The Galápagos Islands had been on our bucket list for a long time, and in December 2025, we finally made it happen! We spent 7 days cruising around the Galápagos Islands, exploring remote volcanic landscapes and encountering some of the most incredible wildlife we’ve ever seen. We choose Galapagos Seaman Journey.
Imagine swimming alongside sea turtles, watching penguins dive underwater, spotting sharks and rays, and walking among hundreds of marine iguanas. And the best part? These animals are living freely in their natural habitat.
We chose a cruise to explore some of the more remote islands, including Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, and Rábida. Each day was packed with snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, and wildlife encounters.
Galapagos Cruise
There are two main ways to explore the Galápagos: staying on inhabited islands and taking day tours, or joining a multi-day cruise. We chose a cruise because our main goal was to see as much wildlife as possible in short time. A Galápagos cruise isn’t cheap, but it offers something difficult to experience anywhere else: the opportunity to explore remote islands and encounter wildlife in its natural habitat, often just a few feet away. A cruise allows you to reach remote islands, travel between destinations overnight, and spend more time exploring rather than organizing transportation.
Our 5-day cruise took us through Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Rábida, and Santa Cruz. Each island offered something different, from dramatic volcanic landscapes and red-sand beaches to incredible underwater wildlife. Our days usually included:
- Snorkeling: Sea turtles, marine iguanas, penguins, rays, sharks, and playful sea lions.
- Kayaking: Exploring quiet bays and spotting wildlife along the coastline.
- Guided hikes: Walking across volcanic landscapes and discovering animals on land.
- Panga rides: Exploring rocky coastlines from small inflatable boats.
Our schedule was busy, often starting around 7am, but every excursion brought something different.
Our tip: Choose your cruise based on the islands it visits, not just the boat. Different routes offer different wildlife encounters.
Our Favorite Wildlife Encounters
1. Swimming with Marine Iguanas – Fernandina Island
One of our most unforgettable experiences was snorkeling with a marine iguana at Punta Espinoza. These prehistoric-looking reptiles are the only lizards in the world that forage in the ocean. Watching them swim underwater was incredible! On land, we saw marine iguanas resting on black volcanic rocks, surrounded by sea lions and lava lizards. We even spotted a Galápagos snake.
2. Snorkeling with Galápagos Penguins – Isabela Island
Seeing penguins in the Galápagos was already special, but watching them swim underwater was even better. At Tagus Cove, we spotted penguins while kayaking and later encountered them snorkeling alongside sea turtles and schools of fish. Galápagos penguins are among the rarest penguin species and the only penguins naturally found north of the equator.
3. Playful Sea Lions – Almost Everywhere!
Sea lions quickly became some of our favorite animals in the Galápagos. During snorkeling excursions, they would swim around us, twist underwater, and sometimes come surprisingly close. We also encountered tiny sea lion pups on Santiago Island, including one that was reportedly only four days old!
We also saw Galapagos fur seals.
4. Rays, Sharks and other Fishes
Every snorkeling excursion felt like a new wildlife adventure! We spotted eagle rays, including a beautiful pale-colored ray that swam right beside us, and an incredible manta ray near Rábida Island. We also encountered whitetip reef sharks around Santiago Island, a baby blacktip shark in the shallow waters of Urbina Bay, and even an ocean sunfish near Fernandina Island!
The underwater world was full of colorful reef fish, including king angelfish, razor surgeonfish, golden pufferfish, blue-barred parrotfish, Moorish idols, and many more. Every time we jumped into the water, we never knew what incredible marine life we might discover next!
Not every snorkeling spot had perfect visibility, but the variety of marine life was incredible.
5. Blue-Footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies & Other Incredible Birds
The Galápagos is a paradise for bird lovers! From blue-footed boobies with their famous bright blue feet and Nazca boobies nesting along rocky cliffs to magnificent frigatebirds, brown pelicans, and the impressive Galápagos hawk, there is always something to spot. We also loved watching seabirds soaring above the ocean and resting along the volcanic coastlines. Every island offered another opportunity to discover the incredible birdlife of the Galápagos!
6. Giant Tortoises – Isabela and Santa Cruz
No Galápagos trip would be complete without seeing giant tortoises. We encountered them roaming freely during a short hike at Urbina Bay and later visited the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz, where we saw different tortoises, including saddleback varieties. Watching these enormous animals slowly move through their natural habitat was another highlight of our trip.
Kicker Rock, San Cristobal Island
After our cruise, we spent two extra days on San Cristóbal Island, mainly to snorkel at Kicker Rock (León Dormido). Kicker Rock is famous for its dramatic volcanic formations and the possibility of spotting hammerhead sharks. During our tour, we saw one hammerhead shark in the distance, several eagle rays, and plenty of sea turtles. We recommend it if you’re interested in marine wildlife. Just remember that hammerhead sightings aren’t guaranteed, and snorkeling conditions can vary.
Tips for Visiting the Galápagos Islands
- Entry fees: Expect to pay $200 per adult for the Galápagos National Park entrance and $20 for the Transit Control Card (TCT). That’s $220 per person, separate from your flight and cruise.
- Online declaration: Complete the mandatory Galápagos Biosecurity Declaration before your flight. It’s free and helps protect the islands from invasive species.
- Choose your cruise route wisely: Different islands offer different wildlife encounters. We loved Isabela and Fernandina for penguins, marine iguanas, and incredible snorkeling.
- Bring an underwater camera: Best wildlife encounters happened underwater!
- Prepare for rough seas: Bring seasickness medication, especially for inter-island speedboats. Our Santa Cruz–San Cristóbal transfer was extremely choppy.
- Pack light and practical: Quick-drying clothes, swimwear, comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, and a waterproof bag are essentials.
- Respect the wildlife: Keep at least 2 meters (6 feet) away from animals and never touch or feed them, even when they approach you.
Our 7-Day Galápagos Cruise Itinerary
Here’s a quick overview of our actual route, including the activities and wildlife highlights from each day.
| Day | Island & location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Baltra | Fly from Quito, board cruise |
| Day 2 | Punta Moreno, Isabela & Fernandina | Snorkeling with sea turtles and playful sea lions; penguins, rays and marine iguanas |
| Day 3 | Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove, Isabela | Giant tortoises, land iguanas, kayaking with penguins, snorkeling and Darwin Lake hike |
| Day 4 | Punta Espinoza, Fernandina & Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela | Swimming with marine iguanas, ocean sunfish, Nazca boobies and fur seals |
| Day 5 | Buccaneer Cove & Puerto Egas, Santiago | Kayaking, rays, reef sharks, tiny sea lion pup and fur seals |
| Day 6 | Rábida & Chinese Hat, Santiago | Red volcanic landscapes, manta ray, whitetip reef sharks, baby sea lions and Galápagos hawk |
| Day 7 | Santa Cruz | Mating sea turtles, Charles Darwin Research Station, giant tortoises and Santa Cruz highlands |
Extra 2 Days: San Cristóbal Island
| Day | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 8 | Santa Cruz → San Cristóbal | Rough 2-hour speedboat transfer, Waterfront walk, Punta Chino and tortoise center |
| Dec 9 | Kicker Rock | Snorkeling with sea turtles, eagle rays and a distant hammerhead shark |
The Galápagos Islands exceeded our expectations. From swimming with marine iguanas and penguins to spotting sharks, rays, giant tortoises, and tiny sea lion pups, every day brought a new wildlife encounter. What made this trip so special wasn’t just the number of animals we saw, but experiencing them in their natural habitat.
Leave a note