Bartolome and Santiago Islands
One of our guests expressed her thoughts to me this morning. Her statement was: “Our week has gone so fast that I can hardly believe it, but at the same time it seems that we have been here much longer that just one week.” For me this is a wonderful paradox: time here becomes relative and in many cases irrelevant, when we try to express our feelings. The Galapagos Islands have a kind of magic floating on the air that certainly can bewitch our visitors. Extraordinary encounters with the Galapagos wildlife are a big part of the magic. Animal species in Galapagos let you be part of their lives. They share their world and their intimate behavior. One of the many examples this week was the American oystercatcher seen in today’s picture. The bird was oblivious to us and kept searching for food on the shoreline while we, the astonished observers, were mesmerized with the sight. It is this magic that has earned the islands one of their nicknames, “Las Islas Encantadas,” the Enchanted Islands.
Our expedition this week is reaching its end. We have had a very interesting and diverse group of people onboard Polaris this week. They came from many places around the United States and from the United Kingdom. Among them there were two subgroups: one from the Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona and one from South Georgia University. Children, teenagers, seniors, everybody has expressed in their own words, that they have had an unforgettable experience. We all share a strong feeling in common: a genuine fascination for one of the ultimate natural paradises remaining on Earth. In the future, some of these travelers may come back to visit the islands again, and some may bring friends. One thing we know for sure is that these special memories will be perennial, and although we are leaving Galapagos, the enchantment of these islands will never leave us.
One of our guests expressed her thoughts to me this morning. Her statement was: “Our week has gone so fast that I can hardly believe it, but at the same time it seems that we have been here much longer that just one week.” For me this is a wonderful paradox: time here becomes relative and in many cases irrelevant, when we try to express our feelings. The Galapagos Islands have a kind of magic floating on the air that certainly can bewitch our visitors. Extraordinary encounters with the Galapagos wildlife are a big part of the magic. Animal species in Galapagos let you be part of their lives. They share their world and their intimate behavior. One of the many examples this week was the American oystercatcher seen in today’s picture. The bird was oblivious to us and kept searching for food on the shoreline while we, the astonished observers, were mesmerized with the sight. It is this magic that has earned the islands one of their nicknames, “Las Islas Encantadas,” the Enchanted Islands.
Our expedition this week is reaching its end. We have had a very interesting and diverse group of people onboard Polaris this week. They came from many places around the United States and from the United Kingdom. Among them there were two subgroups: one from the Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona and one from South Georgia University. Children, teenagers, seniors, everybody has expressed in their own words, that they have had an unforgettable experience. We all share a strong feeling in common: a genuine fascination for one of the ultimate natural paradises remaining on Earth. In the future, some of these travelers may come back to visit the islands again, and some may bring friends. One thing we know for sure is that these special memories will be perennial, and although we are leaving Galapagos, the enchantment of these islands will never leave us.
