It’s early o’clock as we pile into Zodiacs and go ashore at Bartolomé Island. Deciding to hike to the summit had seemed such a good idea the previous evening. Now, in the rather dusky light of dawn, I’m not so sure. And then we encountered a little lava lizard doing his morning press-ups.
The Galápagos Islands, for that is where I am, are famed for their giant tortoises and finches, but I reckon this little lizard should be the poster boy of the islands. There are seven species, our guide told us, and they communicate using a sequence of ‘push-ups’ that’s different on each island. It means the little fella is not only ‘talking’ to us, but can’t ‘talk’ to his mates on, say, Fernandina.
How extraordinary is that? I guess it’s just Charles Darwin’s theory, expounded in his book The Origin of Species, writ large. He was inspired to write it by his time in the Galápagos, a chain of islands 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, which he visited in September 1835 as part of a five-year expedition on HMS Beagle to chart the southern South American coastline.
He went ashore expecting to find volcanoes. Instead, he observed birds and animals that had adapted to their different island environments. There were lizards that swam, cormorants that couldn’t fly and finches with beaks that had evolved in a variety of shapes depending on whether they had fruit, seeds or insects to eat.
“I didn’t expect it to look like that,” a passenger said as our plane from Quiot landed on Baltra Island. If she was expecting pristine beaches and lush green landscapes, it’s no wonder she was a tad disappointed. Wildlife is king in these islands, so millions of dollars and a lot of work go into making sure they remain as wild and scrubby as when Darwin visited.
Luckily, these days you don’t need to set aside five years to visit, as several cruise lines have small ships sailing around the islands - even HX, which usually hangs out in cold water destinations but makes an exception for the Galápagos Islands because it really is that good.
Hop on its Nine of the Best Isles cruise on Santa Cruz II and in just 11 days you’ll not only see the nine islands in the name, visiting two landing sites most days, but also have two nights in Quito, the capital of Ecudaor, with a city tour and trip to the Middle of the World monument so you can stand at the equator with one foot in each hemisphere. On day three, you fly to the Galápagos Islands.
Which takes me back to the woman on the plane. For sure, her disappointment wouldn’t even have lasted until she got on one of the inflatable Zodiacs taking us to our ship (there are no ports in the islands, so everything goes on and off by Zodiac, even on embarkation day).
As a bus took us from the airport to the dock, we had to stop for a marine iguana wandering across the dusty road. As we waited at the dock, a pelican sat with us, totally unfazed by the people or snapping cameras.
And that’s the Galápagos Islands in a nutshell. As there are no predators, animals have no fear of humans, so you get a front-row seat to watch them on hikes ashore or small boat trips with expert guides, all from Ecuador, who live and breathe the islands and wildlife.
We also channelled our inner David Attenborough on close encounters with penguins, Darwin’s finches, flamingos and cormorants drying outstretched wings (still habit even if they can’t fly). We also spotted frigate birds with bright red chests puffed up to entice a mate and even snorkelled with playful sea lions and turtles.
Magical doesn’t even come close.
