| WOODBURY MENS SHOP
named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Only time will decide which of our extraordinary encounters remain with my fellow passengers and me. Will it be the turtles gracefully swimming alongside us or our front row seat as sea lions and dolphins performed what appeared to be a carefully choreographed dance? Then there were the marine iguanas, sea snakes and sharks—yes, sharks that abounded. The islands are home to some two dozen types of sharks, from whale sharks and hammerheads to black-tip and Galápagos sharks. I’m not sure when exactly it dawned on me that this is what it means, truly, to commune with nature. On one snorkeling “tour,” for example, a manta ray swam up to me and flitted about before gliding into the deep. There’s the comical gait of the blue-footed boobies, the nimble prancers, aka Sally Lightfoot crabs, Darwin’s finches, the waved albatross, and of course, the frigatebird, whose wrinkled throat can inflate like a bright red balloon. Was it my imagination, or did these creatures all seem to share a buoyant spirit just this side of gloating? That would make sense. After all, they get to live there, while I’m reduced to obsessively plotting my next cruise.
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This page from top: Whether in a stately room or on deck, views from the MV Origin are breathtaking. Fine dining and freshness are guranteed on the boat and on the islands. After a long day of exploring the land and sea, take a relaxing soak in the Origin’s Jacuzzi to unwind. Opposite clockwise from top: The Galápagos land iguana can be found in places like South Plaza, a small uplift with tall cliffs just off of Santa Cruz. During breeding season, the male frigatebird will inflate its wrinkled throat to attract potential mates. Darwin’s finches vary in size, from 10 to 20 centimeters. Sea stacks, tuff formations and smaller islands are accessible by kayak, available through the Origin.
9/18/17 11:54 AM