by Stevie Zimmerman

Created on: February 15, 2009   Last Updated: February 26, 2009

Made famous by Charles Darwin, the 'father of evolution', the Galapagos Islands offer an unmatched opportunity to get close to wildlife, in its natural, largely unspoilt habitat. Sea lions frolic in the waves, urging you to join them in their bodysurfing antics. Albatross couples act out elaborate courtship dances, their beaks clacking in a bizarrely humourous percussion, before hurling themselves off the cliffs in order to get airborne. Iguanas bask in the early morning sunlight, piled on rocks and on cliffs, seemingly oblivious of you and each other, like a dump site for prehistoric gargoyles. Snorkelers swim alongside seals and the occasional, benign, shark, as well as schools of shimmering fish and even turtles.

It's a short flight from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands. We met serious scientists and amateur animal lovers alike. If you can, travel on a small boat and get up as early as possible to catch the animals and birds at their most relaxed, welcoming the morning sun on days which can be chilly even in the summer. The early start gets you ahead of the cruise boat crowds too, and keeps people out of the amazing photos you'll see only too often. But, even if you do go with a large group, and no matter what time of year, you will have close encounters that will take your breath away. Baby seals lie curled on the sand, unperturbed by either you or your camera. Blue footed boobies hover over their fluffy chicks inches away. The world's oldest tortoises lumber across the rocks to you. Time stands still.

It's possible to enjoy the Galapagos Islands from a lodge on one of the islands but, since every island is home to unique species, the best way is to move from island to island by boat. The boats vary from almost primitive to quite luxurious and you get what you pay for. The fee charged for visiting the islands pays for conservation and preservation, as well as training the expert guides who will show you round. Ours knew a huge amount, but treated us like naughty school children and we nicknamed him Ivan the Terrible.

Because the Galapagos Islands are on the Equator, summer and winter seem interchangeable. You can start the day in jeans and a sweater, lounge on the beach watching the sealions play tag with your kids all afternoon, and bundle up for hot chocolate with your fellow travellers in the evening. You meet people from all over the world in the Galapagos but the language barrier disappears when you're all marvelling at the miracles of nature abundant around you.

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