Swimming with Sharks and Giant Manta Rays in the Galapagos

I have read about the Galapagos Islands for so long; it appeared as a mythical place. So strange that I never imagined that I would visit. When putting together my bucket list trip to Peru, we took an extra week to explore the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.

As soon as we left the airport on Baltra Island, it was apparent we were entering a different world. We were immediately cautioned to be careful of the iguanas and not to disturb them, even though they would block every path taken. After dodging iguanas, sea lions, and seals, we boarded a ferry to take us to Santa Cruz Island to stay for the night.

Throughout our trip, we hopped from one island to the next and had a great guide from Andean Discovery that showed us around. You can’t go to the Galapagos without experiencing an excursion at sea, which, for me, was the highlight of the trip.

We brought our own wet suits along with us, so we didn’t have to borrow any that didn’t fit. There were 3 other families on board the boat and we changed into our suits as the boat left the shore. During the ride, we were instructed how to behave around wildlife, mainly, don’t touch them.

We arrived at a spot with active sea life and we put on our snorkeling gear and jumped overboard. I hovered about the fish as they darted and dashed below me. I looked over and saw my daughter as she pointed out every fish she could find. It was as thrilling as it was relaxing. The captain yelled there were more places to see, and we climbed back on the boat and sped towards the next destination.

As the boat flew atop the waters, the captain shouted, “Giant Mantas,” and pointed off to the side. Seeing Giant Manta Rays was not expected on the trip and he asked if we wanted to go swim with them. Our guide excitedly yelled, “Yes,” and then he looked at us and said it was rare to have the opportunity to swim with giant mantas. The other families opted to stay in the boat, while my adventurous lot agreed to join the mantas in the water. The captain pulled the boat up as close as he could and we jumped into the ocean.

To the parents reading this, ever have a parenting fail on vacation? Well, here is mine.

While swimming towards the giant manta rays, millions of tiny jelly fish appeared in front of us. My 9-year-old daughter panicked and my 13-year-old son, who has a painful history of jellyfish, paused. Watching the giant manta rays swim farther and farther away, I guided my daughter to stick her head above the water and I told her, “these jellies won’t sting you. I’m swimming through them and they haven’t stung me.” Believing me, she adjusted her snorkel, and we swam through the jellyfish. Quickly, she screamed underwater and stuck her head out. The jellyfish didn’t listen to my advice and had stung my daughter. I took her to the boat, and the captain lifted her out of the water. My teenager daughter had stayed on the boat and she helped assist my youngest with applying vinegar to the stings. I returned to the water and swam towards the giant manta rays.

The Galapagos Islands offer a variety of out-of-body moments. Watching the majestic giant mantas glide through the water at ease and jumping through the surface was a magical one. We watched them swim away, and the captain called out to us to enter the boat.

We pulled ourselves into the boat, breathless from the excitement of swimming with the manta rays. Then, parenting guilt set it as I saw the tear-streaked face of my daughter. She was given some Tylenol, vinegar, and aloe for the stings. My son said to me, “You said they wouldn’t sting us.” I felt terrible. My teenage daughter was great at consoling and helping my little one and she soon fell asleep as the boat bobbed quickly on the water.

We arrived at another spot, and my daughters stayed on the boat, while everyone else jumped in. We followed our tour guide, because he knew of the best places to find underwater activity. Everywhere we looked, I felt like I was in a National Geographic article. We arrived at an underwater cave and he pointed down. Since we had to wear life jackets, it was hard to dive, and he suggested we pull ourselves down by holding onto the rocks. I guided myself along the rocks to look into the cave and at the bottom was a shiver of sharks. With the theme song to Jaws instantly playing in my head, I made eye contact with a shark. We were told ahead of time that if we saw any sharks; we were probably safe because they rarely attack humans. With a parenting fail fresh in my mind, I inched closer to my son, just in case.

The sharks didn’t care about us at all. They stayed hovered together inside the cave. Our guide said they hunted at night and were resting. There was a part of me that badly wanted to touch a tail, but I did what I tell my kids all the time and that is to respect nature. After watching the sharks for a few minutes, we went back to exploring the area.

There were a lot of thrilling moments in the Galapagos, but none compared to coming face-to-face with a shark. When I usually talk about snorkeling, I mention the peace that it brings me. It wasn’t peaceful swimming with sharks and giant manta rays, but offered an oceanic experience that I’ll never forget.

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