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As a child, my mother once showed me a book that contained several photographs of Giant Tortoises. I was fascinated by these large "turtles," and decided at the grand old age of 7 that I would visit their home some day. That day didn't come for almost 30 years, but when it did, I was so fascinated I kept going back.

Up close with a Galapagos tortoise. Nikon N90s, 70-210mm f/4-5.6D, Kodachrome 200.

Table of Contents:

• What Will You See?
• Which Camera Should You Take?
• What Lenses Do You Need?
• How Much Film Is Enough?
• Do I Bring a Tripod?
• What's a Typical Day Like?
• Ecotourism Versus Survival

Touring the Galapagos is like spending a week on the other side of the bars in a zoo. In other words, a photographer's dream. Of course, there's no lions and tigers and bears there. Just boobies and lizards and turtles, oh my! I heartily recommend the experience to every photographer.

But if you go, take the time to do it right. Each new trip I take there is better than the last, because I've learned to maximize my photographic opportunities. None of the existing books on the Galapagos really take a photographer's point of view. Instead, they function more like guidebooks, and even then they tend to get out of date fast.

I originally set out to write a book about touring the Galapagos targeted for photographers, but haven't got around to doing so or even finding a publisher for it. Until then, I've put together a few words (okay, more than few) to help you plan your trip. Just click on the topics in the right hand column to begin your travel.