TRAFFIC IN THE GALÁPAGOS II

Beneath the surface

Janice Anne Wheeler Mar 15

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Usually, when I find a place that speaks to my soul, I tend to keep that information sacred, tucked around my heart, so to speak, especially when wildlife is included in the phenomenon. More than once a favorite high-altitude hike made Outdoor Magazine’s “Top Ten Trails” and then those pristine experiences changed forever. They became too busy for my taste, and if you think it’s selfish not to share such gems lest they be spoiled, well, that is one of the many adjectives you can use to describe my character.

I found the Galápagos so remarkable that I wanted to share and added a YouTube channel to STEADFAST’s repertoire. I have considered taking this step since TALLY HO started documenting a wooden boat rebuild, and it’s definitely experimental. While there are a few folks around who call STEADFAST the TALLY HO of the Chesapeake Bay, there is no time here for long, edited works with background music. The YACHTING STEADFAST channel may eventually regale you with occasional stories of life aboard a classic sailing yacht, raw and rare processes, innovations and experiences; it currently gives you glimpses of the diverse creatures I found on the equator. Please know I’m a writer, and my main conveyance will always be the magic of words.

The guide who showed me Mother Nature’s awe-inspiring Grand Canyon (he knows of what he speaks) said simply, “Janice. The Galápagos. Go. Ya gotta go.” I’d always wanted to, for as long as I can remember. I thought I knew what I was in for, but beneath the surface, there was, and is, far, far more to discover. Some day, there may be too much human traffic looking for a peaceful place in the world, but for now, Sea Lions (Los Lobos del Mar) rule, so I tell you, if you have any inclination, “Go.”

We were the awkward, overdressed, bubbling visitors dropping beneath the surface between Isla Baltra and sea stack Daphne Menor, they were the sleek, playful, powerful residents. Sea Lions are laughably uncoordinated on land but persist to travel on it anyway. Divers, equally graceless in a watery world, were thrilled to be sought out by the creatures we sought. The locals swept around us, careening, peering into masks, seeking the same connection we were, whiskers twitching, making fun of us, perhaps, deep in their comfortable-to-them world. Even the innumerable white tip reef sharks seen below were remarkably ambivalent about our presence. All of us were intrigued, a life lesson indeed.

I visited the Galápagos in the hot, wet ‘off’ season, so I don’t know if it’s ‘too busy’ during the months where more folks explore what is perhaps the most widely recognized archipelago on the planet. I was deeply impressed with the management of Equador’s Parque Nacional; to me, it is well-managed and promotes respect rather than invasion. I may never return, so for the short time I was there, I delved deeply, at first simply thrilled with the opportunity, and then of course I thought…..Since I’m going…I might as well, you know, go big.

I’ve been SCUBA certified since I was thirty; the last six years I was more than satisfied surface diving and spearfishing in the stunning blues of the Bahamas. But the Galápagos are bucket list stuff; I dusted off the dive computer and paid the price for a review and single-diver guide. Was it worthwhile? Oh yes, my friends. Among diving enthusiasts, it is the Hammerheads that are notorious here (among other stunners), and dozens of those massive, matchless sharks circled above as we tucked between the underwater cliffs of Léon Dormido, Sleeping Lion, now known as Kicker Rock, just west of Isla San Cristóbal. I was gripping hard against the current, heart pounding at the proximity, eyes wide with the wonder of it all.

The second dive at Léon Dormido included a thousands-strong school of gleaming, circling Black-striped Salema which literally blocked the light of the sun.

A glance in one direction revealed countless Yellow-tailed Surgeonfish and another a group of impossibly graceful Mobula Rays enhanced by a Sea Turtle photo bomb.

After lunch of fresh tuna, the tour included a beach stop with shuttles to shore. Just happy to be on the water again, I declined and propped myself on the transom. Blue-footed Booby Birds decorated a point protecting our anchorage, squawking amongst friends. But I couldn’t stay seated, because look what popped up!

Seeking Sea Turtles

Who to my wandering eyes would appear?

This gentleman here

Twixt the boat and the beach,

Not even slightly out of reach

Off came the sarong

as I yelled to the Captain I wouldn’t be long

Quick search with a snorkel, I found him grazing

Endangered creatures, nothing short of amazing

More giants appeared and their guest count was short

The Crazy American had no retort

They found me although I was not really lost

If I had been left it would certainly cost

I could not hide my giant smile

It got broader with each passing mile

I am touched by something few folks can report

Seeking Sea Turtles is my favorite sport ****

I didn’t imagine that day could have gotten any better but know this, even long-time guides and Captains still get damn excited about dolphins. Every time. And halfway back to the Harbour hundreds found us, the largest pod I have seen. It was awesome, but not the best quality capture of it all!

There was more than meets the eye everywhere, really. Early one morning on Isla San Cristóbal, capital of the Ecuadorean Provincia de Galápagos, all the municipalities gathered, dressed to the very hilt of their swords.

An unforgettable parade commenced: prideful, colorful, contrasting. Many residents possess physical characteristics far more like the indigenous peoples of South America than the Spanish whose language they speak and Christian Churches they worship. Similar to the unique creatures they protect, many emanate peace, and also extoll a certain fierce independence. It stopped traffic, that much is certain.

On that same island, for sixty-five dollars (Ecuador uses U.S. currency) you can hire high-energy Cesar to take you on a six-hour deep-dive tour that includes plant and animal identification, history, geology, biology, endangered species, agriculture, the invasive blackberry problem as well as anecdotes; how someone, just fifteen years ago, decided that the Caldera on San Cristóbal would be the perfect spot to raise Tilapia (they’ve been eliminated) and how his family has made a living here for generations. “You have an amazing country,” I told him genuinely. “Sí, amiga,” he looked at me in the rearview mirror carefully, to make sure I understood what was beneath the surface. I’m not fluent in Spanish, and yet the proud joy of sharing his homeland transcended the language barrier; I know I understood most of what he conveyed. He was respectful enough to answer questions as he has done thousands of times before. I asked a park ranger for the best guide and he called lucky #07 Amarillo Taxi; I paid $100. Buena suerte en encontrarlo! Good Luck finding him!

All my encounters in the Galápagos, as short as the time was, taught me that one can be perfectly, peacefully immersed there while still challenging your own limits, experiencing things you’ve seen only in National Geographic or science class, eating amazing, fresh, flavorful food and drinking local beer. These lava tunnels on Isla Santa Cruz are one of the incredible surprises; reminding me to embrace all twists and turns.

The final bus driver braked sharply, swung wide. Luggage tumbled, passengers grasped, necks craned, for one last glimpse of a not-too-creatively-named Land Iguana, much like this one standing just off the airport runway on Baltra.

This was the last soul I spotted in the Galápagos, and he certainly didn’t disappoint; so much to immerse yourself in, above and below the surface. Back on STEADFAST next week! ~J

Please RESTACK & send my work along to wanderers everywhere!

Share SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE

For more information on the Galápagos, feel free to inquire in the comments.

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© 2026 Janice Anne Wheeler
Living aboard Sailing Yacht STEADFAST again soon!
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