# Question for those who have been to the Galapagos **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096 "2011-02-12T02:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/1 "2011-02-12T02:29:32Z")
The Galapagos Islands are well known for their closely approachable wildlife, but did you bring binoculars for bird/wildlife viewing? If so, did you find them useful, and if not, did you wish you had? ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/2 "2011-02-12T03:05:33Z")
We did not bring them, or miss them. However, there was a birder on our trip with a pair of honking big ones. If you want to get a good look at the smaller birds, I’d bring them. The iguanas, sea lions and blue-footed boobies are pretty fearless, and would let you get closer than the guides will. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/3 "2011-02-12T03:49:02Z")
> [@Alpine](#): > > The iguanas, sea lions and blue-footed boobies are pretty fearless, and would let you get closer than the guides will. Yes, the Common Galapagos Guide is a shy creature and wary of humans that approach too closely. ---
**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/4 "2011-02-12T04:35:11Z")
There are rarely times when wildlife is too far to see comfortably with the naked eye. I brought binoculars, but I don’t think I ever used them. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/5 "2011-02-12T06:29:27Z")
Yeah, I never really wished I had brought binoculars. Like others said, there’s a huge temptation to touch those animals that are just hanging out there completely unafraid of humans. I very nearly tripped over iguanas whose skin color completely camouflaged them against the black volcanic rock. That said, if you have a DSLR with an image stabilized zoom, I’d bring it along. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/6 "2011-02-13T00:29:57Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Yes, the Common Galapagos Guide is a shy creature and wary of humans that approach too closely. :smack: grammar ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/7 "2011-02-13T00:48:29Z")
Since the OP is asking about personal experiences, this is better suited to IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator PS. I have not been there myself, but I think no matter how tame the wildlife is, there may still be things that are far enough away that you might want to have binoculars for. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-those-who-have-been-to-the-galapagos/571096/8 "2011-02-13T02:47:26Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I think no matter how tame the wildlife is, there may still be things that are far enough away that you might want to have binoculars for. Agreed - sea birds would likely be an example. (I can’t imagine being without binoculars in a place full of exotic birds.)