I’ve been too exhausted to write all week. Every morning, up at 5AM. Hike. Snorkel. Lunch. Snorkel. Hike. Dinner. Sleep. There’s been no time for reflection. There’s only been time to swim with sea lion pups, dive down to greet sharks, photograph blue-footed boobies, and try to absorb the endless streams of information provided by our guide, Louis.
How to summarize?
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Hmm…
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Well, the animals are unafraid of humans. That’s probably the most startling aspect of the experience. Birds go about their business, hunting, walking along the ground, sitting on eggs, and taking care of their chicks. Sea lion males prowl the beach to maintain their dominance, while pups drink milk from their mothers’ teats. Iguanas bathe in the sun. Sharks cruise the ocean’s depths. Hawks scan the landscape, looking for lunch. Giant tortoises lay in pools of mud, waiting for the sun’s mid-day heat.
We walk through this animal wonderland like ghosts. For the most part, animals behave as if we are not there. They don’t run in fear, scurrying into the nearest shadow or bush. They don’t charge in anger. They simply exist alongside human beings. It’s truly remarkable. The experience conflicts with all prior experiences I’ve ever had with animals in the wild. It feels like something is wrong with the world. But it also feels very, very right.
I’m not particularly fascinated by birds, but it’s fun to catch them on “film” in interesting poses. The sea lions are fun to watch. They really are like water dogs. Snorkeling reveals another layer to the islands, where you can swim with playful sea lions, drift with fish, and dive down for a closer look at sea turtles and sharks.
The weather grew progressively colder and wetter over the course of the week. We were greeted with sun and shooed off by rain. Even on a rainy day, there were moment of beauty as clouds shifted, bringing a warm glow to the landscape and animals. The main downside of the cooler weather was cooler water. Even with my wetsuit, snorkeling grew gather fearsome by the final day, when we were more being carried along by the choppy, freezing waves than actively swimming. Still worth getting in, though.
Our boat, the Galaxy, held 13 other guests and around 10 crew. The crew couldn’t have been better. They were the best combination of friendly and professional. Our chef Santiago created truly wonderful, beautiful food. Dishes were creatively presented and universally delicious. The other guests were all perfectly fine.
Louis, our guide, is so incredibly knowledgeable that no one ever needed to fear their questions would go unanswered. I don’t think I could have hoped for a better teacher.
As a final note, the lack of internet was 80% relaxing, 20% anxiety-producing. If we weren’t so busy, it’d probably be the other way around. I tend to invent disasters, expecting them to come to fruition once I receive information from the outside world. Good thing I didn’t have enough mental energy to create too many.
I return home tomorrow, thoroughly exhausted but with few complaints and some strong memories that’ll hopefully remain in my mind for a long time to come.
P.S. Here's probably my favorite photo I took the entire trip (a landscape, of course -- I'll upload animal pics later)
I think I'll print and frame this one after working on it a bit. The above is basically untouched, aside from pulling out some detail from the shadows a tad.