The Galapagos Islands are a pristinely preserved archipelago located 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador. For a week, we sailed around many of the islands with Quasar Expeditions to see the unique wildlife found there.
Best Thing I Ate This Week
Quasar barbeque buffet at El Chato Ranch
Each day the talented chefs of Quasar Expeditions prepared a delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner for everyone on our Galapagos tour. It is difficult to pick a favorite meal or day because of the consistently high quality, but one that stood out the most was when we visited El Chato Ranch on Santa Cruz Island. Instead of preparing lunch on the Evolution Yacht like normal, the team left the ship to cook the meal at the onsite kitchen at El Chato Ranch. The lunch was an Ecuadorian barbeque and included delicious salads, pasta, vegetables, charcuterie, and grilled meats. Besides being a delicious meal, the setting of El Chato Ranch was very memorable.
Initially purchased for farming purposes, El Chato Ranch is now a popular tourist site because of the famous giant tortoises that migrate here throughout the year. During our visit, it was high season for the giant tortoises which meant we could see them everywhere across the nearby lawn from our lunch table. What made the experience even more memorable was after lunch we had a guided tour of the property to see the tortoises as close as safely allowed.
It was incredible to watch the tortoises move around the property, relax in ponds, and eat fruit that fell from the trees. They can grow to over 500 pounds, and, whenever they would move, it was evident how giant they truly were by the thud noise of their bodies hitting the ground when they stopped to rest. The combination of a great cookout with incredibly unique wildlife made for a very special meal.
An Interesting Fact I Learned
Galapagos are one of the best preserved places on Earth
Europeans first arrived at the Galapagos Islands in 1535 and found no human settlements as there was little fresh water. For the next hundreds of years, the islands were used by pirates and whalers. It wasn’t until Charles Darwin arrived in 1835 that the Galapagos were studied from a scientific perspective. He documented the extraordinary variations of the species from island to island, many of which were completely unique to the archipelago. After reviewing his findings, Darwin published the Origin of Species in 1859 which changed the way that the world understood evolutionary change.
The reason that the Galapagos had so many species not found anywhere else in the world was due to how it was formed. Unlike most other places on Earth, it was not part of the Pangea land mass. Instead, all of the islands appeared due to volcanic activity, which meant any flora or fauna that arrived there developed independently from the rest of Earth over millions of years. Additionally, the islands are at the intersection of the Humboldt Current, Panama Current, and Cromwell Current which bring marine life to the islands from varying parts of the ocean. The marine life enjoys the nutrient-rich, relatively shallow depth of 3,000 feet near the islands compared to the depth of over 10,000 feet outside of the archipelago.
Today, nearly 97% of the land in the Galapagos Islands is protected as a national park. Given that 80% of land birds and 97% of land reptiles or mammals are found nowhere else, there have been extensive efforts to preserve these unique species. The Ecuadorian government has enacted strict laws to ensure compliance with the national park rules, which we were reminded of continually during our visit to the islands. Even with all of these efforts, there are still risks for the endemic species due to human activity from 1535 until the environmental rules went into effect in the 1900s. The sailors brought rats and goats to the islands during this period which caused havoc to the fragile ecosystem.
However, even these problems are being addressed with creative solutions. When these animals start to endanger endemic species, the government steps in to help. For example, on Isabela Island there was a massive goat eradication effort that successfully cleared major parts of the island, allowing giant tortoises and the fauna to return. Additionally, the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz has a tortoise breeding program that protects the eggs from rats. Some of their most successful breeding efforts have repopulated the tortoise species on islands that were nearly eradicated. Given all of these efforts, the Galapagos will continue to be a top preserved place on Earth, well worth visiting to see the incredible nature found nowhere else in the world.
My Travel Tip of the Week
Explore the Galapagos Islands by medium sized boats
The Galapagos archipelago has 19 large islands, of which only 4 islands have human settlements occupying about 3% of the overall land area of the islands. The remainder of the Galapagos land consists of the protected Galapagos National Park, which have designated areas that you are able to visit in coordination with the national park services guides. We learned during our visit that the national park services are very strict with the visits, and adherence to the rules is enforced with large penalties.
When looking into ways to explore the Galapagos there seemed to be a few common options. One is to stay on one of the 4 inhabited islands and pay for day tours to see the nearby sites. Another is to join a large boat experience that cruises around the islands, with opportunities to disembark at points throughout. A last option is to join a medium or small sized boat that gives more flexibility to the crew when cruising around the islands and disembarking at points throughout.
After doing some research, we decided that a medium-sized boat would be the optimal choice for us. We wanted the flexibility to see the diverse aspects of the islands but did not want to be with a large group of people which might restrict the ability for the itinerary to change. After narrowing it down to a medium-sized boat, we identified Quasar Expeditions, an Ecuadorian-owned company rated as the top intimate ship ocean cruise line by Travel + Leisure. We reached out to them about partnership opportunities and after coming to an agreement they were so confident that our experience would be incredible there were no stipulations on what we had to feature on our travel website.
Their confidence was well earned as our experience far exceeded my expectations. The naturalists (Bolo, Christina, Hernan) were incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and personable. Their cruise director (Ruben) was caring, attentive, and helpful throughout the experience. All of the crew was friendly and hard working which made the trip a relaxing experience. The bar director (Cesar) made delicious non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks throughout the cruise. There was even a doctor (Jaime) on board to assist with any issues that the 32 guests or crew might have during the stay. Besides having an amazing team, the actual experience in the Galapagos by this medium-size boat was incredible.
During our time, all of the activities Quasar coordinated allowed us to see the vast quantities of the most famous Galapagos wildlife up close and in a safe way. Whether it was hiking through rugged terrain, kayaking around bays, or relaxing on beautiful beaches we were constantly in awe of the wildlife nearby. Two experiences stood out as to why a medium boat was worth it for exploring the islands.
The first was when dolphins were spotted nearby at breakfast, the crew quickly dropped the pangas in the water and we went out to the bay. These dolphins were so excited by the pangas that they swam alongside and played with us which was so joyful to be a part of. A second was when blue whales were spotted between islands. Rather than continue with our initial planned hike for the day, the yacht changed course to go where they thought the whales might be. We were rewarded with seeing a pod of 6 blue whales as the sun set over the Galapagos. I never thought I would see the largest animal on earth that can grow to nearly 100 feet, but, thanks to the Quasar team, I saw 6 of them. I could tell it was a special moment as the crew joined us to take in this incredible sight and even the most seasoned guides mentioned they hadn’t seen a blue whale in over a year.
My Additional Anecdote This Week
Snorkeling in the Galapagos is an amazing experience
Prior to this trip to the Galapagos, I had only snorkeled one time but it was very brief. Since the marine diversity is so great in the Galapagos, the best way to see it is snorkeling around the islands. As part of our experience with Quasar, they provided snorkeling equipment, wet suits, and guidance on where to go to experience the marine wildlife during our cruise. Snorkeling was a nearly daily activity during our cruise and although I didn’t appreciate snorkeling before the trip, it was one of the highlights from my visit to the Galapagos.
On day one of snorkeling, we had our first encounters with sea turtles. The turtles floated effortlessly in the water throughout our swim, and, whenever I stopped to look at them, it felt like they were staring right at me. When the turtles swam in the water it felt like their flippers were waving to us and saying hello. As we snorkeled along the rocks, we constantly passed over incredibly colorful schools of fish. We had our first surprise of the trip when penguins were fishing nearby and swimming around us. I never imagined that I would be swimming with penguins in my life and it is a memory I will cherish.
The next memorable snorkeling experience started with many more sea turtles. We also continued to see wonderful species of fish swimming amongst the reefs below. This time a surprise of the snorkeling was seeing a bullhead shark swimming peacefully throughout the rocks only a few feet away. Our guides also spotted a massive manta ray that was floating only a few feet below the group before it dived deep below.
The last memorable snorkeling experience started a little frightening but then ended with lots of smiles. While swimming along the coast, our guide spotted four white-tip sharks swimming around the rocks below us. We stopped to enjoy the nearly 5-foot-long sharks swimming throughout the reef. Prior to the swim, we were informed that these sharks weren’t dangerous but it was still a bit nerve-racking as they swam throughout the water in and out of our line of sight. We continued on our swim and came across a bunch of sea lions playing in the bay. They loved interacting with us and would charge directly at our goggles while spraying bubbles at us before diving directly underneath us at the last moment. This caused my heart to jump as I was worried they would run right into me. We learned that the sea lions love elevated heart beats so they do this to humans as a way of frightening them. I couldn’t stop smiling as they continued to play with me in the water. This experience solidified why snorkeling is such a fun activity, especially in the Galapagos where marine life has been so protected that they do not fear humans.
Other Articles About the Galapagos Islands
How to Know If Ecuador Is Safe to Travel to (It Is)
Yes, Ecuador is safe to visit! This article explains the areas within the country that are safe for visitors and how to know where to avoid.
Update 31: Sailing through the Galapagos Islands
We sailed through the Galapagos Archipelago to see whales, dolphins, penguins, sea lions, sharks, rare birds, tortoises, and so much more.
Let’s Help You Decide How to Best Visit the Galapagos
Debating between a cruise or staying on the islands? How to best visit the Galapagos, ranging from most luxurious to most approachable, and the benefits and setbacks of each option.