The Galápagos Experience: A Senior-Friendly Bucket List Adventure
Duane Radford | Article and Photos
You’ve likely heard the saying, “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.”
I grew up in Bellevue, a coal mining town in the Crowsnest Pass in southwestern Alberta, when the surrounding area was still largely a roadless wilderness. It was an outdoor paradise that kindled my desire to become a biologist.
Back then, when I read articles in outdoor magazines about government biologists who were paid to study fish and wildlife populations, it blew my mind; my aspiration focused on a career in the outdoors. I would eventually pursue my ambitions, obtaining a master of science in biology from the University of Calgary — the first student ever to obtain an MSc in Biology at this university.
One of my father’s favourite expressions was “life is survival of the fittest,” tied to Darwin’s theory of evolution. This expression stuck with me, as did a dream to travel to the Galápagos Islands where Darwin’s theory originated.
Just imagine how exhilarated I felt when my late wife Adrienne (also a biologist and science teacher) and I finally travelled to the Galápagos Islands, approximately one thousand kilometres off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The sheer isolation of these islands has permitted life forms to evolve into species found only in the Galápagos, seemingly unafraid of man.
I had to pinch myself when we disembarked from a flight from Guayaquil (the main port city in Ecuador) to North Seymour on Baltra Island with a group of university alumni from Edmonton, many of whom were just as giddy as we were to set foot on the storied islands. In a short time, we were all ferried to a small cruise ship named the Santa Cruz where we had been assigned delightful accommodations for our travel adventure.
Having settled into a laid-back cruise routine, my first island excursion was absolutely surreal. Stepping off a panga (Spanish for a large, inflatable raft) onto a sandy Galápagos beach was an unforgettable life moment. The Galápagos Islands are a biologist’s Holy Grail and represent a defining pilgrimage in their lives. In my mind, I had finally “made it” as a biologist.
It was both captivating and stunning, everything I ever dreamed of — a biological pinnacle. The skies were clear, the seas calm, the temperature around 20 C. The island was teeming with wildlife that seemed oblivious to the travellers. There were fur seals, sea lions, marine iguanas, countless crabs, frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, and much more. It had all the appearance of an outdoor zoo. This experience was repeated again and again as we island-hopped the Galápagos with time spent safely snorkelling along the way. The marine life was astounding and mesmerizing.
You do not have to be a biologist to enjoy a trip to the Galápagos Islands. Just imagine yourself on a grand adventure that is senior friendly, engaging, exciting, and about as romantic as you’ll ever enjoy. Trust me, I’ve travelled the world and few places excel like the Galápagos — it’s a true bucket-list trip.
Itinerant travellers have many options should they be interested in a tour of the Galápagos Islands. Research online or talk to a travel agent, and be sure to mention any mobility issues; some trails are challenging, but most are doable. If you want to upgrade your safety and security, I’d suggest going on a group trip. Take the challenge, just do it — you won’t be disappointed.
Duane Radford’s boyhood spent in the Castle wilderness, the Gold Creek Valley, Rock Creek, and the upper Oldman River drainage fed his dream to become a biologist.