Getting Wet in Galapagos

After a quick trip back to Quito to pick-up my scuba gear, it was time to join my dive buddies for the flight to the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos Archipelago lies over 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador.  Although there are 13 major volcanic islands and many more small islands in the Galapagos, only 5 are inhabited. The entire area is a national park and human interaction is very regulated and kept to a minimum.  The best thing about the Galapagos Islands is that the animals and marine life do not shy away from humans.  It is easy to get upclose and personal with the real Galapagos residents.

We landed in San Cristal and boarded our home for the next week, the Peter Hughes dive boat Sky Dancer.  As one of only five boats certified for diving in the Galapagos, we got right to business with a check dive and navigation to outer islands.  The itinerary was packed with 4 dives a day and a long navigation out to Wolf and Darwin islands--diving Mecca.  The group was primarily British with a couple from Canada, Peru and one other American onboard also.  My roommate and dive buddy Alison was a British diplomat, who had just finished a three year assignment in India.  Our cabin was on the top deck with large windows and a nice bathroom.  The diving was nothing short of spectacular and we were lucky to have Fabricio, the most experienced Dive guide in the Galapagos (over 10,000 dives) leading our group.  We saw it all!  Swimming with countless whale sharks and hammerheads topped everyone's list.  We also saw beautiful Manta Rays, dolphins, turtles, sea lions.  The lava formations under the islands did have some nice color and tropical fish, but we spent a lot of the time staring into the blue for big game. 

It was so exciting to cross the Equator and go from cold to warm waters in different currents.  I was the least experienced of my group and learned a great deal.  I completed my Nitrox course and got a new certification while on board. Despite my infected eye and head cold, I logged three dives a day and saw I came to see.  My personal highlight was playing with the baby sea lion!

We made a couple of land stops during the cruise to check out some of the famous wildlife on the islands like the giant tortoises, marine iguanas, both species of sea lions, and the strange bird population.  Education was a priority on the trip including lively discussions on the history and current environmental protection steps in the region.  We even had a last night dinner celebration in the town on Santa Cruz where we toasted our great diving experience!

After the flight back to Quito, I grabbed a taxi directly to the La Mitad Del Mundo (middle of the world city) to see the yellow painted line of the Equator. Had to do it!  While the myths about drain directions in the different hemisphere's aren't true, you do weigh less at the Equator.  Every little .3% helps.

My last night in Ecuador was wonderful.  We had a group dinner on the terrace of the Secret Garden with sweeping views of the city lights.  I am thankful for these 16 days to unplug, test my limits and focus on the natural beauty in Ecuador!