Snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands is certainly a once in a lifetime experience. Today we had one of these memorable connections with the always-fascinating underwater world. The exuberance and beauty of this world makes you feel immersed inside a different dimension. Literally hundreds of fish were all around us. At one point, little fish were like confetti all over our bodies. Exciting species, like the white-tipped reef sharks always cause amazement and commotion among their observers. Some of these top predators were observed swimming without showing any concern or interest in us. Some of us had the thrill to observe a group of six sharks under a ledge. The adrenaline was over the top when the sharks started swimming in circles close to the ledge. Some other fish are amazingly beautiful, like the brilliantly coloured king angelfish and the parrotfish that today were extremely abundant.

Sea lions deserve a special note. Crystal clear and warm waters were a perfect stage for their best performance. Like agile and swift acrobats, these beloved marine mammals were playing in front of us. We were astonished and appreciative observers of a fabulous aquatic ballet. From time to time, one of them would blow bubbles right in front of our masks. For long minutes we were oblivious to the rest of the world. We were part of a different one, a wonderful one; a watery world whose inhabitants shared their frolics and thrilled us with their exquisiteness. The experience we had is so powerful and touching that it encouraged us to be even more committed to the conservation of the oceans and their inhabitants. For many of us, this was an experience so strong that it left us with powerful impressions that will be imprinted on our memories forever.