Visit the Galapagos Islands

“Each beach offered something new and spectacular for example: walking through the islands untouched nature to snorkel below cliffs where I found a huge sea turtle and a HUGE mantaray. Walking to a nearby beach full of local birds and marine iguanas, colourful corals and lots of beautiful fish. My favorite, biking to a beach further away to swim surrounded by sea lions playing with each other. If you go at the right time rocks protect from the waves creating the perfect playground for groups of sea lions. You can safely swim with them and these guys will zoom towards you, moving at the last moment, curious babies will come up close to you and watch as you swim around clumsily.”

“But by the second day, I realized it was real. We had been dropped off in open waters off of Isla Bartolome to snorkel through an area filled with active marine life, including penguins! I was fine at first, but then a sinking feeling in my stomach started developing. I mentally imagined it wasn’t there, but it kept coming back. About a mile out was solid ground — probably my only chance to rest before getting back on the catamaran. So after seeing a penguin (thanks to my guide for pulling me over to make sure I did!), I headed to land and rested for as long as I could.”

“Our second day provided us with a full helping of the Galapagos fauna and not just a taste. Our early morning zodiac ride took us to Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island, where we witnessed animals in their natural habitat while within arm's reach: blue-footed boobies, sea lions, a Galapagos penguin [...] Sea lions swam under and next to our zodiac, several birds flew right over us [...] And, just as we saw so much life above the water, we saw it below, too. Schools of fish galore, sea lions playfully whizzing by, birds diving for lunch -- an experience words can't quite properly illustrate.”