The Galapagos.

We know the story well enough. Darwin visited here aboard the HMS Beagle, and what he saw inspired him to develop the theory of evolution. Since then, religious zealots, refusing to realize the power of metaphor over crude literal truths, have attempted to demonize this remarkable idea.


Ironic, given that this place is as close to paradise as any of us can imagine. Most of us are used to animals that run away. We approach, the move off – occasionally, they attack. There is none of that here. We approach; they look at us kindly as if to inquire if there is something we need of them.

To be certain, it isn't some blissful place where pain and death don't exist. The Galapagos Islands are a hothouse for evolution precisely because it is so tough to make a living here. Poor volcanic soils, an inconsistent climate, and a paucity of fresh water means that those species who eventually settled into this place had to adapt quickly to survive. The ones we see are the ones who made it, and for the most part, they made it by being tough or adaptive enough.

An overwhelming majority of the animals here are endemic. They arrived here as a finch, an iguana, a plant, and soon, at least on an evolutionary scale, became something else. Some iguanas learned to swim, living off of the algae that lives in the tidal zone. Others became antediluvian giants of the land, surviving off the few green plants that live here – especially cacti, which they eat with apparent relish, thorns and all. Tortoises also took hold. On the lusher islands they ate grass and developed a dome or flat shaped shell. On the drier islands, they had to reach up to get at the cactus, so they developed the famous saddleback shell, which frees their long necks.

Early visitors to the park were careless, and a number of invasive species soon took hold. Today numerous islands are populated with goats, rats, cats, as well as plants, insects and who knows what sort of microbial organisms – each doing untold damage to the islands where they have managed to establish themselves. Often these animals were brought deliberately by early settlers, such as the wild goats and cows. Others were brought accidentally, such as the rats.

Today, the regulations are strict. Luggage is inspected twice, not for drugs or weapons, but for any fruits or seeds that might establish themselves on the island, first at Quito, then again on the island. It is fumigated on the plane, and you have to walk over disinfectant mats all before you enter the park. And all that is before you pay the $100 entry fee.

Then you are here. Sea lions rest besides sea iguanas on the pier while blue footed boobys and frigate birds circle above. Normally, I am a budget traveler. To me vacations involve lumpy beds, rough roads and a strong possibility of infectious disease. This is a luxury cruise – the host wears a bow tie at dinner time, and we make toasts with lovely amaretto cocktails. Gotta love them last minute deals.

I even got to enjoy having my luggage brought to my room for me.

Our first stop was the island of Baltra, where we went for a 3 hour stroll. Normally, I would go about 5 miles in that time, but in the Galapagos we maybe went an hour and a half. This is not because my luxury traveling friends are slow or soft or lazy. They aren't. Rather it is because there is so much to see. You are practically tripping over animals.

I thought that I was spoiled by Yellowstone, but that is nothing. Animals that I thought I would be lucky to see just once are everywhere. Land iguanas, unseemly in size and appearance gracefully ignored use while munching on prickly pear cacti. Blue footed boobys relaxed and basically ignored us.

Back on the boat, I saw my first hammerhead shark. We are planning on going snorkeling in a place where they are common. Needless to say, I will talk about that once that happy day comes to pass.

Day two took us to Espanola, or Hood Island as it is known in the English. We started off the day with a trip to beach. Our guide, Juan, has degrees in ornithology and marine biology – and after twenty one years of guiding, maintains a remarkable enthusiasm. We went looking for the three finches you find on the island – the cactus finch, the warbler finch, and small ground finch. They all look alike, except for the beaks. The cactus finch has a thick strong bill used for tearing at the flesh of cactus. The small ground finch has a medium bill used for seeds, while the warbler finch has a tiny bill, little more than a pair of tweezers, used for snatching small insects.

Other birds were on the beach as well, including an oyster catcher, a Galapagos hawk, and hood mocking birds. Of course, the fun part was swimming in the ocean alongside sea turtles and sea lions. The afternoon was another walk, the highlight of which were the red green marine iguanas and masked boobies – bleached cousins of the more famous ones with blue feet.