Capturing the Moment

  1. Embrace Early Mornings & Late Afternoons The golden hours — just after sunrise and before sunset — offer soft, warm lighting that enhances the natural beauty of the Galápagos landscapes and wildlife. The cooler temperatures also make the animals more active, giving you better opportunities for capturing dynamic shots of creatures like sea lions, iguanas, and birds in their natural behaviors. The early morning light really brings out the yellow dragon scales of this land iguana. 2. Use a Zoom Lens for Wildlife To capture the diverse wildlife, from blue-footed boobies to giant tortoises, a zoom lens (70-300mm or more) is essential. Many species are protected, and you won’t be able to get too close without disturbing them, so a zoom allows you to photograph animals in detail from a respectful distance. My 400mm lens captures this Galapagos subspecies of the Yellow Warbler nicely ( Setophaga petechis aureola ) 3. Pack a Polarizing Filter The bright sun, vibrant blue waters, an...

  Blue-footed booby takes flight in the Galapagos. The sites, adventures, and wildlife have been stunning here during this six day cruise of the Galapagos Islands. I can't believe it is coming to our final day already. We are going out with a bang though, with a visit to the famous Post Office Bay, zodiac tours, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking to accomplish. If you are looking for adventure, the Galapagos can be your cup of tea. The famous barrel post office box in the Galapagos. We all left post cards in the barrel, and we took a look at ones in the barrel to see if any were located back by our homes. Quite a few people took post cards to hand deliver to their recipients back in the states. Post Office Bay, nestled within the pristine archipelago of the Galapagos Islands, is a site teeming with historical significance and natural beauty. Located on Floreana Island, this bay holds a unique tradition that dates back to the 18th century when whalers and sailors established a makeshi...

  Dragon Hill in the background of another beautiful Galapagos Island landscape Today was a big day on our exploration of the Galapagos Archipelago. We crammed three different adventures into our day, with a hike and a snorkel on Rabida Island in the morning, and a hike to Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island in the afternoon. The landscapes were stunning, and the snorkel was super fun. I spent most of the time underwater, freediving with sea lions, big schools of fish, and an elusive nurse shark. And it all started off with a bang as our zodiacs took us in for a shore landing on the most beautiful red sand beach. Beautiful red sand beach Another shot of the red sand next to the green bushes. Beautiful cliff view from our Hike Not only did we get a scenic hike in on the lava rock coastline, but there was a pond full of pink flamingos just inland from the red sand beach. We spent a while just watching the flamingos feeding in the shallow water. I think a lot of the guests onboard were s...

  This is what I'm talking about! Today we did it all. We started with a snorkel in Urbina Bay, then kayaked around Tagus Cove, and finally did a hard charger hike up the volcano for a spectacular view. The snorkeling was a blast. Tons of hungry sea turtles swam in the shallows. Many could be seen feeding on the green algae growing on the rocks. They didn't seem to mind our presence so I managed to get some fun GoPro shots of them from pretty close. I realized after our snorkel that this is the real hidden gem of the Galapagos. Everyone knows about the land animals and how close they let you get, but no one talks about how the sea creatures are also right in your face. Off in the deeper, bluer water I went free diving into a massive school of King Angelfish. I always love swimming around big schools of fish. It felt like I was part of the school and they totally surrounded me. Take a look below to see what I mean! The afternoon was spent kayaking and hiking. The hike took us ri...