The Galapagos Islands!
I think it would be a wonderful place to visit all year round, not just during the summer. From what I was told by the travel agencies I have contacted, the climate there is tropical and always warm. Sure, it’s going to be scorching hot and very humid in the summer, but thats what also makes it so fun. Even in the winter the temperatures are warm. This would make conditions for scuba diving almost ideal. From what I see, the waters are clear and the animals are generally very amiable and not scared of humans. You are not allowed to touch them because they are under protection, but still you are able to come very close to them to observe them in their natural habitat.
There are many ways to go and explore the Galapagos Islands. There are many commercial businesses that run cruises, small boat tours, glass-bottom boat tours, house boat rentals, as well as island resorts. I would recommend taking a smaller boat to the Galapagos for an island tour. The average price for a regular small boat tour costs about three thousand dollars. One advantage of taking a smaller house boat is that you are able to get closer to the island shore and see more of the animal life up close and personal. If you take a cruise ship actual exploration of the coast and the island shore is much more limited because of the cruise boat’s very large size. The downside of taking a small house boat is that there is often many waves in the Galapagos area during the summer, so if you are prone to sea sickness you should be wary. I find it personally to be very difficult to sleep when the entire boat rocks with the wake. That is why a cruise trip may be considered more comfortable than taking a small boat. If you are a nature enthusiast and a adventure taker then I would recommend the smaller boats because you get much closer to the animal life.
When coming from the resorts you will be able to explore parts of the island and take hikes on trails. Each island has different species so you should go and explore them all. Perhaps you can follow Darwin’s footsteps and go on some explorations of your own. The biodiversity of animals there is downright amazing and breath taking. For example, there are at least 20 different species of finches alone on each island in the Galapagos and there are also many different types of iguanas. Some iguanas even swim in the salt water while others are more terrestrial and live inland. They even have small penguins! Can you believe it? There are penguins all the way in the tropical islands of the Galapagos. This just goes to show you how much biodiversity can be found there. It truly is a wonderful place to go and awe-striking.
Aside from trails and land exploration, you can also observe the marine life without getting wet from scuba diving. You can also rent glass bottom boats to watch the marine life up close and personal without having to get wet. For the most part this is really fun if you are scared of scuba diving, swimming, or if you have a large family with many kids that you wouldn’t want to get lost. Furthermore, young kids cannot scuba dive anyways because of age restrictions and dangers. If you take a family I would recommend following a guide around or renting a glass bottom boat.
Though a lot of the islands is open to the public, all the animals there are under protection. It is important to remember not to destroy the natural habitat there and create any negative impacts from human presence. It would be better to preserve this paradise. For the most part all of the animals are not scared of humans because there were never any natural predators there. You can get really up close to them without them running away. It seems as if these animal inhabitants have always lived in harmony there without predation. This is why I consider the Galapagos to be a true paradise which is almost perfect. Just going there to look at the diversity of species would be a wonderful experience. Follow in the steps of Darwin and try to see what he saw when he first stepped onto that paradise. Seems like a really fun and exciting place!
If you choose to take a trip to the Galapagos I would recommend you book with a travel agency. They are really helpful. I hope to head out there this summer. It has always been a dream of mine. Maybe I will see you on the volcano shores with the black iguanas? Looking forward to it!
