Seymour Island
What a wonderful place this is. Galápagos brings an array of feelings that are reflected in this picture. A guest from the Islander is greeting a young sea lion. In the background other guests are preparing to disembark from waiting Zodiacs, eager to share the same experience. This unique and fragile world is a national park, and we are lucky that humankind is determined to preserve this special place.
According to the national park regulations, all visitors must disembark at designated visitor sites. There are a total of 60 such places and they are all different in all respects. Most sites are on the coast and caressed by the sea breeze. Many are relatively small, approximately 1.6 square kilometres in total size. If we do the math, remembering that the Galápagos Archipelago is about 8,000 square kilometers, we realize that only a small amount of the total land is being used for tourism. Hence tourism is a low impact activity.
Especially when they come so close to us, the wildlife always makes us wonder “who is watching who?” This juvenile sea lion, only a few months old, certainly seems as interested in us as we are in him! Words cannot describe this wonderful place. I am sure everyone that has been to the Galápagos agrees.
This is only the third day of our trip so our experience has just begun. We all are ready for more, and wonder how things can continue to get better and better each day!
What a wonderful place this is. Galápagos brings an array of feelings that are reflected in this picture. A guest from the Islander is greeting a young sea lion. In the background other guests are preparing to disembark from waiting Zodiacs, eager to share the same experience. This unique and fragile world is a national park, and we are lucky that humankind is determined to preserve this special place.
According to the national park regulations, all visitors must disembark at designated visitor sites. There are a total of 60 such places and they are all different in all respects. Most sites are on the coast and caressed by the sea breeze. Many are relatively small, approximately 1.6 square kilometres in total size. If we do the math, remembering that the Galápagos Archipelago is about 8,000 square kilometers, we realize that only a small amount of the total land is being used for tourism. Hence tourism is a low impact activity.
Especially when they come so close to us, the wildlife always makes us wonder “who is watching who?” This juvenile sea lion, only a few months old, certainly seems as interested in us as we are in him! Words cannot describe this wonderful place. I am sure everyone that has been to the Galápagos agrees.
This is only the third day of our trip so our experience has just begun. We all are ready for more, and wonder how things can continue to get better and better each day!
