Wow. It's still hard to process. I leave Galapagos this Friday.
I have had the most amazing last few weeks here. Since my last entry, we had a week in Santa Cruz for class, I was offered to co-author a paper with my professor, started our final module and I went on the trip of a lifetime - the 7 day diving cruise to Darwin and Wolf, with diving visits to Fernandina, Isabela, Bartolome and Santa Cruz. This was by far one of the most, if not the most amazing experience I have had here. I swam with hundreds of sharks, false killer whales, giant manta rays, turtles, marine iguanas, penguins, sea lions, dolphins - I dived in some of the most amazing underwater ecosystems I have ever seen. The sheer number of fish and of life that I saw was breathtaking. I had an absolutely magnificent time. It was a truly beautiful way to end my time here. But while others received closure and felt ready when we returned on Monday to leave,it simply fuelled my desire to stay, realising there was still so much I wanted to see, so much that could be seen. And that I don't think this will be my only time to this place.
My time here has been so incredible. I have been so blessed to be able to live here for 3 months. It's whole new world when you live here. There is an outside view of this place, of this pristine environment so perfectly protected. Even some of the tourists that visit for only a brief time see the islands in this light. But I can say that living here, I have seen the darker underside of the Galapagos, the real problems that the ecosystem is facing and the threats to its continued survival into the coming centuries. Sewage and domestic animals threatening the health of marine life. Oil spills from boats coming into port. Invasive species crawling their way through the archipelago. But, it is one of the most unique and amazing places I have ever visited. I don't think there will be much that can compare to what I have been able to see here, particularly in the underwater realm. That's where the magic of the Galapagos truly happens. When you are 5 metres underwater, lying across a rock with a marine iguana feeding in front of you; when you have a sea lion pup who has likely never seen humans look at you with those huge, round and inquisitive eyes; when creatures that exist only here are metres away from you - that's when you feel it. You feel this overwhelming peace, this moment of clarity where you see these incredible places, these incredible things - you see the beauty of God's creation. You see the shear power of mother nature. You feel the incredible strength of the oceans. And diving down, when you stop breathing for just a moment and you hear this complete silence, broken only by the sound of dolphins calling to each other. Those are the moments where I sit back and really thank God that I am able to study what I study, that I am able to pursue my passion for the ocean, and that we have these incredible oceans. There is still so much to explore, there is so much that we don't know. And I love that mystery. It is hard to describe what I feel, looking out over the ocean at sunset. On the ship, in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight. The sun sets and the sky presents it's bounty, spewing forth these beautiful glistening orbs that hang in the sky. And when you anchor in still waters, you lose sense of where the ocean ends and the sky begins as it all just melts together. It's just incredible.
My last few days here are shaping up to be very busy. I have the mural to finish, work to do on the paper, as well as a paper to finish for class. We don't have class tomorrow (Thursday) which is nice, just to have the day to do what I need to do. And to walk along the malecon again, to listen to the sea lions. To just embrace these last moments before returning to the bustling world, to the hectic reality that is my other life. It will be hard to leave all of the amazing people I have met here, the wonderful people with whom I have been able to share this experience.
I am very excited, though sad to leave, that in less than 8 days I shall be seeing my mother in London and be able to travel the UK and have an amazing adventure with her for a month! I cannot wait for it, it's going to be amazing!
Ok, I think I am making myself sad now. I have to keep going and packing and organising things. My next post will likely come when I am back on the mainland of Ecuador.
God bless to all. And please, go out, experience life, embrace it, grab it with both hands and never let go. There is so much to see in this incredible world.
