Dec 16, 2021 | Holbrook Travel

Giovanna Holbrook's First Trip to the Galapagos Islands

Natural History
Holbrook in the Field

2021 marks 50 years since our company's founder, Giovanna Holbrook, first led a group of travelers to the Galápagos Islands, a life-changing experience that became the impetus for the creation of Holbrook Travel. In this video, she shares the story of that first expedition and how she organized her first group trip with a little help from Dr. Archie Carr and other renowned scientists.

Originally published June 2013; updated December 2021

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A person crouches near the base of a sand dune while aiming a camera offscreen
Twelve travelers and guides pose on a platform overlooking a vast valley below
Many monarch butterflies fly overhead among the treetops
A view of treetops far away where a bird's vibrant feathers make it visible despite the distance
Staff member Debbie Jordan standing behind a conference table decorated with Holbrook-branded signage and handouts
A Galapagos Penguin mid-jump over volcanic rock and seawater
A llama stands on a path with the stone walls of an archaeological site in the background
A woolly monkey balances in the branches of a tree, its limbs outstretched and tail wrapped around a branch overhead
A group of Holbrook staff members pose and smile at the camera outdoors
Multiple people on a forest trail look through binoculars and scopes at something outside the frame
Side view of an adult hippo and calf partially submersed in water
An elevated walkway surrounded by low trees and shrubs with a lake in far background and blue sky with puffy clouds
Staff member Jamie DeVoe poses on an overlook with a volcano and town in the background
Office building with elevated deck and tiered landscaping
Selfie of staff members Kevin Van Dien and Sandy Schmidt smiling
A motmot perches on a tree branch
Upward view of 12 people standing in a circle, smiling down at the camera, with an ornate ceiling above them
A Geoffroy's tamarin sits on a tree branch with its mouth open