The Amazing Natural Habitat of Galapagos

When considering viewing an exotic animal, one rarely thinks it ideal to see them dejectedly and forlornly sitting in a corner on a cold slab of concrete surrounded by rusting iron bars. Yet in most cases that is exactly how the poor creatures are condemned to living out their days. How wonderful to be able to view them in their natural habitat, one that is governed only by the laws of nature! Traveling by cruise to the Galapagos Islands, this is exactly the pleasure that one may expect, and is certain to deliver.

The Galapagos are an archipelago, which (besides being a fun word to say) is a formation or chain of several islands normally found in the open seas. The animal life found on these volcanic islands are some of the most fascinating creatures in the world, and many have the distinction of only being found here. It is almost as if the islands were placed in this remote section about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador specifically to house these animals and protect them from the world.

There is no zoo here, nor any man-made animal sanctuary or habitat. This is purely nature providing for its inhabitants. Indeed, the only walls here are made of frothy tipped waves rolling across the Pacific on each side, and the endless blue umbrella of sky above. Giant tortoises, iguanas, sea lions and several varieties of birds call these islands home. The flightless cormorant is an example of one of the 7 endemic forms of seabirds in the Galapagos that can be continually seen throughout the islands.

Cruising through the islands, generally on a 6 to 8 day cruise, guests can view the animals in their natural state behaving just as nature intended. Once on land, the visitors find themselves to be the curiosity, and in some cases greatly outnumbered by the sea lions and birds blanketing the beaches. Where else could one say they had stood next to a blue-footed booby? Or shared underwater bubbles with a sea lion? The pleasure of nature in its most simplistic form is one of nirvana.

The Galapagos is not without its problems. Human habitation on the islands and visitors alike threaten the fine, silken thread of nature’s balance here. The introduction of foreign animal species and trash disrupts the delicate ecosystem and becomes savagely detrimental to the very lives of those who have made the island the fascination that it is. This natural habitat is definitely a jewel of the ocean, one that needs to be protected for future generations.

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