Download - Reflections - Galapagos
Galápagos for me is very personal.
It has been for 40 years when I first visited the islands with my
father. Now I go there frequently with my own children. There are
dozens of compelling reasons for anyone to go and, hopefully,
one day soon you will identify some of them and explore these
enchanted Islands if you haven’t already.
So, what is this little book?
Reflections of love for a place; reflections of time spent with
family and friends and a reminder that
Galápagos is so worthy of our care
and stewardship.
Sven Lindblad
Photographs by Sven Lindblad except page 8 & 9 (Michael Nolan.)
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I’d like you to meet some of my family,
some of whom will appear throughout this
book at various stages of their lives. Top left
is my father with my sister, Cristina, in the
late 60’s. Next to them my older boys Justin
& Jeremy with Isabella in ‘98.
Below is Isabella, my daughter, in ’97 crawl-
ing around like an endemic island creature.
On the right is Eric, my youngest son in ’05,
who became totally besotted by Lucho, one
of our expedition leaders.
I guess it would be an understatement to
say that my entire family has been profoundly
influenced by their time in Galápagos for
three generations now.
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Sea lions are the most playful of
Galápagos creatures and are found on
nearly every island. Graceful beyond
description in the water – those who
snorkel amongst them seem somehow
forever changed. On land they can
be downright comical – huge males
protecting their territory to maintain
dominance over their harems seems
like an extraordinary expenditure of
energy. Babies and juveniles cannot
help but show tremendous curiosity
for anything that moves, including us.
On the next page, that
curiosity gave Eric
a bit of a fright.
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When we think of Galápagos, we think foremost
of its creatures. But the land, too, is most interesting and
in so many stages of change. Imagine
this lava cactus (brachycereus
nesioticus) colonizing lava beds.
Quite a feat, which perhaps explains
the armor that repels all who would
eat it. In fact, there are dozens of
volcanoes in Galápagos, some still active. The most
recent eruption was on the island of Fernandina, April 2009.
“Considering the small size of these
islands, we feel the more astonished at
the number of their aboriginal beings,
and at their confined range. Seeing
every height crowned with its crater,
and the boundaries of most of the lava
streams still distinct, we are led to
believe that within a
period, geologically
recent, the unbroken
ocean was here
spread out. Hence,
both in space and
time, we seem to be brought somewhat
near to that great fact – the mystery of
mysteries – the first appearance of new
beings on earth.”
— Charles Darwin
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Birds – you think of them as creatures you look at
through binoculars. Not here. You can walk right up to
them and they couldn’t care less. It’s not that they are
tame – not at all. It’s simply that they have no fear of
man and thus we are blissfully ignored. I believe being
in a place where fear simply does not exist is perhaps
the most compelling aspect of Galápagos.
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Traveling with children is special, espe-
cially so when you are assured that shared
experiences will delight everyone in the fam-
ily. Certainly Galápagos is that kind of place
in spades. But there’s something else that
motivates me powerfully. Kids are under daily
assault, bombarded by media that suggest the
clothes you wear on Monday are obsolete on
Tuesday; that cell phones are essential
at age 8; and, invariably, heroes are stars,
usually rich and spoiled.
In places like Galápagos, I, as a parent, can
provide a platform for the development of
other values and other heroes.
Isabella is emphatic about being a marine
biologist. My son, Jeremy, has become a very
talented photographer and his older brother,
Justin, wants to open restaurants. And Eric,
at age 6, is mad keen on sharks and his
heroes are expedition leaders.
This is why I care so deeply about conserving
these islands. After all, they have given me,
and so many people I care about, so much.
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