Galapagos Islands Cruise - Bucket List Item Checked Off!

A week on a 14-passenger catamaran in Darwin’s stomping grounds

02/09/2025 - 02/16/2025 76 °F

Our home for a week - the 14-passenger catamaran, Nemo II

A trip to the Galapagos Islands is a classic “bucket list” item. And true to form, I had been wanting to go for decades. Each time I looked at the prices of the cruises, though, I was scared off. Too much! However, I am retired, now. Once you’re retired, it’s time to start planning those bucket list destinations before you, well — kick the bucket…ha, ha!

The best-known bird in the Galapagos Islands — the Blue-footed Booby

Both Jenny and I did our research ahead of time. We read lots of traveler blogs and websites talking about Galapagos cruises. Based on other people’s ratings, we assembled a list of island stops we really wanted to make. Then we went searching for cruises that hit as many of those as possible. Of course, the first thing you need to do when selecting a Galapagos cruise is decide on how big of a ship or boat you want to go on. Bigger ones will likely have more creature comforts and more space, but you’ll be traveling with bigger groups of people. The last thing I wanted to do is spend lots of money on a weeklong cruise and then struggle to see what the guide or naturalist is talking about because you’re stuck behind a crowd. The smaller the group, the better, we agreed.

Our group of 11 travelers posing behind a massive Galapagos Tortoise

We actually had purchased our tickets to Ecuador far in advance. Last year, Jenny saw a roundtrip airfare from Columbus to Ecuador for $600 each — too good to pass up! When the trip was about 4-5 months away, we knew it was time to make decisions on the cruise. In the end, we chose a small catamaran with a maximum passenger size of 14 folks. We ended up with only 11 on our cruise, so we got our wish for a small group. We’re glad we chose Nemo II (the name of our boat). Our fellow passengers, the naturalist, and the crew were all wonderful! Never once in the entire week did we feel we had to fight to see something, or that we were traveling in too big of a crowd. In fact, our guide/naturalist would make last-minute adjustments every day to avoid other groups. She also felt that too many people could spoil the Galapagos experience.

Santiago Island in the Galapagos

Where did we go?

I went back and forth deciding how I would write my entry about my experiences in the Galapagos. There was no way I could do a typical, blow-by-blow, account of each day. We simply did too much and saw too much to expect any reader to stay with me till the end. It would also be difficult to keep everything straight. As unfair as it may seem, I decided to restrict myself to a single blog entry about the entire cruise. So, how would I organize my tale? It is probably best to start with where we went. We allowed the cruise company to book our flights from Quito and back. We felt that if they were in charge of making the arrangements, they would making sure the boat didn’t sail without us! Otherwise, you never know! In fact, all 11 passengers were on the same flight as us, so there was no way it could leave without us!

My favorite animal from the Galapagos, the sea lion - the cutie-patootie puppies of the wildlife there

We flew into Baltra, a former U.S. military base during World War II. You could see the foundations of many of the base buildings as we were bused from the tiny airport to the “canal,” as they called it, where the Nemo II would be waiting. Although we didn’t see a lot of animal life on Baltra, we were greeted by a land iguana as we walked from our plane to the terminal. We also saw one of Darwin’s famous finches while standing in line for the bus. Good omens for creatures we would see over the next week! We took the first of our many rides on the inflatable rubber dinghy out to the catamaran itself and met our guide, Elizabeth, and the crew. After a welcome beverage — a tradition the crew would keep up after every excursion — we met our naturalist. She talked about what we would see and encouraged us to change into swimming trunks for our first trip to Bachas Beach.

The first animal to greet us after we arrived, the land iguana

Named after the barges used by the American troops during WW II, we went for a short hike there and then relaxed in the warm, sheltered waters of the bay. Oh wait — I wasn’t going to give you a blow by blow, right? Okay, here we go. That evening, we sailed to Genovesa, where we would visit Darwin Bay and El Barranco. Darwin’s Bay was where we learned how serious our guide was about both birds, but also the sanctity of the wildlife. We were warned not to approach within 6’ (no matter how cute the baby sea lion was…!), and we were to keep the noise down. A larger group arrived about a half hour after us. Elizabeth was visibly irked by the microphone and speaker the guide was using to talk to his larger group. Sea lions and sea birds were the highlight of Darwin Bay (Red-footed Boobies, Frigate Birds, and Nazca Boobies). We would also do our first snorkeling in Rabida. We saw lots of fish, including parrotfish and angel fish. None of the “biggies,” yet — sea lions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, or penguins!

A Nazca Booby and its hatchling on Darwin’s Bay

That evening, we would sail again to Santiago for a visit to Sullivan’s Bay, and to the tiny island of Rabida. On Sullivan Bay (humorously, I thought Elizabeth was saying Suleyman’s Bay — the Ottoman sultan), we would hike its lava lunar landscape. That was interesting, but the wow factor amped up once we got into the water for snorkeling. This would be the first of several times that I was all but engulfed by a school of fish. In this case, they were absolutely beautiful Yellowtail Surgeonfish. We also snorkeled right off the beach on Rabida, and several sea lions befriended Jenny and curiously swam all around her. This was also where I had my close encounter with a shark (see the snorkeling section below).

Sea lions cleverly receive attention from visitors by camping out on pathway from the landing point

From Rabida, we would sail in the evening once again to Santa Cruz, the main island, so to speak. We would visit the highlands and see the iconic Galapagos tortoises. We would also visit the Charles Darwin Station and be given a short time in town to shop. The skin on my head was already slightly burnt from our snorkeling, so I was on the hunt for a “Buff.” Prior to the trip, I had never heard of a buff. Essentially, it is a brightly colored tube of light material you can wear in a number of ways — including as a scarf to protect my bald head! It seemed strange that we were already at the halfway point on Santa Cruz, but it was true.

The iconic Galapagos Tortoise surveying the area around him

The highlights here were the Galapagos tortoises, of course. There are several different varieties, which you can tell by the shape of their shell. On the bus ride to the highlands, we would spot them numerous times in the fields or gravel side roads, trucking along in unhurried tortoise fashion. Once we got out at the Highlands Tortoise Reserve, we saw them up close — eating, lazing in the mud, and even making baby tortoises…ha, ha! We also drove to a couple densely forested sinkholes that were gorgeous to see. Finally, we went to the Charles Darwin Research Station, a mix of a museum and a breeding ground. Elizabeth led us through that and had lots of interesting stories about the efforts of the government of Ecuador to breed tortoises and help ensure their survival.

A tortoise with the remnants of his meal still on his face

For the next stop on our tour, our captain kicked the boat into high gear and we bounced and jinked all night for our longest sailing of the trip. We were headed to long Isabela island, starting at Elizabeth Bay. There we would take a dinghy ride in a sheltered inlet bordered by thick mangroves trees lining the shores. We would see all kinds of wildlife in the protected waters, including sea lions and penguins. We also hit Urbina Bay for a nice hike that day where we would see many land iguanas and more Galapagos tortoises. Later that day, we would snorkel in the waters and swim with their cousins, the sea turtles. This was our first time seeing them on the trip and they swam so close to us it was thrilling.

A Galapagos Penguin swimming through Elizabeth Bay

Day 6 was Tagus Cove on Isabela, where we would see the scenic beauty of Isabela island. We hiked up to an overlook of a blue lagoon nestled in the interior. Both coming and going, we were greeted by a little family of sea lions, who had plopped down on the path up from the landing point. Here, we also got a chance to do some sea kayaking, as well as a dinghy ride along the rocky shores. From there, we sailed to Espinoza Point on Fernandina island, our furthest western point in the Galapagos. This is an island practically draped in marine iguanas. They huddle in huge mosh pits, resting up after their dives into waters of the Pacific where they graze on coral and seaweed. This was also one of our best snorkeling spots, where we would see penguins, sea turtles, marine iguanas, and an amazing array of fish.

A marine iguana surveys the area around him

It was another long sailing that evening as we headed back to Santiago Island, stopping at several points on its western side. We were on our last day, sated with the sights we’d seen. We had a nice hike along a black sand beach and got a chance to meet more sea lions — probably my favorite Galapagos animal. They are so curious and with their huge black eyes look and act like puppies. If it had been allowed, I would have gotten even closer to them and played with them. They have so much personality!

A Red-Footed Booby

We had one last dinghy ride the next morning before the Nemo II took us to the airport. We saw baby sharks cruising along the mangrove lined shores, blue-footed boobies crowding a rocky island, and sea turtles lazing in the waters. Our North Itinerary, as it is called in Galapagos parlance, took us to so many places where we’d see so many animals and such wonderful scenery.

A Blue-Footed Booby dives towards the water hunting for its next meal

Snorkeling

check out my playlist of 18 videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0nN6aCuHEXpdV9emJJxL3D7S5IsnixEA

Those who know me also understand that I make no bones about my fear of sharks. I’m terrified of them, so much so that I refuse to get in the ocean alone and will always make sure someone is further away from the shore from me. I know, I know — the odds! However, a shark attack needs to happen only once to put that argument to rest…ha, ha! The waters of the Galapagos is home to many kinds of sharks. I knew that, but I was determined to snorkel anyway!

A school of Yellowtail Surgeonfish swims right by me

Before leaving home, Jenny and I took a refresher snorkeling course from a local dive shop. In addition, I had acquired a full face snorkel mask. I have snorkeled many times over the years. My biggest struggle is always with the mask sealing improperly and also fogging up. A full face mask would supposedly alleviate that, as the part around your eyes is separate from the part that covers your mouth and nose. The snorkel is self-sealing, so drains any water that comes into it (making a rather loud, alarming noise, though!). The big drawback is it is harder to dive down below the surface with a full face mask. I was willing to give that up if I would not have to be constantly stressing about my mask leaking or fogging up. I wanted to be relaxed — especially if there would be sharks around! I tried it out during the snorkeling refresher course and definitely liked it more. The course also taught me other things I was unaware of, such as the proper way to paddle with fins and more.

Wow! In one minute, penguins, sea turtles, and marine iguanas!

My mask would work great in the Galapagos, once I got it adjusted correctly. The course instructor had it too loose, but once we tightened it up, it was fantastic. Another passenger on the cruise had one and she was a help, too. Snorkeling in the Galapagos is truly amazing! In addition, both Jenny and I had bought GoPro underwater video cameras. I have one short video where I see Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and numerous other fish all in a space of a minute! I think my favorite animals to see underwater were the sea turtles. They’re so graceful as they paddle themselves serenely through the water. Another amazing sight is when a giant school of colorful fish will swim all around you, like something out of a National Geographic video!

Sea Turtle swims by serenely at home in the sea

We did get extended time swimming around marine iguanas, too. You would spot them latched onto a rock very fiercely, staying put despite the current with their claws. They were chowing away at the coral and seaweed. After awhile, they would finish eating, then slowly float up to the surface, their front arms held limply in front of them. Then they would begin to swim, lashing their long tail back and forth in an almost snakelike movement. They would bob along, head just out of the water, headed for the shore to sun themselves and warm their body temperature. Being cold-blooded, they would need basking time to regulate their body temperature.

Godzilla chowing down and then floating to the surface and swimming away

So, did I see a shark? Yes, a couple times. The first was the most memorable. We had just jumped in from the dinghy, and Elizabeth told us to be on the lookout for penguins. So, I wasn’t hanging back but was actually out ahead of the group. I was swimming along when I noticed a long, dark shape resting on the floor. It was unmistakably the outline of a shark — and a relatively big one, too! I surfaced to tell the group about it, calling out, “Shark, shark” and pointing. When I got back underwater, GoPro rolling, a couple of the others swam slightly ahead of me (fine with me!). The shark must have seen us, as he started moving, did a 180 degree turn, and swam right towards us. He was about six feet below us and moving along the rocks to the left. He swam slowly, unconcernedly, to my left, with me following him with the camera all the way. My estimate was he was about six feet long, a White-tipped Reef Shark, and the others who saw it agreed.

My close encounter with a white-tipped reef shark in the Galapagos

One of the other passengers saw a hammerhead shark (I didn’t), and another saw what she described as a “very big” one (she didn’t know what kind) following our guide. Some of the others in our group were very good at spotting sea life, and all trip long people were seeing rays. It wasn’t until one of our final snorkeling sessions that I finally saw two rays — an Eagle Ray and Manta Ray. Unfortunately, I am apparently a very slow paddler. Inevitably, I would begin to fall further and further behind the group. And I have to admit, in the open sea, that was kind of scary. I’d have to stop filming and paddle steadily for a minute or so to catch up. It was on one of those times that I saw the Eagle Ray cruise out of the blue gloom of the ocean in front of me and slowly swim off into the distance. My video doesn’t show it clearly, sadly. A short time later, though, a manta ray did the same thing to my right. I was able to capture some decent footage as he flapped by me, perhaps ten yards away. It is hard to estimate by looking at the videos, as the GoPro has a “fisheye” lens (appropriate, right?), and something has to be very close to look big in your frame.

Another school of fish all but swarms me - I believe these are mullet fish

Another really cool snorkeling episode was with sea lions. We were snorkeling off the beach, and we could see several in the water as we got in. Despite being told not to approach too closely, we still swam in their direction to get video of them. In the beginning of my favorite video of them, they are just lolling in the water — almost like manatees. After about a minute, Jenny swam slightly in front of me. Suddenly, the sea lions were all very interested. They started playing and swam all around her, very curious. It was amazing to see them doing flips, blowing bubbles, and having no fear of us at all.

My buddies, the sea lions, playing with snorkelers

Birds

Our guide and several of the other passengers were HUGE birders. They would all get very excited about the birdlife that we would see, as would most of us (at least until the last day or so when many of us were “finched out”). The blue-footed booby is one of the most iconic ambassadors of the Galapagos. They are cool to watch when they are diving for fish, too. They circle above in pairs and then, like a WW II fighter plane, wing over and dive for the water. They would hit the water like a missile, then return to the surface, and chew their catch or rest. They would then do a running takeoff along the surface of the ocean, gain altitude, and begin circling for another dive. Of course, you can’t see their bright blue feet as easily then. You have to wait till they’re resting on rocks, when it seems almost fluorescent blue. Their eyes are very intense, too.

Two Blue-footed Boobies, resting on a rock and enjoying the view

In addition to Blue-footed Bobbies, we saw Red-footed and Nazca Boobies, as well. Those would make their nests on the land, so you could approach them quite closely. In fact, some would actually build their nest right on the pathway, meaning you had to get close to go around them! If you go to the Galapagos, I highly recommend you bring a camera with a good telephoto lens. It makes taking pictures of the birds that are more distant much more fun. You can zoom right in on them and admire your shots like they’re something out of a nature magazine!

A Short Eared Owl checks us out, making sure we are neither a threat or edible

As far as birds go, we also saw frigate birds, and various types of owls, hawks, herons, gulls, doves, flightless cormorants, and mockingbirds. Our naturalist Elizabeth was amazing. She could imitate the sound of the birds, and even call them to where we were. She would hear them peeping away in the trees and stop us. She’d mimic their call, and sure enough, one would come flying up to investigate who was invading their turf! Time and again, she’d stop us and point out a bird camouflaged int the trees 20-30 yards away. She converted many of us into “birders” and we all competed to get the best photographs of the different species.

A Yellow Crowned Night Heron gives me the “Hey, Bub - you looking at me?” Look

I have entire folders of pictures of Blue-footed Bobbies, Nazca Boobies, Frigate birds and others. I will spare the readers of my blog by posting only one or two my favorites of each species! The others in our group were great photographers, too. It was a regular thing, once we came in from the day’s activities, to go through our photos and show off the best ones. Everyone was very encouraging, and it was the perfect way to wind down while we were waiting on dinner.

A male Greater Frigate bird inflates his red pouch to attract females

Speaking of dinner, the crew was great and had a full spread for all three meals. We were kept fortified with calories as each meal seemed to compete to outdo the others! They even let us store beers we’d purchased on the island excursions and keep them chilled them for us to enjoy at dinner. It was an early night for most passengers, though. Jenny and I were often the last ones to go to bed. We’d check the time and see that it wasn’t even 9pm! However, we started very early most mornings, with the sunrise. The early boat gets the animals! Elizabeth ensured that all of us would rather get up early, and be the first boat to the sights rather than laze around in bed for an extra hour.

Flamingoes in Black Water Cove search for food in the muck of the lagoon floor

I was able to get to sleep easily most nights (instead of like back home). The full day’s activities in the sun were usually enough to wear me out. Our cabin was tiny — smaller than I’d expected — even though we went on the website to compare views of each cabin before purchasing the trip. However, we were seldom in there. Just to sleep, shower, or change clothes. I peeked at the other cabins when folks’ doors were open, and I would recommend Cabin #1 or #2 as the largest of the group, if you book Nemo II.

What’s a group of Marine Iguanas called? A mosh pit! Or it should be…

We met wonderful other travelers, and had a great time getting to know them and reliving our experiences together with them. We got along with Steve and Mary very well, and intend to meet up with them this Fall. All in all, the Galapagos bucket list trip was worth the expense and the decades of waiting to go. So, if these islands are on your list, too, I recommend that you don’t wait any longer and seize the chance to go soon.

A Sally Lightfoot Crab investigates a less interestingly named Galapagos Starfish