...in Galápagos

Final thoughts

Overall, the Galápagos Islands lived up to all of our expectations and more as one of the natural wonders of this planet. We feel very privileged to have seen it with our own eyes and to have been so accepted by the wildlife. As pristine as it still seems today, we wonder what it was like back when Charles Darwin first set foot here.

Though it's hard to imagine, but if there are any disappointments to be had on this trip, it is how you are guided through it. Since you aren't able to just go where you want, for good reason, you must follow the guidance of the naturalist assigned to your group. We were disappointed with Aquatic Encounter's schedule in the amount of time allotted in any particular spot, not just for photography, but also just for absorbing the incredible things around you. The complaints about this were not only from photographers. The naturalist, although an obvious expert very passionate about the islands, had an attitude and demeanor that made it difficult to express many requests. In fairness to Aquatic Encounters, they offered this explanation for some of the issues we encountered: click here

For the diving, the animal encounters were excellent, given the visibility limitations (again, variable from trip to trip). The briefings were good in our opinion, but once you were in the water, you were on your own to figure things out. Three inflatables full of divers had no way of following one leader. The somewhat free-for-all diving style gave you all the freedom you wanted, but prevented some from having the benefit of knowing where to go and what to see. Therefore, pay good attention during your briefings! All of that aside, we thought very highly of Aquatic Encounter's logistical operations while in Quito, as the tours, luggage handling, meals, and hotel arrangements were flawless. The crew of the Reina Silvia were very friendly, though tended to keep to themselves. (A special thanks to Juanito, our excellent dinghy driver!)

Having a diving and land tour itinerary definitely created a schedule without a lot of time to spare in a place with so much to see, but we felt accommodations could have been made. Unfortunately, none of the photography specialty tours (where you are allotted more time) we read about offered diving as well, which would be missing out on a very important side of Galápagos. Our trip became a compromise of the two, and we are very glad to have seen what we did. The trip gave you a brief taste of what the islands have to offer, but left you begging for more.

We have gained so much admiration for how the current protection of the islands is setup by the National Park and its staff, particularly under the regime of the Ecuadorian government. It is quite an accomplishment and no doubt a future challenge for them to keep it that way under all of the internal and external pressures they have on them. This protection is constantly under threat by outside commercial interests wanting to exploit the treasures these islands hold, whether it be for development or threats to the marine environment by foreign commercial fishing industries. We can only hope that through the support of visitors and perseverance of the Park management that the Galápagos Islands will continue to remain a sparkling jewel to this planet for centuries to come. We hope you will someday visit there and leave feeling the same.

- Mark & Lisa Graf

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