I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge wildlife person. Love it, don't get me wrong, but it's not often the sole reason for selecting my next destination. I can now confidently say that the Galapagos has made a believer out of me! Travelers are able to interact with the wildlife in a way that very few places in the world can offer. This is not a spotting-from-afar-in-binoculars kind of experience, this is a in-your-face-try-not-to-trip-on-the-iguanas kind of thing. When was the last time you went snorkeling with playful sea lions who swim circles around you and curiously bite your snorkeling fin? Yep, THAT good.
I'm sure you've heard of the Big 5 in Africa? Well, the Galapagos has the Big 15, and for most visitors to the islands, the goal is to see as many species as possible.
Here are the Galapagos Big 15:
- Galapagos Albatross
- Blue-Footed Booby
- Nazca Booby
- Red-Footed Booby
- Flightless Cormorant
- American Flamingo
- Frigatebirds
- Galapagos Hawk
- Land Iguana
- Marine Iguana
- Santa Fe Land Iguana
- Galapagos Penguin
- Galapagos Sea Lion
- Galapagos Fur Seal
- Galapagos Giant Tortoise
In just a 5-day cruise, I checked off 13 out of the Big 15 species! And that's not even including the wildlife that didn't make the list - sting rays, dolphins, Darwin's finches, reef sharks, and more.
Does your list include any must-see species that are endemic to a specific island? Then let's find a cruise that includes the albatross on the island of Espanola, or the red-footed booby on Genovesa. But if you're like me and just want to have a good time and see as much as possible, you really can't go wrong! There's really no set of islands that is inherently better than another. The wildlife is everywhere in this nutrient-rich paradise, and it may have just changed the way I think about traveling for wildlife. Who knows, maybe gorilla tracking in Rwanda or polar bear spotting in the Arctic is next!
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week
Linda Cummings
1 day ago
The info on the website was laid out very well. I did some comparisons with other tours and found Adventure Life met a lot of what I wanted in an Antarctica trip at the cheapest price. Requested a quote on Claudia contacted me right away. She answered a lot of questions the I had via email even though she offered to discuss via phone call. I’m more of an email person so appreciated how she accommodated that and answered all my questions. And when I was ready to book, she quickly got the ball rolling with getting our spots reserved on the trip my friend and I wanted. Thanks again, Claudia!
Hazel Araza
1 day ago
(1) great information on the website and throughout all the "materials." (2) Jane Packer is great: knowledgeable, responsive, takes a personal interest and tone, seems to care about the customer as a person not a sale.
Larry Bethune
1 day ago
great people doing a wonderful job to make our voyages happen.
trudy
2 days ago
For our first trip to Costa Rica, Adventure Life designed a tour that meets the interests, ecological and adventure, of our party; but also takes into account our physical limitations sine we are all septuagenarian. We are looking forward to the trip.