Penguins and Turtles and Sea Lions – Oh, My!
If you’re a nature and wildlife lover like I am, I highly recommend a trip to the Galapagos. Select a tour group with small group sizes if you want a nature encounter that is wholly yours and not shared with a large group. I was able to experience that surprise and joy last summer when snorkeling in Galapagos.
I want to say something about snorkeling if you’ve never done it – try it!! I’m neither a strong swimmer nor expert snorkeler (I had one practice session before my trip). You don’t have to do more than float there and watch the wildlife swim by and sometimes kick if you want to move. The best thing about snorkeling is how quiet and calming it is and how easy it is to lose track of time. Even when snorkeling in a group, it feels like more of a singular experience as each person has a different encounter with the wildlife.
Our first snorkeling experience in the Galapagos was in Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island. My “snorkel buddy” Laura and I hung around closer to the shore, watching the colorful 
fish dart around the rocks. I was amazed how alive and active it was below the surface of the water. The fish and other creatures were flitting around in a multitude of sizes and colors. I was filming a
large school of small pink fish, when a penguin suddenly zipped in front of me, startling me. Flitting back and forth at high speed, he seemed to be chasing the pink fish. Despite the crowd of other snorkelers nearby, only my snorkel buddy and I witnessed this event and actually got to snorkel with a penguin.
Our next snorkeling experience was deep sea snorkeling at Urbina Cove. They took us out on pangas (rafts) and we climbed out into the water, which was a bit chilly initially, and snorkeled along the coast for 45 minutes. They call it deep sea, but I could still see the bottom though I couldn’t stand up.
I saw my first starfish, but the main attraction was sea turtles. They were everywhere! You couldn’t turn around without running into two or three or four at once. It was fun and the most difficult thing I’ve done. The turtles didn’t move much, and were primarily eating, so you had to work to keep the current from pushing you into them.
My last snorkel was off the beach at Punto Egas, Santiago Island, where I had my zen moment with the sea lions. A lone sea lion attached himself to our group shortly into our snorkeling and followed us as we swam deeper into the ocean. At the back of our group, I kept hearing my snorkel buddy Laura yell “behind you!”. and every time I turned around, there he was, right behind my back flipper, staring at me. That’s close! When he saw he had my attention, he’d swim quickly away, almost as if it was a game and he wanted us to follow him and play. This went on for the entire 45 minutes snorkel – stop, get my attention, swim away. Finally, it was time for us to return to shore. Everyone else had turned back and I was about to when all of a sudden two sea lions popped up in front of me! 
Our sea lion companion brought a friend to join in the fun! Two pairs of big brown eyes stared at me, as if begging me to follow them on some adventure. I desperately wished that I could, if only for a few minutes more. I was the only one who saw them and however briefly swim with them, but I almost felt as if I made a connection with those creatures that day when our eyes met.
If you want to go:
Natural Habitat Adventures, Classic Galapagos