Growing up I watched countless documentary’s by David Attenborough. The most memorable of those doco’s where the ones about the Galapagos Islands and the rich biodiversity that inhabits the chain of volcanic islands. I clearly  remember thinking that “one day” I’d go there.

With a love for the water and a background in marine science; snorkeling and diving in the Galapagos was a top tier bucketlist item and I was lucky enough to be able to tick it off the list, thanks to my beautiful fiancé who booked us a week long stint for my birthday while we were on our travels through South America.

The animals that inhabit the islands and ocean surrounding the Galapagos region, were definitely the highlight of the trip. Due to the incredible work of scientists and national park staff who ensure that the animals are treated with respect and are given enough space, you are able to experience this brilliant biodiversity at an arms reach. We played with seals up-close in the sea, and saw them being born on the shore, saw blue-footed boobies dancing to impress potential mates and land iguanas nesting. We saw turtles, penguins, sharks, manta-rays and more types of fish and birds than I could ever recount – and despite seeing all this in one too-short week, we were wowed by every single siting.  It was the most surreal experience for the animals to not even notice you and be completely un-threatened by onlookers, but the Galapagos Islands are one of the very few places on earth where humans are not a threat, and consequently nature and people can just co-exist, which is a pretty beautiful idea in itself.

Here are some of those animals that we met during our stay on the Islands.

Enjoy!