The landing
Someone is asleep on the landing.
A sea lion, flat out on the lava where the small boat puts you ashore. Anywhere else it would be gone by now. Walk up to it.
This is as near as the park allows, and the rule is for you. The sea lion never learned to mind.
A sea lion asleep, a crab passing. The Galápagos
Scrolling down the page walks you closer. This button does the walking for you, and the same button steps back.
The lava
Some of this rock is breathing.
Marine iguanas, the colour of the lava they lie on, heaped together for the warmth. You took them for rock until one turned its head.
They sneeze out the salt of the sea and go back to the sun. To them you are weather, and not much of it.
Marine iguanas, the Galápagos
Blue feet
And then a bird with blue feet.
A blue-footed booby, standing on the lava as if it were waiting to be asked something. The feet are exactly that colour. Go and see.
It goes on looking at the sea, on feet the colour of a swimming pool. It will leave when it wants a fish, and not before.
A blue-footed booby on the lava shore, the Galápagos
The edge
The sea is the other half of it.
Black lava, white surf, and water you can see down into. Mask on, fins on, and in you go.
The lava coast of Bartolomé
Below
A turtle comes up beside you.
It does not hurry, and it does not turn away. For a while the two of you are simply going the same way along the reef.
A turtle beside the reef, the Galápagos
And then
Now you are the one being looked at.
On shore you did the walking. Down here a sea lion does it: out of the green, straight at you.
The rule is still two metres, so you back away. It follows, turns over, and comes back for another look. Nobody gave it the rule.
A sea lion turning towards the camera under water, the Galápagos
When would you come?
Warm season
Cool season
The islands are good all year, in two seasons. Choose a month and see which it falls in.
Each island lies hours from the next. On a small yacht you cross while you sleep, and wake at anchor.