Today is our last day in paradise, on this adventure which seems unreal. We all bonded as one, even though we come from different places, as the Galapagos brings magic to our souls and mind. Traveling and reaching our destinations, from Fernandina, the youngest island in the archipelago, to San Cristobal, which is one of the oldest, on a journey of discovery through time.
Today we opted for a fun and short Zodiac-ride in search of the red-footed boobies, and soon after we landed on a green olivine beach for a 1.5 mile walk, where we had close encounters with red-footed and blue-footed boobies, and this time we saw some young chicks as well as adults. The volcanic scenery that we observed during our intense hike was spectacular; the peaks of tuff high in the sky make this site very different from what we have already witnessed. Back on the beach, we had fun swimming and playing with a small colony of sea lions, our ever-present friends. One of the sea lions took over our pile of towels. Some of our guests took group photos and family photos, as a farewell to this wonderful week.
Later we repositioned to Kicker Rock, an impressive tuff formation standing massive out from the shoreline. Once we reached our site, we deployed the Zodiacs for our last snorkeling activity. Back onboard, we then circumnavigated Kicker Rock as the sun was setting, remembering that this is the place where we just snorkeled with huge school of salemas been devoured by black-tip sharks and sea lions; some of us also saw turtles, rays, fish and at all times we were surrounded by friends.
We are now together at the bow celebrating life; today is our last full day in the islands. We made it to the Galapagos and it was not easy. There is a deep appreciation of those who make it to the islands; statistics say that out the 7 billion humans in this world, only a few make it to the Galapagos each year to visit; in contrast, Hawaii gets 12 million visitors annually; Yellowstone Park 3 million; Machu Picchu 1 million visitors and finally, Galapagos islands 204.000 per year—a fraction compared to other places. This is why I say that today we were honored to be part of their unforgettable experience, and we hope that one day they would have the will and power to make a positive change in this wonderful world of ours.
Our expedition is now over; life goes on, but we are now sure this place has changed many lives; a place which can never be fully described. We all came with different backgrounds, sharing this magic which can only exist in our hearts and minds forever.
Farewell amigos.
