Our small ship, holding only twelve passengers, continued island-hopping in the Galapagos Islands in 2006 for eight days, with hiking excursions and sea outings, often in snorkeling gear. My last post centered on land animals, but there were creatures that preferred water habitats. We boated to the shore in smaller vessels.
Although Galapagos tortoises are land-dwelling reptiles, they spend a lot of time in water. We found huge helmeted tortoises filling a small green pond. These tortoises may live to 150 years or longer.
Sea lions romped in the water or snuggled up alongside family members on the shore.
The most wonderful mystery and surprises of all lay under the sea. The crew equipped us with wetsuits to enable us to snorkel longer in the cold Pacific waters. I had a joyous swim with playful sea lions—a young lion would make unmistakable eye contact, then brush past me blowing bubbles, flip upside down, curl sideways, and suddenly appear back again to peer into my snorkel mask. I tried to imitate their calisthenics, and then they’d start it all over again. You must love and respect these animals after looking into their eyes and laughing with them.
Our guide swore us to secrecy about the location of one outing. We followed him across rocks, with our flippers on, to a sizeable waterhole. He encouraged us to jump in, just two at a time, not hinting at what we would see there. A deep round natural pool revealed at least ten sea turtles winging their way in circles like an underwater ballet–I joined them, matching their strokes with my arms, swimming round and round, feeling like I had been accepted into some spiritual inner circle. Magical!
A brief, cautious visit took us to a shark nesting area in turbulent waters, their long dark bodies fled from us in all directions. A solitary penguin flitted by, shot up to break the surface and disappeared. Rays hovered under the surface.
Galapagos Islands: Galapagos adventure, Galapagos sea life, Birds of Galapagos
Ruth Rosenfeld 
Amazing! I love the tortoises, especially the shot with the one face on with his neck retreating in to his shell. The seals look like they are very playful with lots of personality 🙂
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Spending some time around these creatures, it does seem to show their personalities!
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You played underwater with sea lions and turtles. Amazing and unforgettable!
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Yes, truly unforgettable. That’s why I’m still talking about it all these years later!
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The sea life is absolutely amazing. The sea lions as smelly but fun to see. Fun to snorkel with them. In addition to the 12 person cruise we also did two diving trips in Galapagos. Years later it remains as one of our tops diving in the world. Maggie
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The dives must have been amazing too!
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They were 🙂
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Ah, you saw the famous Galapagos tortoise! They are such huge and magnificent creatures, and it’s my dream to check them out, along with visiting the Galapagos Islands for all of its wildlife. Thanks for sharing more of your adventures there!
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Thanks for reading and your comment, Rebecca. The tortoises there are iconic.
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How incredible to experience Galapagos tortoises up close like that! So amazing!!
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They are hard to miss there! Thanks for reading, Diana.
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Fabulous captures. It’s incredible to hear how long Galapagos tortoises can live. Their shells blend in so well with the rocks. Those sea lions are adorable. They look like they are living their best lives. How fun that you got to swim with them.
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Thanks so much. They are fortunate to have a protected environment.
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Gorgoeus photos! Love the tortoises and great shot of you!
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Thank you, .Michelle! Nice to hear from you!
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How magical to get so close and observe wildlife and not have them be afraid of humans. I love it and I hope it stays like that forever.
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It’s so rare to see that balance. I was there years ago but I believe the tourist numbers and carefully guided visits are still quite effective.
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Wonderful experiences! Some echo my own, like swimming with the sea lions which I found magical. Others I envy you a little, especially the waterhole with the sea turtles – I only saw one during my snorkels. And among all your super animal shots I was rather taken with the one of the girl on the rocks with the sea lion and marine iguana 🙂
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I was thrilled to capture that moment with the girl and the sea lion! It’s a favorite of mine. And the moment the dad pulled his son out of the water after falling off the raft
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I’ve read that some people compare sea lions to our domesticated dogs. The sea creatures sure do like to hang around and frolic with humans.
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I can understand that comparison. The sea lions we met were curious, playful and friendly.
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Aren’t the Galapagos tortoises amazing! And the sea lions so relaxed. How especially wonderful to play with that young sea lion, and swim with the turtles. Magical Galapagos!
Alison
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So many beautiful photos! What a fantastic place to enjoy distinct wildlife, and idyllic beaches and see Galapagos giant tortoises roaming around. I would love to follow in Darwin’s footsteps and discover the Galápagos one day. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Thanks so much, Aiva! I hope you put this on your travel wish list. It’s quite an experience.
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I hope so too 🥰🥰🥰 thanks for sharing and inspiring 🙏
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Sea lions! The first time I realized I love them was when I saw a video of them swimming and they were playfully approaching the one holding the camera. Their eyes are so gentle, my heart just melts whenever I see those.
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Do they hang around on your shores in the Philippines?
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I don’t think we ever have them on our shores here in the Philippines =(
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Galapagos truly seems like a special place to visit. Your photos of turtles in the little pond captivated me, then came sea lions and your beautiful close shots of them. The ‘Sleeping in mangroves’ photo is my favourite from this piece. What strikes me the most about your wildlife experiences on the island is the intimacy and joyousness of the encounters. Treasured memories, for sure.
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Our wonderful guide – and you cannot visit without a guide – shared his wonder and excitement, even though he must have been through these tours countless times, and it was so contagious. Although we were all endlessly thrilled and fascinated on our own.
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