An adventure among exotic animals

Tom Jackson

We have just had one of the most exciting and interesting trips of

our lives. We visited the Galapagos Islands. Our adventure started in

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, for two nights.

On the third day, we flew via Guayaquil, on the Pacific coast of

Ecuador, to the Island of Baltra, some 600 miles north by jet

aircraft. Upon collecting our luggage, our next move was to a nearby

harbor for zodiac transfer to our home for the next eight days, the

exploration ship Eclipse. The Eclipse is more than 200 feet long and

accommodates 48 passengers in 24 cabins. On this voyage, there were

38 of us, including seven children ages 8 to 17. We thought the

weather would be some what humid, but it was mild and in the low 70s

for our stay.

This adventure included nightly presentations by the four

naturalists on board about our day’s activities and what was ahead of

us on the next day.

A normal day would include both a morning and afternoon visit to

an island and/or a dive to enjoy the underwater world. There were so

many sea creatures that we swam and dove with. The sharks included

white tipped and hammerheads, and the birds included blue, red and

marked boobies as well as pelicans. We cruised underwater with sea

turtles and watched water iguanas harvest vegetation from the moss

beds attached to large rock outcroppings.

Our island landings included wet, water up to our knees, and dry

from our zodiacs called Pangas by the Ecuadorians. On land, we were

given the history of the islands plus a review of the current and

previous flora and fauna.

It was very special to enjoy the many animals, sea life and birds,

especially through the eyes of the youngsters who were with us.

Several families, including children and grandchildren were full of

energy and exclaimed wonderment of that which was seen.

Birds nesting, iguanas sunning, pelicans and boobies laser diving

into the sea, sea lions relaxing on tree roots in mangroves, plus the

legendary land tortoises at the Charles Darwin preserve. Here, the

government has helped to regenerate the population of the almost

extinct tortoises.

Each day also gave us the opportunity for a siesta, which was most

welcomed. We cant wait to go back some day with our grandchildren to

enjoy this exceptional destination.

* TOM JACKSON is a Newport Beach resident.