Galapagos in a Nutshell

I took this picture on a trip with my father to the Galapagos this summer. Going there is a bit of a catch 22. It truly can be a unique and rewarding experience that cannot be found elsewhere. However, the industry of the island has certainly become rampant. My experience was with a very reputable and environmentally conscious group...however this is certainly not the norm.

I believe this is a complicated issue and money alone is not the issue. Making the park exceedingly expensive would indeed draw a smaller crowd, however in my experience it is largely the richly paying consumers who do the most damage with demands of excessive interaction with the environment and extravagent habitation requirements. My small boat left a very minute footprint on the islands - sticking to paths and avoiding any direct contact with the animals. I can only speak for my experience.

Anyways - this is a picture I think certainly sums up the Galapagos. A pair of German tourists posing with a lazy sea lion. Innocent exploration or something more exploitative? I can't really decide, but at least this makes me laugh.