Confessions of a digital nomad - Galapagos: The real world Jurassic Park

This is part three of our digital nomad series.

If you have missed reading the previous two stories, here are the links:
Part one: Is the digital nomad style for you?
Part two: Straddling the landscape of Ecuador

My aha moment came when I realized the famous Galapagos islands that I remember watching Discovery expeditions on TV as a child were actually part of a country called Ecuador. Hence, as part of my digital nomad journey working remotely for a startup in New York City, I decided to spend 3 months in Quito from January 2017 with just one mission: explore the depth the Galapagos islands.

The Galapagos Islands, famed for where Darwin came up with his ‘On the origin of Species’, was not more than a decade ago, just accessible deep sea onboard ship expeditions as with the likes of Discovery. More recently, ferry routes between islands have made it open to more common Joes like me. I did not want to have any regrets leaving and hence decided to spend 2 full weeks with a 3-day scuba onboard expedition.

I write this from memory and photos as friends ask me about how to spend their time as I look back a couple of years. The three major islands are Santa Cruz (where you land), Isabella and San Cristobal and the sprawl of nature between volcanic mountains, craters, rock formations rising from the water to the tortoises, stingrays, iguanas, penguins, seals and sharks is beautiful.

Isla Santa Cruz

I started my trip with a long run to the Tortuga Bay.

Don’t miss going to the Darwin Center for Conservation, Las Grietas and the giant tortoises at the El Chato Reserve

Isla Isabella

Tip: Take snorkelling gear wherever you go, you’ll never know what you’ll find by just going for a swim.

Tuneles + Tintoreras

Boobies with different colored feet that tell you how prime for mating they are

Isla San Cristobal

“Lonely George” won the race. On the way to “Muro de Lagrimas” / Wall of Tears of the prisoners which is how the island was referred to in the 50s.

Surfing in La Loberia

Go on a boat tour around the whole island and go on a hike around Sierra Negra.

3-day Expedition off Santa Cruz
Gordon Rocks

The current here on two dives was strong and had to wait long in between.

I was incredibly lucky to find this friendly hammer head coming by

Kicker Rock / Leon Dormido / Sleeping Lion

Looks like a lion from afar

I left with a dream of coming back to work as a scuba diving assistant, and more so in awe with how amazingly beautiful planet earth is, of how curious the fauna in Galapagos specifically to humans is and how important it is for humanity to preserve the biodiversity that’s in danger today.

Article originally published on Medium.