Page 32 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE Vol 3

ELITE ADVENTURE | Essay and Photographs by Pongpol Adireksarn The Odyssey motor yacht anchoring at South Plaza IslandPHOTOGRAPHINGTHE GALAPAGOS WILDLIFEThe first of two parts takes us on an extraordinary tour of the archipelago’s sea birds30 Elite+V isiting the Galapagos, a group of volcanic islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is a dream for any wildlife or nature photographer. The islands, under the supervision of the Galapagos National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1978, belong to Ecuador and are located about 1,100 kilometres west of the South American mainland. The archipelago comprises 19 islands and 42 islets or surfacing rocks. Transport among the islands can be done only by boat, manyof which offer live-aboard facilities that make touring of different islands convenient and enjoyable. I visited the Galapagos in 2006 on board the Guantanamera and revisited this wildlife haven eight years later in 2014 on the Odyssey.It was an adventure embarking on a very long and time-consuming trip to the Galapagos. I flew 11 hours from Bangkok to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, staying overnight at the airport hotel and the next day flying 13