My experience in the Galapagos can really be summed up by one word, breathtaking. Going to the islands has been a dream of mine since I was a child watching Animal Planet and The Discovery channel. Everything I hoped and dreamed it would be was exceeded by what it actually was, from the luscious highlands all the way to the rocky basalt basin towards the water. It was my first experience traveling without my family so I was cautious for the beginning of the trip but after a couple days with the amazing group I had I began to make connections and open up more. The professors (Dr. Palomino and Dr. Gaskill) 1000% made the trip a true and authentic experience because it wasn’t just our trip it was there’s too and seeing everyone geek out about the same thing was amazing and a realization that this trip was so special.

The activities we did were body testing but we got through them in one piece (some of us at least). We hiked a volcano, biked a trail up and down what felt like endless hills, snorkeled with sharks and rays all within 72hrs of each other. We saw many different endemic species that many people in the world dream of seeing. Even though we were all exhausted by the end of each activity we still all were there for each other for support and reassurance that we got each other’s back. (The photo I attached is what I like to call the homeless population of the Galapagos islands)

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