The Narrative Image

SEEING THINGS Finch on San Cristobal Finch on Isla Espanola The finches didn't really make an impression on Darwin. He didn't, at first, notice that the finches in his collection were different from each other until long after he left the Galapagos. When the realization finally came to him, his notes were inadequate for matching each sample to its island. It raises the question, "What are you uniquely qualified for and prepared to discover?"   Mitchell: So, uh... so, how go the repairs? Lee: Well, the main engines are gone, unless we can find some way to re-energize them. Mitchell: You better check the starboard impulse packs. Those points have about decayed to lead. Lee: Oh, yeah, sure, Mitch. Mitchell: I'm not joking, Lee! You activate those packs, and you'll blow the whole impulse deck. Lee: I'll, uh, get on it right away. I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were OK. See you later. Helmsman Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) and s...

WHY THE GALAPAGOS? A blue-footed booby. This picture is inexplicably composed to exclude the signature bright blue feet. By then, I had already watched boobies ham-footedly seducing each other with incongruous bright blue feet, disappointed pirouetting sea lions with my graceless, spastic snorkeling — unable to join in their joyous dance — and seen the fork-tailed silhouettes of magnificent frigate birds gliding beneath a near full-moon. That evening, we (me and eleven other travelers) sat in the common area of a 75 foot catamaran being introduced to the crew.   Crew of the Nemo III with our guide Veronica acting as translator Through our guides, the crew asked us, "Why did you come to the Galapagos?" Up until that point, I'm not sure that I had ever put my reasons into words — and as I stuttered and paused too long looking for the right ones, I began to realize that it wasn't just for exotic 3 species tacos, it was because I wanted to articulate a...