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Highlights and Excursions

A superyacht voyage throughout the Galapagos Islands with Aqua Expeditions takes guests on a truly immersive journey fueled by our one-of-a-kind approach to small ship expedition cruising and vast experience traversing the world’s most exotic, biodiverse, and culturally rich destinations. As the first true luxury superyacht to sail in the Galapagos, Aqua Mare’s sophisticated interiors and exquisite suites and amenities set the stage for the utmost comfortable, stylish and private way to navigate the islands. Combined with the Galapagos’ most exclusive guest-to-guide ratio of only eight passengers per expert naturalist, guests can be assured of a highly captivating and personalized experience like no other.

Read on to discover the dramatic landscapes and wildlife encounters that await in the isolated Ecuadorian archipelago that lies at the heart of Darwin’s famous theory of evolution.

Dynamic Landscapes

Galapagos Cruise - Dynamic Landscape
The Galapagos Islands were formed as a result of hundreds of years of repeated volcanic eruptions caused by the gradual movement of the Nazca tectonic plate to the east over the Galapagos hotspot. This produced a chain of underwater volcanoes that emerged from the ocean surface to become the cone-shaped islands we now see. Each island was created by the eruptions of a single shield volcano, except for the largest, Isabela, which originated from the union of six volcanoes.

Guided Hiking Adventures

Galapagos Cruise - Hiking adventures
On an Aqua Mare cruise itinerary, each day is a new opportunity to explore a different island and unveil its distinctive natural riches on offer. Walking trails allow guests to immerse into the deepest parts of each visitor site while taking the time to absorb the awe-inspiring feeling of being so closely surrounded by wild animals in their natural habitat.

Aqua Mare’s expert guides are the very best trained biologists in the region, handpicked by Aqua Expeditions to offer an enriching, entertaining and highly educational experience. Whether on easy beach walks or on more challenging hourly hikes, they will share the most valuable insights into the islands’ peculiar history, geology and endemic wildlife with their small group of guests.Some of the best hiking or walking paths include:

  • Sullivan Bay, one of the most geologically interesting sites due to its magnificent display of pahoehoe lava landscapes, a type of smooth basaltic lava flow (only found elsewhere in Hawaii) solidified into an uneven terrain of swirling and rippling patterns.
  • Bartolome Island, a challenging climb uphill 374 wooden steps that offer breathtaking 360-degree views of the Islands and the iconic Pinnacle Rock.
  • Los Gemelos (Twin Craters), two huge sinkholes formed by magma chambers where visitors have the chance to observe this remarkable geological site up close while encountering diverse birdlife in a beautiful scenario of lush green vegetation.
  • Egas Port, for a relaxing walk along its black sand beaches and lava shoreline as Sally Lightfoot crabs cross your path and fur seals are found resting peacefully in the rocky caves, and a second trail that takes you to discover the remains of an old salt mine.
  • Rabida Island, known as the red island for its beautiful Mars-like landscapes of a peculiar reddish color caused by the oxidation of iron oxide in its soil, a product of its volcanic origin.

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Intimate Wildlife Encounters

Galapagos Cruise - Wildlife Encounter
More than 9,000 different species of flora and fauna populate the Galapagos Islands with a list that keeps on growing as scientists regularly unveil new findings. Giant tortoises with life spans of 150 years, penguins found north of the equator, iguanas that learned how to swim and a bird that lost its ability to fly… it is no wonder these enchanting islands are famously referred to as a “living laboratory of evolution”.

The animals and birds of the Galapagos do not feel threatened by humans and are in fact completely oblivious to their presence. This lack of a defensive instinct, probably due to an absence of natural predators in the islands, makes it possible to approach and observe them up close, while maintaining the safe distance required by the National Park rules — an unforgettable experience you can only have in the Galapagos Islands.Almost anywhere you step foot on the islands will include a magical encounter with exotic life forms, with these as a few examples to look forward to:

  • Suarez Point, for the chance to see a large colony of waved albatross, an extremely rare bird species only seen on Española Island. The trail also includes incredible sightings of sea lions, nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies and Nazca boobies, and red and green colored marine iguanas.
  • South Plaza, a small island where visitors can walk through colorful Galapagos carpetweed and giant Opuntia cactuses as well as birdwatching beautiful seabirds such as the endemic swallow-tailed gull. It is also the only place in the world that inhabits hybrid iguanas, the result of crossbreeding between a male marine iguana and female land iguana.
  • Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill), home to a robust population of land iguanas (a symbol of conservation success in the Galapagos), where guests will also come across arid zone vegetation such as cacti and Palo Santo trees and spot flamingoes on a hidden saltwater lagoon.
  • El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve, for amazing encounters with these gentle creatures in their natural habitat, as well as Darwin’s finches and short-eared owls in a beautiful large area of high pastures and Scalesia forests.
  • Fausto Llerena breeding center, named after the park ranger who took care of Lonesome George (the last known Pinta island tortoise) for many years, a special place where travelers can learn how tortoise eggs and hatchlings are nurtured for up to 5 years to be released safely back into the wild.

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Tender rides

Galapagos Cruise - Tender rides
Aqua Mare is equipped with two military-grade black tenders that offer guests the most stylish and comfortable means of transport between the yacht and numerous visitor sites scattered throughout the Galapagos Archipelago. Landings on each site will vary between wet and dry, a terminology you will hear often from our guides while out on excursions. On a dry landing, guests can disembark directly on a dock or rocky surface without touching the water, while on a wet landing it is necessary to submerge your feet into the water to disembark on the shallow beach shores.

Panga rides (as the locals call them), are a fun and relaxing way to explore the islands, as you enjoy the sea breeze, admire the beautiful backdrops and take amazing photos of coastal animals.Highlights on tender rides include:

  • Black Turtle Cove, a pristine mangrove estuary that can only be explored with the tender engines turned off, as we look out for green sea turtles, pelicans, white-tipped reef sharks, and rays in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
  • Moreno Point, an entertaining tender ride that takes guests across the rocky shoreline to admire the stunning scenery and observe diverse shore bird species from penguins to blue-footed boobies and flightless cormorants.
  • Buccaneer Point, for a fascinating journey to learn about the swashbuckling history of the islands, along the coastline of a former anchorage point of British pirates where they supplied and repaired their ships.

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Marine adventures

Galapagos Cruise - Marine Adventures
The Galapagos marine reserve is the second largest in the world with an area of 51,400 square miles (133,000 square kilometers). Its special location in the intersection of three strong ocean currents (Humboldt, Cromwell, and Panama) created an incredibly diverse marine ecosystem of nearly 3,000 species including tropical fishes, whales, dolphins, penguins, rays and sharks. The Humboldt and Cromwell currents are responsible for bringing cold nutrient-rich waters to the Galapagos, and through the unique process of upwelling, the nutrients from the deep ocean rise to the surface giving life to this entire ecosystem.

Snorkeling & Diving

Galapagos Cruise - Snorkeling and Diving
Snorkeling is a wonderful way to experience the incredible biodiversity found underwater. Many snorkeling sites in the Galapagos will have shallow gentle waters making this activity easy and pleasant, without having to go too deep to encounter marine wildlife. In fact, some shark species such as blacktip reef sharks prefer shallow waters, so there is big chance swimming with sharks will be ticked off your bucket list. As with land species in the Galapagos, those underwater don’t shy away from humans making sea adventures delightful, as playful sea lions and gentle sea turtles swim harmoniously around you.

Aqua Mare will provide each guest with their own snorkeling gear to keep throughout the entirety of their voyage, which includes a mask, snorkel, fins and a 3mm shorty wetsuit. A wetsuit is not required to snorkel in the Galapagos as the water is usually warm but will be very useful to keep you comfortable especially during the dry “garua” season as the Humboldt current brings cold nutrient-filled waters to these areas.Our favorite snorkeling sites in the Galapagos include:

  • Las Bachas Beach, an important nesting site for the Pacific green turtle, is a prime location to encounter these aquatic species while swimming in the beach’s calm crystal waters.
  • Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat), where the unique Galapagos penguins and white-tipped reef sharks are frequent sightings.
  • Espinoza Point, for up-close encounters with epic marine iguanas, the rare reptile species only found in the Galapagos.

While in Puerto Ayora, Aqua Mare offers guests the opportunity to explore Galapagos’ extraordinary marine world via a day of world-class diving conducted by a local certified dive operator.

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Kayaking and Paddle Boarding

Galapagos Cruise - Kayaking
The calm waters in the areas designated for kayaking and paddle boarding activities offer the perfect scenario to explore the shore landscapes and marine life from a unique perspective. Aqua Mare is equipped with eight top of the line double-kayaks and two paddle boards for guests of all ages to venture out on their own and at their own pace.

Main locations for kayak and paddle adventures in Galapagos include:

  • Tagus Cove, kayaking in this deep-water bay named after a British ship will take you close to the shore, where flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins hang out on the cliff ledge. As a former pirate hideout, you will be able to see their graffiti left on rock walls as evidence of their presence.
  • Espumilla Beach, take your pick between a kayak or paddleboard to catch a glimpse of octopi, moray eels, and even sharks, while Galapagos hawks circle overhead.
  • Darwin Bay, a beautiful coral beach for excellent chance encounters with sea lions, boobies, frigate birds, and hundreds of colored reef fish.

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