Frigate birdOn Day 3, we went snorkeling with young sea lions off the Isla des Lobos. Or, I should say, they swam with us. Played with us. We paddled along, and the sea lions swam under and around us, twisting, diving, switching direction, in a bewildering display of aquatic acrobatics. For creatures that seem so – lumpy – on land, they are amazingly agile and graceful in the water. Sebastian had told us the Park forbids touching or bothering any animals, but these young sea lions obviously were having fun with the humans!
Later that same day, we snorkeled at El Leon Dormido (The Sleeping Lion), a rock formation in the sea north of San Cristobal, which is split into two sections. Because ocean swells were creating strong currents in the channel between the two sections, we had to jump off the boat on one side, swim through the channel, and meet the boat on the other side. We wouldn’t have been able to swim back to the original spot. The turbulence also stirred up the silt, so visibility was poor. We saw two reef sharks and two green sea turtles only because they swam very close to us. This too is the Galapagos. You have to take it on its terms. It cannot be scheduled to suit your demands.
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
6 days ago
Jess was very easy going and answered all our questions. It’s not easy dealing with 6 people at once but she did an outstanding job!
Diane Foster
3 weeks ago
Working with Mary was a pleasure. She was attentive, knowledgeable, and persistent in getting my clients the best deal.
Susan Hommel
1 month ago
Staff on ship (Alya), food, rooms, excursions and naturalist (Alex) were all top notch!
Suzanne
1 month ago
We loved our time aboard the Angel. Beautiful boat and crew. Naturalist Jose Luis was incredible-very knowledgeable and thoughtful. He adapted tours to our group and we all had an amazing trip. Love staying a the quaint hacienda and the recommended activities.