Photographing the Giant Galapagos Tortoise
Having been brought up on non-negotiable bird walks, studying Zoology and Conservation for 5 years and being a ‘hobbyist’ wildlife photographer for 10, when I embarked on my backpacking wildlife photography trip at the start of 2023, I knew that the Galapagos was where I had to finish the trip.
The Galapagos is an incredible place for wildlife photography. Wildlife here is so highly regarded and respected, encounters with ‘dream’ species come around regularly and last longer than just a few heartbeats due to the wild animals habituation to human populations.
This habituation allows for time & opportunity to get more creative with photography. I found, for example, that some of my favourite photos I came away with were taken on my wide angle lens. A piece of kit I brought along predominantly for landscapes and rarely used in wildlife photography.
While in the Galapagos, my target species was the Galapagos Tortoise, perhaps the most iconic animal found here and one i’d been dreaming of from a young age. I’d heard from locals and other travelers that there was a wild population relatively easy to find on Isabella island, one of the three inhabited islands within the archipelago.
The El muro de Las Lagrimas path, along which the wild population can be found, is a dusty dirt road, lined with dense, low level vegetation and tall cacti. About an hour along this path I found my first tortoise, a large male tucked away deep into the undergrowth content in foraging in the dark. Unfortunately, this would set the tone for the majority of my encounters with these animals. While sightings were fairly regular throughout the week, photography was made tricky by messy backdrops and poor light.
When I set off on the day I captured this image, it was raining and threatening to storm. It was also my last day on Isabela. Time not being on my side I pushed on regardless, accepting the fact that I was going to get wet, but hoping for the best. Around 3 hours into this now familiar walk, the rain began to clear and the sun dispersed darker clouds. It just so happened that this proud looking male was also making his way slowly down the path.
I quickly positioned myself a good 20m along the path I could see he was walking and waited patiently. As he started approaching me I knew I was going to capture something special. All the elements coming together nicely to allow me to photograph this animal in a unique way.
A giant, seemingly walking out of the past, against an enigmatic landscape.
