5 Things That Surprised Me About The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands was a huge bucket-list moment for me. Although I watched Animal Planet my whole life, read a ton of blogs, and talked to other travelers, there were still some things that surprised me.

The Galapagos Islands is home to numerous unique animal species found nowhere else on earth. The blue-footed boobies, sea lions, marine iguanas, sea turtles and giant tortoises who all roam free.

1. Animals are not afraid of humans.

The animals run the island, not the humans.

Having been isolated from the world for thousands of years and strictly protected, Galapagos wildlife never developed a fear of humans.

When snorkeling, the sea lions will swim around you wanting to play.

The sea turtles will not swim away.

Dolphins will come right up to your boat.

And don’t be surprised if you see a marine lizards swim right passed you at the beach.

2. Some protected areas can only be visited with a licensed guide.

Today, over 97% of the land is a national park, and Ecuador limits who may live on the island as well as how many tourists can visit.

Many people arrive on cruises to the Galapagos Islands but I would suggest visiting the islands with a tour group and staying locally.

Many tours don’t include flights or transfers to and from the airports. I visited with EF Ultimate Break and all of this was included in the price, plus our guide was incredible. The whole trip was planned already so I did not have to worry about needing to find day tours or a guide to visit places I wanted to see. [For $100 off any EF Ultimate Break trip use code UALawOfWandering100]

3. Marine Iguanas.

Yes, they get their own bullet point.

To me, this was one of the craziest things I’ve seen in all my travels. I jumped so high when I saw one swimming passed me at the beach.

Marine iguanas are the only lizards on earth that spend time in the ocean and they are indigenous to the Galapagos Islands. In the water, they swim in a snake light motion and look like miniature alligators.

Be prepared to see them basking in the sun along shore or swimming passed you at the beach.

4. You must thoroughly clean the bottoms of your shoes before transferring islands.

What? Why?

Galapagos National Park rules are extremely strict but for good reason. These islands are some of the most unspoiled places on earth thanks to protection laws and conservation efforts.

The reason for cleaning the soles of your shoes is that you may have carried a seed that is native to one island and they do not want to introduce them to another. Just like the animals on the islands have adapted, plants have done the same.

There will be people checking the bottoms of your shoes before getting on island transfers!

5. You need to bring a reusable water bottle!

Single-use plastics are NOT allowed on the Galapagos Islands. This ban is to help protect the wildlife on the island and in the surrounding waters.

I brought a Swell water bottle and it was perfect for carrying around. All hotels have access to purified water dispenser so you can fill it up every morning before you head out on your adventures.

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