I watch, transfixed, as the sea lion pup waddles behind its mother down the beach and into the water, its brown sand-caked fur turning a sleek dark grey as it leaps through the waves. Simultaneously, a voice narrates the action, explaining how the pup will be totally dependent for the first six months of life.
These stunning scenes are ones I've seen a thousand times before. Except, this time, I'm not lying on the couch listening to the dulcet tones of Sir David Attenborough during an episode of Blue Planet.
Instead, I'm on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just two metres away from these beautiful creatures, with my Ecuadorian tour guide, Danny.
Welcome, to the Galapagos Islands.
Mention the destination and you'll almost always get one of two responses: "Oh wow, that's on my bucket list!" or "Galapagos? Isn't that in Greece or something?"
For those in the latter camp, the Galapagos Islands are an Edenic archipelago of 19 islands about 1000km off the coast of Ecuador. Thanks to the location (at the fertile junction of three ocean currents and far away enough from large countries for humans to interfere too much), it's described as a "melting pot of marine species" by Unesco. One that famously inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, following a visit in 1835.
More than 10,000km (and 50 hours) from Aotearoa, it can also be fantastically difficult to reach. However, If you dream of seeing a slice of the world fiercely protected and largely untouched, remote in every sense of the word, it's worth every bit of effort.
During my nine days cruising around the Galapagos on Hurtigruten Expedition's handsome MS Santa Cruz II, I have swum with playful sea lion pups and read the original diaries of Robert Charles Darwin.
I have performed the "Galapagos handshake" while leaping between dinghies and beaches, grasping the forearms of small yet surprisingly strong Ecuadorian crew as they clasp my arm in return.
I have seen a giant tortoise who was 20 years old when the telephone was invented; its age, like a tree, hidden in the number of rings on its shell.
On the port-side deck during cocktail hour I have seen 115 Galapagos sharks silently flank the ship under soft moonlight and been invited to the bridge, where captains steer us towards the next otherworldly island.
I have been gently rocked into a slumber so deep that every insomniac night since has been haunted by dreams of the bed in room 129, and I've heard the words "bucket list trip" nearly 12,320 times from a small band of retired Americans sporting zip-off pants and infectious enthusiasm.
After deftly circumnavigating a "mess" of marine iguanas on Floreana Island, I have felt the sharp spines of a prickly pear tree and stroked the smooth enamel skull of a male sea lion.
In the ship's restaurant, I have enjoyed the best cuisine Ecuador has to offer, experienced in three courses every lunch and dinner and ordered off swanky iPad menus.
My Kiwi-born cynicism towards beaches described as "best in the world" has been delightfully disproven by the fine white sands and devastatingly blue water of Gardner Bay, a place that can only be described as desktop screen-saver beautiful.
I have cycled along the lowlands of Santa Cruz Island to El Trapiche sugar cane distillery and burned my throat on the elderly owner's hand-made moonshine.
I have, without a doubt, been taught more about geology and ecology by our guide Daniel Jacome (or, Danny Number Five, due to the number of Daniels on the crew), than in years of science class.
I now know the speed a land iguana can run and the wingspan of a blue-footed booby; a small ground finch's diet and the mating dance of a waved albatross. Not from the pictures in a book or shots in a documentary but from being there, seeing it.
All that to say that over nine days, one can have enough "once in a lifetime" experiences to last several lives.
When sailing with Hurtigruten Expeditions on one of their several Galapagos Island itineraries, the experience starts at Quito Airport. Our 45-person group is shepherded frictionlessly from hotel to shuttle, airport to plane while tickets and forms appear in hand the moment they're needed.
After landing at Baltra Island in the Galapagos, a shuttle pulls us towards a harbour where a dozen vessels wait on water so blue you're powerless to avoid the cliche adjectives; azure, crystal, lapis lazuli.
A fleet of dinghies ferries us to MS Santa Cruz II, and after we are escorted to our rooms by a crew member, my group spend the next 30 minutes running around the ship like children. Getting lost between the levels, we gasp and giggle at the sight of the library and research centre, private gym and cocktail bar, the fine dining restaurant and two Jacuzzis on the back deck (because, why the heck not?).
The MS Santa Cruz II is best described as a floating hotel but a boutique one; spacious enough to feel relaxing but far more intimate than those gigantic 5000-person vessels. Between the library and research centre, there is also a distinct air of education and exploration; this is a ship upon which leisure and learning take place.
Following a massive refurb in 2021, it is "ship-shape" embodied. White, black and magnificent on the outside with a bold stripe of red. Modern, refined and classic on the inside, with a refreshing absence of nautical decor.
The 50 cabins can hold 90 guests and come in four categories; 2-person explorer, 1-person voyager, 3-person family and three exclusive Darwin suites. No matter what room you get, a large ocean-view window is guaranteed.
From the spotless suite to the immaculate lounge and dining areas, it feels like the last place you would catch a cold, let alone Covid. The cabins are cleaned three times a day and staff can often be caught sanitising common-area surfaces during quiet hours.
Reel off the activities in just one day to someone back home and they'll assume you're describing the entire trip; hiking San Cristobal Island to see red and blue-footed boobies and snorkelling with sea lions at Punta Pitt. Visiting the Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve to see giant tortoises, soaking in a hot tub while the sun sets before cocktail hour and a pre-dinner "science talk".
From Mosquera Islet to Espanola Island, we trek, kayak, snorkel, paddleboard, ride dinghies and sit on glass-bottom boats. Each day starts as early as 6am and ends around 9pm, and while every activity is optional, we are stubborn in our participation. Here, everything you see and do will likely be for the first and last time.
So, it's fortunate the cruise itinerary offers no shortage of chances to see it all. As a Kiwi, I arrive with tempered expectations about being wowed by wildlife.
But here's the thing about Galapagos creatures; they are both the wildest and most innocent animals you'll ever encounter. Free from a history of human harm, they simply have no reason to curb their playful curiosity. So much so, that we often find ourselves stumbling backwards to maintain the suggested 2-metre distance.
Three days of boat-based adventure are then perfectly broken up with one spent on Santa Cruz Island. Docking at Porta Ayora, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, which holds an operating science centre, the embalmed body of Lonesome George (the last of his sub-species and a reminder of the importance of conservation) and several tortoise enclosures.
Peeking through the fence, a New York passenger coos at a bundle of matchbox-sized baby tortoises before asking if any are available to purchase. "They would be so cute in my apartment," she says, before we steer her towards the enclosure of fully grown 230kg tortoises and point out how they wouldn't just outgrow her home, but outlast her by approximately 100 years.
All the while, at every destination, during every activity, we're accompanied by Martin, the cruise's dedicated photographer who captures every moment. As a solo traveller, it's a relief to know I'll leave with some pictures in front of the lens.
The itinerary is one that requires you to be well-fed, and well-fed we absolutely are, with a quantity and quality of food I've never experienced on holiday before. Impressive buffet breakfasts are followed by a three-course lunch, evening cocktail with snacks and another three-course dinner.
Each day the menu boasts Ecuadorian items like ceviche, Locro de papa (potato and cheese soup), and fried plantain, alongside Western classics like sirloin steak, creamy avocado salad and eggplant lasagne, all served with linen napkins and polished silverware.
In the corner of the restaurant, a table remains reserved for captains and senior crew who dress as immaculately as their ship. A smiling gang in ironed black pants and crisp white shirts, their rank subtly shown by the wrinkles around their grin and stripes on their epaulettes. One night, Geovanny Mosquera, one of the captains with four stripes, and kind eyes, welcomes us to visit the bridge.
We enter via a delightfully mysterious door marked "CREW ONLY" at the very front of the ship. With its sweeping panel of buttons, levers, switches and maps, the room has an undeniable sense of authority and importance. Yet it's one that guests are welcome to visit (Covid-19 permitting), thanks to the ship's "open bridge policy".
The second officer asks if we can spot the most valuable piece of equipment. We guess large red buttons and stacks of paper charts, odd measuring devices and even the captain himself. Stifling a smile, he turns to point at a small drip coffee machine tucked in the corner.
Check list:
GALAPAGOS
Getting there
:
Fly to Quito with Air New Zealand and United Airlines, via Houston. Talk to your travel agent or Hurtigruten Expeditions to book flights to coincide with your cruise.
Details
: Hurtigruten Expeditions' Galapagos Islands Expedition – in Darwin's Footsteps is a 9-day cruise that travels from Quito, Ecuador to several of the Galápagos Islands. The cruise will make 32 departures between January 2023 and March 2024.
hurtigruten.com