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Postcards from the Galapagos Islands

 

Every stop in the Galapagos Islands is different than the last. On Fernandina Island, iguanas rule the roost, piled atop each other in the sun and moving for no man, no matter how close you get. Genovesa Island is the home of the brilliant blue-footed boobies and the frigate birds whose inflated pouches precede them. Other islands are covered in ancient lava flows and dotted with cacti—the only plants that can survive the rough conditions outside the rainy season—or are ringed with gritty beaches where the sea lions relax. And that’s just what’s on the land. The sea is a whole different menagerie.

The variety of things to experience, animals to mesmerize us, and new landscapes to explore made us drink in every moment of our week visiting the Galapagos Islands, and these photos will show you why.

Galapagos Photos

Rocks and black sand beach of Santiago Island

The landscapes have been carved over millennia.

Sally lightfoot crabs in the surf on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos

Creatures like the sally lightfoot crabs dominate people’s attention…

Baby blue-footed booby chick

until a baby blue-footed booby comes along.

See: The 28 Most Unique Galapagos Animals

Cacti and dry landscape

“Survival of the fittest” becomes abundantly clear

Whale bones on Fernandina Island

in a place where the land shows traces of everything that came before.

Seal swimming underwater

Some new friends want to swim with you.

Frigate bird with inflated red pouch on Genovesa Island in the Galapagos

But others just want to show off.

Tiny islands in the ocean off the coast of Isabela Island

The sea and the sky meet in one of the most amazing places on earth.

Read: Choosing the Best Galapagos Itinerary

Sunset in the Galapagos Islands

In the Galapagos, the sunsets seem a little more peaceful.

Lone flamingo standing in water

Whether you’re above ground or under the water,

Sea turtle swimming underwater

the animals are equally spectacular.

See: What to Pack for Ecuador and the Galapagos

Wave crashing on the remains of a World War II barge on Santa Cruz Island

Evidence of human destruction is limited to a few islands.

Group of Galapagos tortoises eating

But humans help to preserve the animals’ future, too.

Seal on a rock with waves crashing against it

Either way, it’s clear that we’re just guests here.

Volcano caldera

We get to experience the volcanoes.

Rocky cliffs dropping to the ocean at Punta Vicente Roca

We get to explore the oceans.

Read: How to Select a Galapagos Cruise Boat

Red-footed booby on Genovesa Island in the Galapagos

We get to hang out with the red-footed boobies.

Black marine iguanas sunning on a rock

Everyone loves the sun.

Ship seen through the arch of a cave

Everything is majestic.

Dinghy and cliffs in the Galapagos Islands at Punta Vicente Roca

And nature dwarfs people at every turn.

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