Guest Post: Clayton Aynesworth on the Galapagos Islands

Although I would recommend a longer tour, say seven days by chartered boat, a four-day trip to the Galapagos can prove very satisfying if you have a well-prepared list of must-see sights. We chose to stay at the Harper-recommended Galapagos Safari Camp on Santa Cruz Island. A member of the staff was at the airport to meet and escort us across the Itabaca Channel by ferry, and a 40-minute drive brought us to our rain forest retreat. There, we met with Didier Vacher, the newly hired French manager of the camp. He was happy to assist us with every aspect of our itinerary. The goal was to arrive without expectations and call the shots day-to-day to lend some adventure to the proceedings.

We packed rain gear, which we wore on the boat rides; cold-weather pullovers, which we did not need; swimming attire that came in very handy (including a long-sleeved dive skin, which was indispensable) and long-sleeved breathable safari clothes, which made the walkabouts on North Seymour Island and South Plaza Island much more comfortable in the unrelenting equatorial sun.  

We understood from our research that weather would dictate most of our activities. The end of April is beautiful — the air is crisp and cool in the morning, and the sky is clear until sunset. Showers occur daily but tend to pass quickly. The water temperature is pleasant because of the Panama Current, though a little on the chilly side. I found that the springsuit, or short wetsuit, we had packed was sufficient for snorkeling along the rock wall of North Seymour as well as in the bay at Las Bachas.  

I pack a reliable camera body — in my case, a Nikon D3X

Wildlife photography inspires me. It is my main focus on these trips. I pack a reliable camera body — in my case, a Nikon D3X — with two or three lenses. On this trip, I decided to take along a 24-70mm lens, a 70-200mm lens and a 60mm macro lens. I used all three, but only took the macro lens and the 70-200mm on day trips. I hardly needed my Nikon teleconverter TC-14E II, although I did pack it just in case. I could also have left my tripod at home, since I did not use it at all.

The boat ride can be a very wet experience, so I suggest a backpack with a splash guard. I used a Lowepro Flipside 400 AW, which was perfect — not too big but roomy enough to include sunscreen, lip balm, a non-disposable water bottle brought from home, a plastic sun/splash guard, extra batteries, a writing pad and pens. I also took along a small waterproof camera and a GoPro camera with video capabilities. Honestly, I was disappointed with the underwater pictures since the water was so murky (I was told that this is not always the case).

On the other hand, I was very pleased with my other photography. The Galapagos fauna redefined “wild life” for us. Along with the otherworldly landscape (which Darwin visited more than 175 years ago), the variety of species is a wonder to behold. This is mostly because of the predominant lack of concern the animals have for humans. We were lucky to visit during mating season, when all sorts of charming, eccentric behavior was on display.  

Long-time Hideaway Report reader Clayton Aynesworth's full Galapagos photography portfolio can be viewed here.

Photos © Clayton Aynesworth