BECKY HORSBRUGH JOINED US FOR HER HONEYMOON IN THE GALAPAGOS. WHAT A WAY TO CELEBRATE! here she shares her trip experience …

Did you know a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance? The question – and answer – came up on a crossword we were doing on our way to the Galapagos islands. It turned out to be a pretty apt fact, as flamingos were just one of a number of fascinating, beautiful and downright surprising animal and wildlife species we witnessed on our incredible swim holiday around this stunning archipelago of volcanic islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

I’ve been a keen swimmer for years, and been on several fantastic swim holidays in the past with SwimQuest. Probably the most memorable up until recently was the Scilly Isles challenge. This Galapagos trip surpassed all others though – and it also turned out to be our honeymoon. Charlie and I got engaged after we’d booked it, and the timings all worked perfectly, with our wedding just ten days beforehand.

What appealed to us most about this trip was the promise of not only great swims, but also the chance to explore a place so significant for our understanding of evolution.

Charles Darwin travelled to the islands in 1835, aboard the HMS Beagle. During his stay there he collected numerous species of reptiles, plants and birds. His studies eventually led him to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection and the idea that humans shared a common ancestor with apes. A revolutionary – and controversial idea – at the time.

Our journey to the islands was more straightforward than Darwin’s long voyage by ship. But it still involved travelling first to the Ecuadorian city of Quito, one of the highest national capitals in the world. Situated sky-high in the Andes at the foot of a snow-capped volcano, the geography is quite remarkable. It’s also one of the largest and best-preserved colonial historic cities in Latin America and was named the very first UNESCO World Heritage site. We stayed there for a couple of nights before meeting up with the 12 other swimmers on our trip – and our two SwimQuest guides.

Guy and Dewi set the tone really for the whole week, when we met up with everyone at Quito airport, ready to fly to the Galapagos. They were so warm and welcoming and fun to be with, while we were filled with slight trepidation and nervousness – but also excitement – about our upcoming holiday. We took two flights to finally get to our first destination on the islands – San Cristobal – which lie around 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. That was our base for the first three nights, and we couldn’t wait to explore. The first thing that immediately stood out (and was to be a recurring theme) was the sheer number of sea lions, lying literally everywhere!

On rocks, the beach, park benches, in the middle of the pavement. And what felt incredible to us was they did not seem bothered at all by any humans nearby. There is a rule to stay 2 metres away from any animal in the islands. That was sometimes hard when you almost tripped up over one. There were red crabs scrambling around under the warm glow of the sun as well.

Then finally we got our first swim of the trip – a relaxing introduction on a local beach. It felt so great to be in the cool water, and even in the shallow waters there, you could see bright coloured fish. We made a number of small beach trips over those three days, the most glorious at sunset – though the standout visit was to Kicker Rock – a cathedral-like structure sticking out from the ocean, that we travelled to by boat.

One of the biggest difficulties on this trip was deciding whether to do the swims or snorkel – as both were wonderful in their own ways. We were lucky that on most days we had the chance to do both. Here at Kicker Rock we snorkelled around the base, before doing a full one kilometre swim around it, with marine life and swimming turtles below.

We then finally boarded our boat, which we stayed on for four nights as we ventured out to other parts of the islands. The cabins were great, far more comfortable than I had imagined, and it almost felt like being on a school trip, with everyone high with excitement, running up to the roof deck, or exploring other parts of our new home.

Every time we got in the water for a swim or snorkel, it was a feast for the eyes. Parrot fish, rays, reef sharks and numerous other brightly coloured species, turtles and sea lions swimming alongside. We had dolphins swim alongside the boat, and one evening the captain announced that Galapagos sharks were circling us. We rushed to the back and the lights of the boat picked out at least 6 of them, and they were big! Flying fish were trying to escape from their clutches – not so successfully. It was thrilling and magical and also a bit scary at the same time.

There was so much to see. We had a nature guide on board, Roberto, and each day we also made land, as we explored the geography and wildlife above the water as well. The standout were the blue-footed booby birds – which simply don’t look real. There are red footed ones too. We saw flamingos, albatross, frigate birds – the males with their bizarre red inflatable throat pouches. Lizards and iguanas. Plus of course sea lions, everywhere.

All this, with some wonderful long swims included in our days. Dewi and Guy led our group expertly – really encouraging the weaker swimmers, while giving everyone an opportunity to achieve what they wanted in the water. I was especially proud of Charlie, who before the trip had only swum up to a kilometre in a pool. He had planned to mainly snorkel, but I think encouraged by everyone else’s enthusiasm, he went on to do at least a couple 2km long swims. It was a thrilling, exhausting, educational and fascinating week of swimming and nature. And if you are going to share your honeymoon with a bunch of strangers – now friends, spending a week in the Galapagos is a pretty good way to do it. Certainly a trip I will never forget.

Inspired? Check out our Galapagos departures at www.swimquest.uk.com/galapagos