Charter in the Galapagos Islands

The first time I cruised in the Galapagos Islands, I thought the blue-footed boobies would be the most amazing thing I encountered. That’s what everybody talked about, these birds with the bright blue feet that stood perfectly still and let you walk right up to them, completely unbothered and unafraid. These wild animals of the Galapagos Islands have been protected for so many generations, they simply exhibit no signs of fear.

And seeing those boobies from mere inches away was, indeed, a lot of fun, but not nearly as exciting as watching the frigate birds steal food. Talk about a bunch of hooligans—they basically harass the other birds until a victim coughs up its catch, which the frigate then swipes. Watching a battle with a frigate is kind of like looking up at a Top Gun battle in the sky, albeit with occasional fish guts dropping into the sea.

And even that experience got topped on the day I walked along the beach and encountered a colony of sea lions. Some wayward male started sniffing around the harem of females, and then out of nowhere, an enormous dominant bull let out a sound that had me promising out loud to skedaddle. I don’t know what that guy weighed, but the bulls can be up to 800 pounds in these islands. I backed up off the beach fast enough that I wouldn’t be around to witness any flesh flying.

To be in this archipelago, about 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador, is to be inside the natural world itself. Not to look at animals or to experience beauty, but to be in it, all of it, every minute of every day. I couldn’t wait to go back again, and I’ve had a hard time finding any other place like it on earth, even after venturing through South Africa and into the remote cruising grounds of Raja Ampat in Indonesia. The Galapagos Islands are, with good reason, a bucket-list destination for a lot of people. I could return a half dozen times and still want to go back for more.

The 115-foot Galapagos Angel is at the ready for anyone interested in all this natural wonder. The yacht, being promoted by 26 North Charter, accommodates as many as 16 guests in eight staterooms and cruises with 10 crew. Itineraries from about now through May promise good snorkeling, sun-soaked cruising and crystal-clear waters. The cooler season, from about June to November, typically brings the whales, dolphins, penguins and sea lions in great numbers.

The itinerary also helps to define the experience, which can include visits with giant tortoises, hiking through the dried lava tunnels, or gazing out over the black lava fields that somehow seem to ripple in a crispy-fried expanse to the edge of the sea. Fans of Charles Darwin can focus on the finches and their oh-so-famous beaks, while reptile connoisseurs can watch the marine iguanas slither their way off the rocks into the water. I thought the land iguanas, with their yellow-orange coloring, were better looking than the green-and-red marine iguanas, but it’s not exactly a beauty contest with that species. For cuteness, keep a lookout for the Galapagos penguins—especially in the water, where they pierce the surface like bullets. Scuba diving near them feels a little like taking incoming fire, but somehow, in the most amazing way that nature intended. 

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