Down in the depths of The Galapagos, Wolfgang Kreuger experiences his inner child and meets a gentle giant
People are always curious to know how a hotelier like me spends his holidays. After all, I have been lucky to work these past years in a five-star environment, which others would consider their idea of a great escape. I prefer to relax, not by a lap pool with a bevy of attendants attending to my every whim or sun myself on a pristine-white beach.But rather, I prefer to go for a real plunge, diving into the Big Blue to savour beauty of such intensity that most of us will never experience. (At the risk of sounding selfish, I’m hoping it stays that way.) Having dived all over Asia – with the Philippines high up on the list – my recent quest for a spot off the beaten path led me to The Galapagos.
Located 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador, the archipelago is so remote which has caused flora and fauna to evolve in highly unique way. It is the third largest marine reserve, spanning some 138,000sq km.Affected by seven different currents (most notably the Humboldt and Cromwell), it’s home to 500 species of fish, 86 of which are endemic to the area.
Diving here is not for the novice or faint hearted. The waters can be cold and fierce, constantly testing one’s skills. The first thing that one notices when in the depths is the extraordinary abundance of marine life – and its incredible diversity of fish.Unlike other places, there are hardly any corals; slopes are steep, volcanic and rugged.Depending on the dive site, there are opportunities to frolick with sea lions, penguins (yes, those little creatures that many people think only live in Antarctica), many different species of sharks, rays and our planet’s largest fish, whale sharks.
There is only one way to get the most out of the trip – booking a live-aboard package.After much research (there were many rainy weekends in Taipei,which saw me surfing the internet for information), I chose the Lammer Law, a 28.27-metre trimaran, taking up to 16 divers. Sailing this type of craft permits a greater feeling of nostalgia – imagining one’s self as Charles Darwin on the HMS Beagle – than on a motor-powered yacht. The flip side, of course, being that it travels much slower and when the sea acts up, you reall feel the turbulence. After the first two days diving around the islands of North Seymour and Bartolome,we arrived at the Wolf Island. Our group of experienced divers was bursting with excitement, especially after a rough night.We went in at 7 am, skipping breakfast. It was amazing, seeing armies of scalloped hammerhead and Galapagos sharks go by, That certainly took our minds off any hunger pangs.At times like these,my respect for Nature’s creative genius rises even higher. The biggest thrill was yet to come – Darwin island (strictly off limits to human beings as is Wolf Island), where our sole purpose was to encounter the whale shark.
These gargantuan creatures are found mainly in tropical waters but sometimes, they stray into temperate zones. A fellow diver,who has been to every conceivable dive destination in the world in the past 20 years, confessed that he had never seen one on any of his trips.Poor fellow, I thought.
We dove around for some time, but failed to spot the object of our visit. Dispiritedly,we clambered back into our zodiacs and waited to be picked up.Then, as if on cue, a massive gray shadow appeared right under the boat.
If there are moments in life when adults turn into kids again, then this certainly was it: euphoria and riotous chaos erupted as we scrambled to return to the water. I wonder what exactly the animal thought of us as he swam gracefully alongside the boat, seemingly unruffled by our presence.
FACT FILE
The only way to travel to The Galapagos is go via Ecuador, from its capital Quito or Guayaquil. Quito, literally takes your breath away as it’s located 2,800m high up in the Andes Mountains. So don’t be surprised if you experience some altitude sickness upon landing. From here, the journey continues on to the islands. Contrary to common perception, diving is exercise – you will get tired and long for food. Fortunately, meals on board the Lammer Law are first class. A seven-night cruise on this vessel is about US$3,000, all dives and full board included. Log onto www.galapagosadventures.com or
www.lammerlaw.com for more details
(When not pursuing his underwater passion, Wolfgang Kreuger is general manager of Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei.)
