We’ve departed Quito for the second time, this time heading to the Galapagos Islands. I admit I was a little apprehensive about coming here. This is another cruise, but unlike the mega-cruise we did in Alaska, this is a small ship—just 16 people max. Basically, it’s less Titanic and more Gilligan’s Island.
I was worried about a few things: seasickness (especially for Teddy), questionable food, oppressive heat, and of course, whether our fellow passengers would be... well, twatwaffles. After all, we were going to be trapped on this floating shoebox for 7 days, only getting off for kayaking, snorkeling, and short hikes.
But at the time of writing, none of my concerns have come true. The cruise isn’t even full—we’re just 12 people, including our family. Rounding out the cast: two Australians, two Japanese, two Germans, and two Americans. The food is surprisingly good, the staff is great, and best of all—no one has barfed. Not even the kids (though Teddy did barf on the bus ride back to the airport—because of course he did). And that’s without meds. Miracles do happen.
The kids were shy for about 20 minutes, then immediately adopted the other passengers as long-lost relatives. Teddy latched onto Linda, calling her “my friend,” and both kids adored the German couple. They even bought themselves each a stuffy and named them Hannah (a blue-footed booby) and Jan (a hammerhead shark).
A typical day has 3 or 4 activities. Breakfast was at 7, which is... ambitious, but survivable. First activity at 8, usually snorkeling, dinghy ride, or “hiking” (quotation marks very much intentional).
When we get back, the ship’s waitress Diana greets us with snacks and a beverage—because nothing says “well-earned reward” like juice and cookies after nearly swallowing half the Pacific Ocean. Then we eat lunch (which we earn by not drowning) and head back out for more snorkeling and a short hike.
On our very first snorkeling session, I jumped in with Mylene and the kids. I look down and—boom—a shark. Right under us. First thing. Naturally, I said nothing to the kids, because I am a responsible adult with nerves of steel (read: I panicked silently and pretended it was totally normal).
Animals we’ve seen so far, both above and below the water:
Blue-footed boobies
Marine iguanas
Land iguanas
Sea turtles
Giant tortoises
Frigate birds
Pelicans
Sea lions
Galapagos penguins
Giant sunfish (Mola Mola)
Blue whale
Sei whale
Dolphins
Swallow-tailed gulls
Crabs
Herons
Giant manta rays
Stingrays
Golden rays
Galapagos hawk
Flightless cormorant
Starfish
Sea cucumbers
Multiple fish in every size and colour. (Parrotfish are a favourite—they look like a bag of Skittles)
Fun thoughts about our Galapagos trip so far:
Mylene and the kids all got shit on by birds. I believe they were frigate birds. Apparently this is lucky. (Lucky for who, though? Definitely not the laundry.)
On our first night, I went to Mylene’s room for something. It was dark, I saw movement in the water, and thought it was a fish. Nope. Sea lion. It barked at me and nearly sent me into cardiac arrest.
Our naturalist guide was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly loves the islands. But he was intense. I learned a new German word to describe him: labberbacke.
Said guide also likes the smell of tortoise poop. Claims it smells like grass. Mylene and the kids bravely tested this. Verdict: nope, smells like poop.
As we went further west, the water got colder and colder. On our last day, I jumped in first. When asked if it was cold, I lied confidently and said, “Not at all!” The kids jumped in, lasted 10 seconds, and scrambled back onto the dinghy. Sorry, kids. Character-building.
I don’t look good in a wetsuit. That’s just a fact.
On one hike, a Galapagos hawk nearly landed on Hannah’s head, then mine. It settled for a railing 1.5 meters away. Amazing photo op, yes. But also: hawks are a lot bigger up close than you think.
Giant tortoises are very cool, live forever, and have an impressive aura of wisdom. But let’s be honest: their faces are fugly.
Our next post will be a Q&A with Emma and Teddy about their Galapagos experience. We’ve prepared some questions, but if you’d like to ask them anything, drop it in the comments below.
Here’s a collection of photos and videos. Underwater photography is an art form I have not yet mastered. Expect mostly bubbles, blurry fish, and the occasional flipper. But hey, I tried.
This is a compilation of some of the things we saw in our week of snorkeling. You'll see a parrotfish, sea turtles, sea lions, marine iguanas, penguins, and more.
This sea lion gave us quite a show. I swear he knew we had a camera. There are also many sea turtles around us.
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