Danphnie Major and Minor Visit (Day 2 - Blue)

How to Snorkel, Observe Wildlife, Swim, and Survive Sunburns in the Galapagos

Would you ever want to travel to the Galápagos to snorkel, observe wildlife, and swim? If you want to, you would need to:

·            Wake up early in order to have time for a hardy breakfast.

·            Because we’re located on the equator where the sun directly hits the Earth, use an entire bottle of 75 SPF sunscreen to not get sunburned (you will get burned regardless so just give up and bring aloe vera).

·            Bring two shirts if you plan on not wearing a wetsuit. Robert did not bring two shirts or a wetsuit and was wet the whole time.

·            If you are going to wear a wetsuit, make sure you try it on before leaving for the trip.

·            If you are going to wear a shirt instead of a wetsuit, definitely bring a long-sleeved one to cover your arms from the sun’s rays.

·            Wear Chacos or Tevas because the day revolves around water and your shoes are likely to get wet.

·            Bring sunglasses and a hat in attempt to avoid burning your face off. Ford’s fell off of the boat.

·            Get on the bus and listen to Sandie’s interesting commentary about the island and facts about its unique and remarkable wildlife; only about one of a sea turtle’s 50-150 eggs will survive the journey to the sea after hatching.

·            If you get easily seasick, bring the appropriate medicine to help. Many people in our group brought remedies to seasickness including patches, wristbands, and pills.

·            Take your camera so you can take pictures during our boat ride to the island of Daphne Major, our snorkeling location. 

·            Before getting in the water, put on your flippers and make sure your goggles and snorkel are clean and functioning. Robert’s snorkel and goggles were not working so he was not able to have the ultimate snorkeling experience.

·            Always follow your guide and don’t swim far from the group because there are sharks and dangerous currents.

·            Try and stay a reasonable distance from the wildlife in order to respect the marine wildlife. The Galapagos National Park enforces this rule as well so the biodiversity will not change and also to let the animals live and grow without human intervention.

·            Try your best not to lose any flippers or goggles because in the Galapagos Islands this type of equipment is more than double the price. This is because everything is imported from the mainland.

·            Avoid touching the sea urchins because they will make you feel ill if you are stabbed by one of their thorns. (Josh almost did not notice one of them and almost got stuck by it.)

·            If you want to play with sea lions, allow them to approach you before interacting with them.

·            Before getting back on the boat, take off your flippers and hand them to your guide for safety purposes.

·            Dry off to avoid horse flies and enjoy the next boat ride to the beach.

·            If you ingested a lot of ocean water, don’t drink fresh water because the combination does not settle well in your stomach. Robert knows this from experience.

·            Reapply sunscreen before getting off the boat and going to the beach.

·            Enjoy your time at the beach and make sure to look out for any passing sea turtles, stingrays, pelicans, gulls, and boobies.

·            On your way back to the safari camp, sit on top of the boat for the best experience by being able to see far out at islands and wildlife.

 - Ford Y,  Josh M, and Robert S