Veiwfinders: Ecuador's picture-perfect wildlife paradise

"This picture has the complete Galapagos experience in a single photo," Surma wrote in an e-mail. A Darwin's finch perches on a cactus in the foreground; the songbirds are named after Charles Darwin, who formed his theory of evolution based on his visit to the islands in 1835. Off the beach, a group of snorkelers ply the fish-rich waters, while the dinghy that brought them to shore has been returned to the cruise ship. Surma took this photo with a cellphone during an eight-day cruise among the islands. He was on a hike with other passengers from his small cruise ship when he came to this overlook. After the hike, he and the group snorkeled off the beach and encountered fish and sea turtles. "It was a dream trip for me with diving and snorkeling and hiking every day on a different island," he wrote.

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