Galapagos Hindsight
Having read and heard and dreamed of the Galapagos all my life, this trip was something that I couldn’t pass up. We’ve talked about it in our blogs before about the things that aren't shown on the documentaries and tv shows that highlight these wild places. One of the things that I think struck me the hardest was the human presence on the islands. The paradise I had imagined was dotted with towns, which now makes perfect sense. These destinations need infrastructure for the tourists, which requires people to run it, which requires towns, and schools, and farms. The focus on not introducing species to the island and then being told that most of the plant species on the island were introduced was disheartening. But the conservation efforts on the island bring hope. The communities that live on these islands are so heavily dependent on tourist dollars. I guess I just never imagined the island would be so developed.
It is still a magnificent place to go and explore. And I definitely want to go back. If I were to go back I would probably fly into Baltra and take a ferry to Isla Isabela to go find penguins. The other option is to take a cruise. The cruises take you to the different islands overnight so you don’t have to waste two hours of prime exploration time taking the ferries. The cruise ships are more stable than the small ferries.
Here are some recommendations/tips.
Bring your cameras (duh). Bring a variety of lenses. I used my 18-300mm and my 200-500mm (until it broke) the most. After the 200-500mm broke I switched to my 70-200mm. I would avoid bringing anything bigger than that. A big 600mm lens is not really worth it. Maybe a 400mm prime would be cool but carrying it around all day in the hot sun would be a pain.
Bring some type of underwater housing for your camera. The $100 I spent on my camera case was well worth it.
Learn some Spanish and talk to the locals. Ecuadorians are super friendly we got a ton of intel on the best spots, history, and one of our cab drivers even helped us secure two last minute ferry tickets.
Spend a minimum of one week. And go see more than one island.
Bring Dramamine and sunscreen.
Bring cash. Cash is king.
Follow the rules for distance. If you’re not sure what that means and why it’s important, check out our other blog. https://www.odysseyfivephotography.com/blog/the-importance-of-distance
Travel to these places but respect them. Support them with your money.
Take the guided tours but also go explore on your own. Our snorkel rentals were from locals and lifeguards.
Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, waste nothing but time.
