If I wasn’t here witnessing this scene with my own eyes I would not believe it possible. We’ve dipped into a small cove at Pitt Point, swimming deeper into the warm equatorial water till we’re encircled by the Galápagos’ famed black volcanic rock. Splashing in the tropical Pacific a group of sea-lion pups wrestle nearby, honing fighting skills they’ll lean on when they mature and need to protect their turf. An adult swims disturbingly close and circles us in the clear aqua-marine water, curious and utterly unafraid.
Giant crimson crabs crawl up from behind rocks, their bright teal- and gold-patterned scarabs glistening in the sun. Then a marine iguana, as black as the lava he sunbathes on, makes his debut. Or has the miniature Godzilla been there the entire time, impeccably camouflaged against the basalt rock? Meanwhile
