"The natural history of these islands is eminently curious and deserves attention. Most of the organic productions are aboriginal creations [endemic species] found nowhere else; there is even a difference between inhabitants of the different islands; yet all show a marked relationship with those of [South] America, though separated from that continent by an open space of ocean, between 500 and 600 miles in length."
Charles Darwin, October 8, 1845
Like most people, my husband, Frank, and I first learned of the Galapagos Islands and Charles Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection during our elementary school educations. We had a fuzzy idea of where the islands were located and knew a little about the creatures who inhabited them, but didn't really know much more. Then in the early 1980's an adventuresome sailboat captain in the Virgin Islands told us of the incredible natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands, and we mentally added it to our list of places that we wanted to visit "one day."
Well, "one day" turned into more than 30 years. Somehow work and other vacation destinations became higher priorities, and we continued putting off our trip to the Galapagos. But in late 2011, Frank announced that in lieu of a party or any other recognition of his 60th birthday in 2012, he wanted to take a trip to the Galapagos. 'Nuff said! We researched the best time of year to go (anytime!) and the various boats and land-based tour alternatives. Ultimately we decided to go in late April with Lindblad/National Geographic on the Islander, the smaller of the two boats that they operate in the Galapagos. You can read all about the boat here. Lindblad/National Geographic certainly lived up to their reputation as the premier tour operator in the region. Everything - from the on board naturalists, to accommodations and food - was first rate. To read more about our expedition, click on the Day tabs above or the links at the bottom of each page. On every page you'll read about our daily activities, wildlife sightings, see some of the photos that I took, and read tidbits and trivia about the Galapagos, Charles Darwin, Galapagos wildlife, and people on board the Islander. All of the photos on this web site are property of the author, or are images in the public domain. There are many slide shows and some videos; you have to click on the triangles to start playing these. Most, but not all, of the images can be enlarged by clicking on the image; the only way to find out is to click. Enough about technical "stuff"... We loved our trip and hope you enjoy following along on our adventure! Let's get started at Day 1...
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