Swimming with Galápagos penguins made my wildlife dreams come true

The water was warm and I was busy watching the fish and one curious little octopus unfurl from a crevice below me when I heard a squeal. All of a sudden I felt something move fast beside me, and I heard the squeals turn into a clear, shrill, “Sea lions!” I quickly moved my head back into the water and looked down to see three of them doing somersaults to my left.

We had slipped off the Sea Lion Yacht near Bartolomé Island, and within minutes a sleek, little flash zipped past our group — a Galápagos penguin, small and speedy. The sea lions continued to twirl around us, curious and playful, weaving between us and the penguin as we tried to follow it, hoping to get a closer glimpse. My four-year-old daughter couldn’t stop giggling, full of excitement for what we were witnessing. We floated there as we spotted another penguin climbing up the nearby rocks to sun itself.

“Mommy, there’s a turtle below us!” she said, clinging to her life raft. I poked my head under to see a green sea turtle rising up from the reef below, with two blacktip reef sharks circling even deeper. A marine iguana was spotted next, looking like it was trying to win a race as it glided across the top of the water, its tail swinging behind it. A snorkelling trip to remember, we were all in awe of the biodiversity we’d already experienced in Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, on the second day of our family trip.

After a meal and a snooze on the Sea Lion Yacht, we came ashore on Santa Cruz at our home for the next few days: Finch Bay Hotel. The hotel is a sun-drenched paradise that overlooks the rugged shoreline of one of the most populated islands in the Galápagos. You wouldn’t know it here at Finch Bay, which felt like our own little sanctuary. We stayed in one of the Evolution Suites, and I still dream about the bathroom. The tub sat beside a floor-to-ceiling window that looked straight out over the ocean, with cactus, flowers and bright green plants in the foreground.

The suite was complete with warm wood, soft linens and a big balcony where we drank iced coffee and had downtime from the sun. The pool was a short walk from our room, although the regular stops to watch sunning iguanas or salamanders clinging to the walls slowed down our pace. It had a shallow ledge next to the deep end, perfect for our entire family to enjoy — if we weren’t at the beach (right in front of the pool) we were here.

Meals at Finch Bay were a highlight: fresh ceviche, grilled fish with citrus and herbs and breakfasts of papaya, passion fruit and fresh pressed juices plus lots of kid-friendly options. Birds visited every common space — finches, mockingbirds, herons and even a lava gull one lucky day — much to my toddlers’ delight. The staff was attentive, and no request seemed too big.

The morning before the penguin sighting, we boarded the Sea Lion Yacht for North Seymour Island. We found blue-footed boobies performing the theatrical courtship. I’d seen it in a David Attenborough documentary, but they were right in front of us and we watched as they lifted their bright feet and honked to their mate as our naturalist guide explained the ritual. Frigatebirds showed off their red throat pouches all puffed up like balloons when a male tried to impress a female. We walked along trails where land iguanas lounged all around us, blending into the clay. On the return trip we snorkelled again and found a different set of creatures: huge schools of small reef fish and stingrays gliding across the sand.

Bartolomé felt like we were stepping onto another planet. The volcanic cones and slopes, black lava fields and barren landscape made the summit trail feel like we were walking on the moon (or Mars). From the top, the view of Pinnacle Rock and the surrounding turquoise water felt like the famous Galápagos postcard come to life.

Back on Santa Cruz, we visited the giant tortoise reserve where we were able to get up close. They were enormous, slow and very relaxed. Explaining to my daughter that the tortoise, just steps away from her, had weathered more than a century felt wild.

At the Charles Darwin Research Station, our naturalist guide taught us about breeding programs, invasive species control and the work of restoring habitats. We watched a young tortoise being checked and learned how careful monitoring and community engagement have helped some populations recover. It was a rare chance to see conservation in action and to understand that these islands are living, fragile systems.

Luckily, Finch Bay and its parent company, Metropolitan Touring, own the Sea Lion Yacht (and others) and were able to put together our entire itinerary, which makes things simple for families who are comfortable being hands-off with planning. The company has been working across Ecuador and the Galápagos to promote sustainable tourism, support local communities and fund conservation projects. Their programs include training guides in low-impact practices, supporting research stations and investing in renewable energy and waste reduction on islands and in mainland operations.

In Galápagos, tourism is extremely important and when done thoughtfully, can be a force for protection. The company’s partnerships with scientists and local stakeholders showed us a model where travel funds research, creates jobs and helps keep fragile ecosystems intact.

Biodiversity in Ecuador and the Galápagos is rich and delicately balanced. The islands provided the ultimate family trip that surpassed my wildlife wish list dreams, while also teaching us that conservation is not only about protecting animals but about preserving the relationships between species, the food chain and the habitats that sustain them. We learned practical ways to travel responsibly: staying on marked trails, not touching wildlife, and choosing operators who reinvest in conservation.

I’m determined to return to the Galápagos to fulfil my dream of diving with hammerhead sharks, but for now, I’ll replay the memory of the time my family swam with rare penguins at the equator.

The writer was a guest of Metropolitan Touring, which did not preview this story before publication.

ltaveroff@postmedia.com

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