Do You Know Why They Want You To Have A Guide In The Galapagos?

Do you know why they want you to have a guide in the Galapagos? Sure, it’s so you know where you’re going and don’t get lost and all, but more importantly it’s because sea lion pups are overwhelmingly cute.

Seriously, we visited islands while we were visiting on our recent Ecuador/Peru trip where there were just baby sea lions waiting alone on the beach. Apparently, the mother goes off for days at a time looking for food and the pups just wait. They call to you and are curious about you…because their experience suggests that visitors bring them food.

You have no idea how difficult it is not to pet them, pick them up, cuddle them, all that. You have no idea. They’re just sitting there! If they’re mobile enough by that point, they sometimes even try to come see you.

And that is where the guide comes in. They make sure you stay at leas six feet away, protect the seal lion pups from you. It isn’t good to pet them or whatnot no matter how good intentions are, and there would be no way to resist if someone wasn’t there to stop you.

Someone HAS to stop you.