships and high-end, small (10-to-20) passenger yachts that ply the local waters.

The selection of yacht does affect your Galapagos experience. The large ships have more amenities and larger common areas, some with pools, and more of a traditional feel. The smaller ships have more intimacy, and some have almost as many amenities.  

We prefer the small, high-end yachts for several reasons. They have more flexibility with their itinerary, and as such, we design our own unique sailing route to experience more visitor sites than any other groups (and to avoid the crowds from the large ships). The larger ships are prohibited from stopping at some of the smaller, more sensitive visitor sites since their load of passengers easily overwhelms the sites.  

When traveling with just 10-20 visitors (average 16), your Galapagos experience is much richer, more intimate. I have traveled on a 90-passenger ship, and while I enjoyed the disco dancing, I missed the longer, unrushed shore visits, the quiet contemplation with the environment (try getting 30 people to be quiet at once), and the intimacy of getting to know a few people well. 

The yachts we use are carefully selected for their seaworthiness and safety (very important in Galapagos waters), suitability for comfortable adventures and the crew's dedication to serving  visitors. Each vessel comes complete with professional captain and crew, accomplished cook, and a licensed naturalist whom we select for his or her social and teaching abilities – important skills that can immeasurably enrich your experience. 

A guide’s importance 

And it is the guide who will define Galapagos for you. Each time I have traveled with a different guide, a new aspect of Galapagos unfolds for me, yet each guide has been superb, with a unique way of presenting his or her love of the Islands and cultivating my understanding and appreciation. By personally selecting our guides, we ensure all our travelers’ experiences will be as rich.  

All visitors to the Galapagos National Park are required to travel with a certified guide. These naturalist guides are trained in conservation and natural sciences by the Charles Darwin Foundation and licensed by the Galapagos National Park Service. The guides work as the first line of defense to protect the park's natural resources through education. They accompany visitors ashore, interpreting the natural wonders of the islands while enforcing the park rules and regulations.

In addition to interpreting the Islands for visitors, the guides have become the eyes and ears of both National Park Service and Darwin Station. They are among the first to observe fires, eruptions, introduced animals and illegal fishing activities. With limited budgets, one patrol boat and a vast, complex area to patrol, the Park Service is dependent on the guides to help police the islands.

Galapagos National Park has three categories of guide: Class I, Class II, and Class III. Top-level guides hold a Class III license. These international guides have a university degree in the natural sciences, usually at the Masters level, are fluent in English, Spanish and at least one other language, have trained at the Darwin Station and are certified in CPR and rescue techniques. Scuba diving trips have special dive guides, who accompany all dives. These guides hold both a Galapagos guide license and a separate dive license. All our guides are Class III Naturalists with at least 10 years’ guiding experience in the Galapagos.

Visiting the Galapagos is a dream come true for a certain kind of traveler. When you go, make sure your experience is the most enriching and rewarding possible. And be prepared to view birds in a whole new light!