Galapagos Islands – My top 5 animal experiences

When booking a trip to the Galapagos Islands there is a lot to consider.  I knew that I wanted to spend as much time as possible on the islands and also have a guide who could tell me about the different species of flora and fauna on the islands.  That’s why I went with Galakiwi on a land based tour of the major islands – Santa Cruz, Isabela, and San Cristobal.  When I was planning my trip around South America this was the trip I was most looking forward to.

Check out my post on the 12 Safest Countries in South America to see where Ecuador ranks!

When I booked my trip to the Galapagos Islands I had a ‘shopping list’ of animals I wanted to see. Below are my top 5 experiences with animals in the Galapagos Islands.

Swimming with Sea Lions

On San Cristobal island we went to La Loberia to go snorkelling and swimming with sea lions.  This was such an amazing experience.  When you first arrive on the beach you can see the sea lions sunning themselves on the beach.  So I took a few photos of them and then got into the water to snorkel and see the fish.  As I was coming back in there were two sea lions playing in the water in the shallows.  I came up behind them and took a few pictures with them.  Then they decided to go for a swim so I decided to join them!  It was such a cool experience.

You can also see a lot of sharks in the Galapagos.  This list is the best places to dive with sharks and includes the Galapagos such as Kicker Rock.

Iguanas

On my first day on Santa Cruz we went to Tortuga Bay.  Its about a 45 minute walk from town and it is a stunning walk with lots of birdlife.  Once we arrived at the beach we walked a bit further down to see the iguanas.  There were so many of them and again they were sunning themselves.  We watched them for awhile and we even saw them ‘sneeze’.

Giant Tortoises

We went to a ranch in Santa Cruz that had a ton of giant tortoises .  I think they are attracted by all of the guava trees.  As you walk around looking for the tortoises it smells so fragrant because they are eating the guava and it is all around you.

Penguins

Isabela Island was my favourite island in the Galapagos Islands.  It is just stunning with white sand beaches, palm trees and beautiful turquoise water.  The best part is the lagoon which is full of wildlife.  We took a boat ride around the lagoon and were able to see penguins.

The Galapagos penguin is the only penguin in the world north of the equator.  They are so cute!  We even saw one in the water when we were snorkelling.  We were so lucky to see them.

Blue footed Boobies

Look boobies!  The most infamous of all the Galapagos wildlife would be the blue footed booby.  Their feet are bright blue to attract a mate and you can tell the males and females apart because the male blue footed boobies have brighter coloured feet.

My week in the Galapagos just flew by with each day topping the day before.   The thing that surprised me the most is just how beautiful the islands are and then you add on top of that the wildlife and its just a must see for all nature lovers.  Galapagos is one of those national parks you must see to believe.  Do you agree? There are so many animals to see in the Galapagos.

Want to know what else to do in Ecuador? Check out Mitad del Mundo.

Special thanks to Galakiwi for hosting me.  As always, all opinions are my own.  Watch out for further posts on the Galapagos Islands because I have a lot more to share with you about this incredible experience.

Nicole

Nicole LaBarge is a travel expert who has been traveling internationally for over 25 years and she has visited over 115 countries all while working a 9-5. She has lived in England, Scotland, Japan and New Zealand. Check out her detailed destination guides and travel product guides.

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