Story and photos by Angelo Sciulli

Angelo Sciulli and physical therapist Trish Koplas arrive at a Galapagos destination by yacht.

The Galapagos Islands bring to mind Charles Darwins visit as a naturalist on the HMS Beagle in the 1830s. The islands biological diversity formed the basis for his definitive work The Origin of Species, published 24 years after his visit. Today visitors from all over the world come to the islands to see the wide array of exotic birds, plants and animals made famous by Darwin.

Its long been a dream of mine to visit the Galapagos — an environment essentially as pristine as it was in Darwins time. And being able to mingle closely with the native animals was especially appealing to a wildlife photographer with a motor neuron disease (ALS).

The Galapagos are volcanic in origin and lie about 600 miles west of Ecuador. During the whaling years, the islands were a stopover for fresh water and, in some cases, food. The sailors learned that the giant tortoise could survive up to a year at sea, providing a ready source of fresh meat in the days before refrigeration. At least one species of giant tortoise disappeared because of the whalers provisioning practices.

All of the islands lie near the equator, which means 12-hour days year-round. Contrary to what you might expect, the clear waters surrounding the islands are cold. The water temperatures are determined by the complex mixing of ocean currents, such as the Humboldt, flowing past the islands. The Galapagos animals and birds depend upon the nutrient-rich cold waters to provide a plentiful food stock. During the years when theres an El Niño, the waters warm, and the birds and animals suffer severe population declines.

Communicating and Getting Around

My neuromuscular disease has affected my mobility and ability to speak. When I travel outside the United States and Canada, I face the challenges of communicating with others and the inaccessibility of some locations.

A green heron

When I arrived in Quito, Ecuadors capital, in the spring of 2002 to begin my trip to the Galapagos, I found a very hospitable people willing to help whenever they could. I also discovered that wheelchairs were rare and access to buildings was difficult. Additionally, Spanish is the national language, and only about 25 percent of the population in the major urban areas speaks English.

Those high school Spanish classes paid off and allowed me to communicate (using a pen and tablet) with the flight attendants and customs officials. Once I cleared customs and met the tour coordinator, everything became much easier. (Trish Koplas, a physical therapist at the MDA/ALS Center at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., was also on the trip but not as my personal assistant. She was helpful with interpreting my speech until others caught on.)

My home for the first night was in a bed-and-breakfast style hotel. I admired the mahogany doors and woodwork in my room and the exotic Spanish/Inca influence in décor and colors. After a long day of traveling, I slept very well that first night.

The next morning I found that the bathroom had no grab bars, and I had to improvise with my walker to get in and out of the shower safely. The only other difficulty I encountered was climbing steps without a handrail. In those cases I simply asked for help and held onto people for balance.

Breakfast was served in a small, grass courtyard enclosed by the hotel. The sky overhead was so intensely blue that it almost hurt to look at it. I had my first introduction to Ecuadorian food and quickly learned that incredible juices of all kinds — wonderful passion fruit, papaya, pineapple and more — were served at every meal.

Check-ins and Inspections

The flight from Quito to the islands wasnt long, but we needed to arrive early enough to handle check-in, inspections and security. The very capable tour agent got me to the airport without mishap. Before boarding the plane, each passenger had to pass a special inspection to ensure that no invasive species are introduced to the islands. The agent helped me through inspection, baggage check-in and the security checkpoint.

A marine iguana

As our plane descended to the Baltra airport, I could see several of the islands. When the plane touched down, I was struck by the dryness of the island, hinting at the heat. After the rest of the passengers had left the plane I made my way to the door and the steps. Tame Airlines had a wheelchair ready to take me the short distance to the terminal and to the Galapagos National Park entrance.

Every visitor to the Galapagos has to step on a special mat to remove dirt, seeds and so on from his or her shoes. At the same time there was another inspection of the carry-on baggage. Finally they collected the $100 entrance fee, and we were free to enjoy the islands.

To get to the Hotel Galapagos in the town of Puerto Ayora, we took a bus to a water taxi. I had a lot of help from local people as I navigated the high steps to the bus and my seat.

The transfer to the water taxi was a little difficult but there were plenty of handholds to use during the boarding and ride. While the final passengers boarded the taxi, I watched with fascination as brightly colored fish darted around the pier.

Getting off the boat, I had to step down from the water taxi to the dock. With help from several people, I made the transfer without problems. An extended-cab truck took me to the other side of the island.

We drove through several distinct zones ranging from the dry coast to the mist-enshrouded highlands. Perhaps the most memorable sight amidst the tropical vegetation was a sign warning about tortoises crossing the road!

Beauty Just Outside the Door

Puerto Ayora is a colorful, laid-back town catering to the tourist trade. The blinding white of the boats and yachts docked in the harbor only serve to accent the intense colors of the water and buildings. The Hotel Galapagos is situated on the edge of an unbelievably beautiful turquoise bay.

A lava crab

I could look out my room window and see brown pelicans and marine iguanas lazily baking in the sun. Closer to the water, I watched several bright-red lava crabs slowly wander over the wet, black lava rocks.

My room was so close to the shore that I could open the door and easily photograph the pelicans and iguanas. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were remarkably tolerant and would almost pose as I photographed them.

My room wasnt air-conditioned, and I didnt acclimate very fast to the heat and humidity. I looked forward to transferring to the air-conditioned yacht that would take us on a tour of the islands.

My room was very nice but not designed for people with mobility issues. Again, I used my travel walker as a substitute grab bar in the bathroom. I found my reacher, my long-handled shoehorn and my sock "puller" provided me with the ability to dress myself. My meals were brought to my room so I didnt have to walk the short distance to the restaurant.

The next day, we took a water taxi to the yacht basin near the airport for our tour. This time I was asked to wait until the other passengers exited the water taxi, and I found that the boat deck was about 12 inches higher than the dock. It was more difficult to time the step to the moving dock but I managed without incident.

At the basin, a representative of the yacht company drove me to the yacht dock. While I waited for the panga (small boat) for the transfer to the yacht, a flock of boobies flew over and started dropping straight down into the water with a sound reminiscent of a cannon shot. Its truly amazing to watch these birds drop seemingly without fear as they fish.

The yacht crew was helpful in getting me aboard and safely to my room. One of the difficulties I encountered was a lack of handholds. I was able to navigate around my room and the upper deck, but going down to the main deck required at least one person to help me with balance.

I couldnt go below while the yacht was under way, even with assistance. The captain quickly realized my problem and decided to slow the yacht down until I was safely seated in the eating area.

One of the reasons I chose to go with this yacht was the crews willingness to help me ashore. I also hoped to try snorkeling, but I found that getting back aboard the panga from the open water would have been too difficult.

Similarly, disembarkation on a rocky point from a moving panga was simply too dangerous for me. I had to compromise by having a private tour/photo shoot from the panga while the rest of the tourists went ashore. In some ways this was better for me, but I didnt get to see the famed tortoises nor several land species indigenous to the Galapagos.

One of my travel rules is to remain upbeat and make the best of the moment. Therefore, I adjusted my expectations and made the most of my boat rides.

Sea Lions and Boobies

A species that quickly became my favorite to photograph was the sea lion. These were smaller than the more northern California sea lions, but infinitely more playful.

A blue-footed boobie

Most of the females were reasonably tolerant of people and would allow you to approach fairly closely. The bulls were entirely different in temperament and disposition, and they werent bashful about letting you know that you werent welcome.

I was intrigued with the birds — particularly the blue-footed boobies. The birds feet range from a pale baby blue to a very bright blue. The guidebooks give the keys to distinguishing males from females so that even the most novice bird-watcher could tell them apart.

Perhaps the most impressive of the three booby species on the islands are the masked boobies. These birds have white bodies with distinctive black masks on their faces that make them look regal.

As I visited each of the islands, I began to appreciate the differences among them, as Darwin had more than 160 years earlier. The species that live on each island have learned to adapt to the ecology and environment. The flightless cormorants, for example, demonstrate agility as they fish and thrive without wings — a testament to their adaptability in the absence of any predators.

The islands are too incredible for words and have to be seen and experienced to fully appreciate their diversity. Its well worth the time and effort of the trip to experience this amazing world — just ask Charles Darwin.

Angelo Sciulli retired from Springs Industries in 1997 to pursue a second career as a nature and wildlife photographer and writer. A year later he was found to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He now publishes and exhibits his photographs only to raise awareness of ALS and disabilities.

His photo credits include Nature Photographer Magazine, Natural History, Montana Magazine, Sandlapper, Quest and Clemson World. His images have been selected for exhibits at the National Press Club, the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C., and the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. His images can also be seen in his traveling exhibit, Challenging Nature Photography; at Carolinas Neurological ALS/MDA Center in Charlotte, N.C.; and online at www.scnature.com.

Sciulli and his wife, Jan, live in Lancaster, S.C. This article is adapted from a chapter in his forthcoming book.