Thoughts on these islands

We need these islands. We need to know there are whales that are happy to play with boats and sea lion pups that are happy to play with visitors. But we also need to respect this place. It’s not ours. We can’t – and shouldn’t – manipulate it. Sebastian said it was interesting that if a person jumped into the water when the Bryde’s Whale was near the boat, it would leave. There is a place for the people, and a place for the whale.

There’s a contract here that we need to recognize. The Galapagos can feed us. They can reassure us that the place we needed to believe existed really does. But, in return, we need to respect it. It’s not an amusement park. It’s a wild place. My greatest hope for the Galapagos is that it will remain a place of wonder and intensity that people will accept on its own terms. It’s not for everyone. But for people looking for a place full of power and life and struggle, it’s a gift.