Me and my travel buddies from my recent trip to the Galapagos adopted a phrase to describe the highlights of our experience there – they were referred to as “Galapagasms”.
For those of you not on the ball its a combo of the word galapagos and orgasm – clever hey?!
There are certain things that really reminded us exactly where we were and will stick in our minds forever – so here’s my Top 10 Galapagasms!
- Swimming with Sealions – without a doubt getting in the water alongside the sea lions of the Galapagos was a major highlight for me. Unfortunately I didnt get nose to nose with one but simply sharing the ocean with their grace was epic!
- Snorkelling Kicker Rock – kicker rock has destroyed snorkelling for me. I’ve snorkelled the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo reef, Koh Tao and heaps of places across the globe, but only at Kicker Rock did I get face to face with so many big ocean creatures. Heaps of giant sea turtles, black tip reef sharks and schools of golden rays within minutes of entering the water!
- Strolling along Tortuga Bay – beaches are hard pressed to impress me as a surfer. But the beauty of the white sands of Tortuga Bay and the lagoon at the far end were beautiful. We got their super early so it was deserted, just our small group and the local marine iguanas, pelicans, crabs and stingrays.
- Drinking Rum under Sail – my trip was on a boat, and there’s one great thing about any boat trip and thats getting the sails up and cruising along in the sun across a millpond ocean. And of course we cracked out the rum, lavished on the sun cream and spent a day with tunes, tans and good company.
- Blue Footed Boobies – I LOVE BOOBIES, that shirt is everywhere on the Galapagos so I was determined to get a sweet shot of one to make a poster from. Watching them fish is pretty incredible too and they’re feet are heaps more colourful than I was expecting!
- Baby Sharks – whilst chilling on the beach we suddenly noticed a few fins in knee deep water, on closer inspection there were a few baby white tip reef sharks hunting in the shallows just inches away from us!
- Mountain Biking in the Rain – our first afternoon on the islands involved a big rainy downpour. We were mountain biking at the time but the bath water temp drenching simply added to the fun, tearing down hills past all the flash packers in the cafes huddling around coffee in ponchos!
- Giant Tortoises – Giant tortoises dont have that name for no reasons, they’re bloody massive! As an icon of the islands getting the obligatory shot next to one was a certain highlight and they’re intriguing (if rather slow!) to watch for a while.
- The Landscape – our trip involved a few really nice hikes through the landscape and everything looked like a scene out of Jurassic Park – untouched natural beauty, from lush forest to cacti strewn wastelands, black volcanic rock boulder fields to icey white beaches – you couldnt help but take good pictures!
- The Local Fishmarket – whilst wondering around Santa Cruz marina we stumbled upon a local fish market. Nothing exciting there we thought, until we noticed that a whole heap of wild sea lions, pelicans and even the odd marine iguana were milling around actively trying to steal the catch of the day! The locals didn’t give them a second glance, but for me it was a definite Galapagasm – where else would you be able to witness such a scene?!
I went to the Galapagos at the end of last year for two weeks. It all but destroyed by bank account and resulted in my trip ending about 4 months earlier than planned, but I wouldn’t change it for the world!
It has always been my dream to go and I couldn’t miss the chance. Reading your blog has put a massive smile on my face as I recall all those memories. Did you get to do any surfing whilst there?
it took me a while to decide if it was worth the cost but looking back in hindsight it’s a once in a lifetime experience and I’m glad I did it!
Unfortunately I didn’t have enough free time to hit up the surf there….one day maybe!
Sounds like an amazing trip… I really want to go to Galapagos!
What company did you use to sail around? I’ve heard great things about multiple ones, but they all seem quite pricey… I am guessing maybe there is no way around that?
Hey Claus, it’s well worth the money! I used a company called Valkiria for my boat trip but to be honest I cant really recommend them. There are ways to cut prices down if you have the time to play with and hold out for last minute spots but it really comes down to how flexible your itinerary is!