Our Ode to Sea Turtles & Penguins!

 Hi everyone! It’s Elea and Victoria again! 

Since today was our travel day and not as exciting as some of our excursion days, we wanted to reflect over our trip and our favorite animals we have seen. I think Victoria and I are prone to favorites since it was easy to pick the animals who took our breath away when we saw them for the first time. 

When I came to the Galapagos and was about to snorkel here for the first time, all I cared about was seeing a sea turtle and I did not want to take a single moment with a sea turtle for granted. Whether it’s jumping off of a small boat to see a turtle by the shore or losing the group because I snorkeled off too far. Each time I see a sea turtle in the water, it’s like I am seeing one for the first time again. Truly, they are all so vastly different depending on their size, the scars on their shell, or the amount of moss covering their fins. Sea turtles are so much more than just a symbol on a keychain or a stuffed animal in all the tourist spots. They are one of the oldest animals on this planet and they swim intense, long distance miles. As you watch them swim patiently with that calming sparkle in their eyes, it’s not hard to just fall in love with them. They are these beautiful, floating dinosaurs that we get to observe and it has been the largest blessing to see how God’s creation is so clearly reflected in them. Even while sea turtles are protected by their hard shell, they are much more vulnerable than people realize. This doesn’t stop sea turtles from reacting calmly as a group of swimmers snorkel above them or to approach the shore so closely. To me, they are the animal we should learn the most from. They are kind and sweet but remain so strong as they fly swiftly through the waves. I am overwhelmed by the opportunities and animals we have swam with here in the islands and the way they have made this one of the most special summers! 

For Victoria, picking her favorite animal on the islands was easy. This last weekend, we spent it on Isabella, which is one of the only Galapagos Islands that has penguins. They are the only species that is on the equator since they originate from volcanic regions along with being the rarest penguins to see in the world. In their little black and white tuxedos they stand out on the volcanic rocks surrounded by the chilly, sparkling blue water. They are either swimming around surprisingly fast or just laying contently on a warm rock. As we sat at the edge of the boat, watching their every head tilt, everyone was captivated by these small, precious, and quite unique animals that are found nowhere else on the equator. Since the water is much warmer here than Antarctica, they have interesting techniques to stay cool. They have white feathers on their neck and eyes and black feathers on their back and flippers to be able to see better underwater and protect their eyes from the intense UV rays. Along with just being adorably cute. We are especially lucky that currently the Galapagos has the Humboldt current which brings nutrient filled cold water up to the islands giving us a better chance to see penguins. It has been something hard to put into words to see how different but vastly amazing God’s creation is here in the Galapagos and the blessing it has been to see all the animals we have. 

Signing off, 

Elea and Victoria!