IN the Galapagos, it’s all about sex. A slick sea lion rose and bellowed at a competitor approaching his harem. A coal-black frigate bird puffed out the vermillion pouch at this throat – his mating aid. Two albatross clacked their beaks in a ritualistic mating dance. With eyes on the side of their heads, they looked a lot like E.T. – which may be more than coincidence. Steven Spielberg, before embarking on his film, reportedly made a trip to this unspoiled archipelago 570 miles off the coast of Ecuador.
The way to see the 13 major islands and their bountiful wildlife is by boat. I flew from Guayaquil to the island of Baltra, where I joined Celebrity Cruises’ Xpedition. Of the fleet of vessels available to visitors, this 90-passenger ship is one of the largest and most luxurious. Not that its crew encourages things like sleeping in. We were there to meet Nature.
The twice-a-day guided hikes are graded (high intensity, medium and low) and the rubber pangas (Zodiacs) leave for shore around 8 a.m. A qualified naturalist leads each group of about 15. A typical morning included a brisk walk over rocky terrain, followed by snorkeling off the Zodiac or a swim at the beach.
The terrain is Hawaii-meets-the-moon: high desert, lunar and volcanic. On the island of Bartolome, we climbed hundreds of wooden steps up a volcanic mountain, spying only a small lizard. On another island, we picked our way over black boulders and iguana colonies.
The oldest creature on the islands is the giant tortoise, most of which live on Santa Cruz. There are 11 species of these elderly reptiles, but when Lonesome George dies, only 10 will be left.
High drama was found in the water, where we shared the deep with curious sea lions that swam right up to our masks, gliding sea turtles that looked as big as satellite dishes, and all manner of colorful fish.
With the launch of the Xpedition, the Galapagos are poised to reach an even wider audience. On board, everything was as one would expect it to be on a much larger boat: 24-hour room service, bedtime turn-down, TV with movies and more. Each evening meal was followed by a short talk about the next day’s hike that, we were told, would be even better than the one we’d just had. And it was.
The Ecuadorian government is committed to protecting the fragile island ecosystems of the Galapagos. So far it has limited the number of visitors to 65,000 a year, but commercial and sport fishing may be on the horizon. Let’s hope that the lure of the dollar doesn’t muddy the waters.
Cruises sail year-round, roundtrip from Baltra, Ecuador, (866) 973-8466; http://www.celebrity.com .