When the plane first landed in the Galapagos, it was such a surreal moment. I just remember looking out of the window and thinking, is this real? My classmates and I were all so excited. The environment was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was truly a living laboratory complete with rich biodiversity from species such as Darwin’s finches, iguanas, Galapagos tortoises, etc. Being from Florida, it was amazing to see elevation (volcanoes) and an environment full of endemic species. As a biology major, I’ve spent semesters learning about evolution, adaptation, and of course, Darwin’s finches. Seeing lessons learned in the classroom firsthand put things into perspective. At a first glance, the Darwin finches may look the same, but they are completely different species that evolved to fill different niches. Upon arrival, just outside the Baltra airport there were already different species of finches spotted.

There was never a dull moment when studying abroad. We saw giant Galapagos tortoises roaming around and went down into the Lava Tunnels, which felt like a journey to the center of the earth on Santa Cruz Island. On lsabela Island, we biked along uphill coastal trails, hiked the second largest volcanic caldera in the world, and snorkeled with green sea turtles and reef sharks! We also made sugarcane syrup at a farm and did a night patrol to monitor sea turtle nests. During my free time I was lucky enough to snorkel with a playful sea lion. Galapagos was such an incredible place, and their conservation efforts really did show. There was no liter laying around, and the locals had respect for the land. It was almost like being in an exotic zoo every day, except the animals were thriving in their natural habitats. The food was also really good! I learned from my time there to put popcorn in soup, which was surprisingly good. It was an experience that I will never forget, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to explore such an amazing place!

– Summer, SPC Galápagos Islands Study Abroad Program, May 2026