It was June of 2008 and I has just finished my tour of Machu Picchu, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley of Peru and arrived in the Galapagos. Thanks to being a solo traveler I got the last, single bunk on a small boat that was touring around the islands for a week. On one of our shore expeditions I went out into the crystal clear waters to snorkel. I was still very close to shore when I encountered sting rays, sea turtles, and numerous fish.