1-800-628-8747 or 206-285-4000
|
ZEGRAHM & ECO EXPEDITIONS — Giving You The World 1-800-628-8747 or 206-285-4000 |
|
|
|
|
||||
 |
 |
|
>Home >Travel Destinations >Library Articles >Galapagos My Way |
||||
|
|
Galapagos My Way |
|||
My connection to the Galapagos dates from 1975. I was pursuing a degree in marine biology at the University of West Florida, and my professors and I agreed that I should spend a semester doing fieldwork in the archipelago, so I took ship, serving as a deckhand on a privately owned sailboat. The resulting paper I wrote on the nearshore fishes of the islands was the genesis of the book I would publish many years later. Encountering the archipelago for the first time, I was immediately struck by the juxtaposition of spectacular natural beauty and stark barren landscapes. On larger islands, volcanic peaks rise to over 5,000 feet and support lush flora. Some islands have recent lava flows awaiting their first covering of vegetation; elsewhere, cacti and silver-barked Palo Santo trees flourish in the dry climate. Pristine coastline surrounds each island, all with a version of glistening white, crystal red, or black sand beaches. Coming to the Galapagos sparked a number of revelations. Growing up, nature was always important to me; however, my country upbringing in southeastern Pennsylvania did not offer any direct ocean exposure, aside from summer vacations spent at the seashore in Delaware. When I arrived in the Galapagos at the age of 24, my eyes were opened to a world I had previously only dreamed of. Once there, I knew I would never discover another place like it. A second revelation, one that shaped the rest of my life, came when I visited the Charles Darwin Research Station to see what books were available on the fishes of the islands. I was astonished to learn that not one volume had ever been published on the subject. How could that be? This was the mecca of modern biology, the place where Charles Darwin formulated his theories of evolution and natural selection. The literature on the birds and land animals is extensive and justifiably famous. In sharp contrast to the much-studied terrestrial environment, life beneath the waves was poorly understood. I set myself to the task of learning as much as I could about the fishes of the Galapagos. Another factor that spurred my interest was my belief that we need to understand before we can protect; by compiling a comprehensive book on Galapagos fishes, perhaps, in some small way, I could contribute to marine conservation. In 1977, one year after graduating from college, I returned to the islands, determined to write a popular account of the 50 most ubiquitous species of fish. The project grew over the years, from a Spanish/English edition published in Ecuador in 1984 that covered 105 species, to the culminating work published by Stanford University Press in 1997, which records 437. The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands also served as my dissertation, earning me a Ph.D. in marine biology from Pacific Western University. To support myself during my research, I worked as a naturalist guide aboard the M/V Buccaneer, interpreting natural history for travelers and leading hikes and snorkeling excursions. This last duty proved the most scientifically productive, as it enabled me to do underwater photography and carry out observations on fish behavior and distribution. The combination of fieldwork and ecotourism produced memorable, sometimes amusing, encounters. Once, I returned to the ship with a load of new passengers that comprised the graduating class of an all-girl?s school in Quito. I was assisting getting everyone?s baggage into the cabins |
|||||
|
Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions — Your Adventure Travel Experts Call us toll-free at 1-800-628-8747 / 206-285-4000, e-mail us at zoe@zeco.com, or see your professional travel agent. Zeco Travel Talk — A Community Blog for Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions Travelers Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions — Giving You The World |