The Galapagos Islands

In March 2020, right as the planet was starting to shut down due to the pandemic, I had a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling to the Galapagos Islands.

Call it one last hurrah!

Deep Sea Rescue.

As we were sailing back after an amazing snorkeling session with sea lions, penguins and turtles, our guide, Eric, noticed a green net on the surface of the ocean. He immediately asked us to clear the deck. Pedro, the captain, ran over carrying a large kitchen knife. The situation quickly became clear: Some sea turtles had gotten caught in a fishing net.

They made the decision to pull the animals onto the boat (rather than struggle to release them underwater) and together, they went to work. They made a small incision in one sea turtle's skin, and after some struggling, pulled out a fishing hook. Before releasing the gentle creature back into the ocean, Eric gave her a big wet kiss. Splash! They performed the same mini surgery on the next sea turtle caught in the net.