Las Galapagos (One of the "Wonders of the World")

Day 1: Quito→Guayaquil (costal city)→Las Galapagos

After arriving in Las Galapagos, we hopped on a boat to get to Isla Santa Cruz where we would be staying for the next five days.  The adventure began.

The tropical water of the Galapagos was actually that color.  

The streets of Isla Santa Cruz.

Reid, from Washington, touching the tallest
type of cacti in the world.

                                     A beautiful, yellow lizard type iguana.


             There are 10 different types of turtle species  
          just on the Galapagos Islands.  We also
         learned that one can tell if a turtle egg is
         male or female by its temperature. 

           








Day 2: "Isla Isabela" (the biggest island in the Galapagos)

Heading off on another day of adventuring--we took a 2+ hour boat ride to get to Isla Isabela.

Saw flamingos in their natural habitat--a lagoon.

We also had the opportunity to go to many turtle breeding

centers where they took many turtles in at a young age to keep them safe; they would then send the turtles back to   

                                                                                                            their natural habitats when they were around 3-4 years old. 

Yes, we did go swimming in November. What a life!

It was surreal to see flamingos, turtles, and then penguins all on the same day.

These are white-tipped sharks which are the only type of shark, I believe, that can sleep while not moving.  Most other sharks have to be constantly moving to stay alive.  These sharks are an exception.  In the Galapagos, one can also find whale sharks, great white sharks, as well as many other species.

Day 3: Snorkeling!!

 Ashley (from Michigan) and I standing by the well-known black iguana of the Galapagos.  They literally were everyw

 My lovely sister from Germany, Babett, standing on the volcanic rocks of Isla Santa Cruz.

 Going snorkeling :) I saw a puffer fish which was awesome!

Going swimming in the beautiful waters of this hidden channel.

Day 4: "Tortuga Bay"

 Tortuga Bay--all the Germans were amazed because back at home, it was snowing for them.

 Tj (from Canada) and I :)

 Going into a lava tunnel.

 
Melissa has an idea :) My buddy from Mass.

Tj and I going crazy behind a turtle.

Day 5: Heading Home

Babett and I in front of a huge sunken crater.

   Overall, going to the Galapagos was an incredible experience and it makes me realize more and more that we live in such a wonderful, creative, and intricately made world. Gracias padres for allowing me to experience this!