This past August I enjoyed two weeks in the Galapagos on the Calipso, arranged by Laura Taylor, my inimitable Bluewater agent. Thanks to her, the trip was seamless and worry-free.

My first week on the boat was a naturalist tour, the second a dive cruise. Two weeks of island-hopping excursions, two weeks of breathtaking topside and underwater encounters. On Fernandina multitudes of marine iguanas basked on lava rock in the early morning sun, along with colonies of the friendliest sea lions you’ll ever meet. Our group hiked the winding stone rivulets of the lava rock. We swam and dove with those iguanas and sea lions. The latter buzzed us over and over, and we laughed hysterically through our mouthpieces.

Of course there were turtles galore, in the shallows and the deep. On North Seymour we visited nesting frigate birds and boobies and gulls guarding eggs and photogenic downy chicks. The male frigate birds offered lavish displays of their red throat pouches. Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants dotted the rocky shores.

Sharks highlighted our dives at Wolf and Darwin. Our dive guides, Sebas and Javi, wrote “Have a Sharky day!” on the bulletin board. The scalloped hammerheads, Galapagos, silkies and white-tips got the memo, and they graced us in great numbers with their sleek, silvery power. I had never seen so many at one time, or so large, or so close. I felt so privileged.

Of course, the giant tortoises. We visited them at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center on Isabela, where little guys in their first years mean hope for the future of giant tortoises. Then on our last full day we bused to the Santa Cruz Highlands to watch the big guys maneuver their way across the grounds of the El Chato Ranch reserve.

We were fueled by generous meals served buffet style. Delicious entrees varied from Mexican to Italian to local dishes, always served with fresh fruits and vegetables. Great food and being gently rocked to sleep by the sea readied me for each incredible day.