The best way to see Galapagos is on a tour boat as it allows you access with a guide to all the visitor sites. After a long search we finally found a small 16 person tour boat that was working which was both lovely and had a minimal environmental footprint, the motor cruiser M/C EcoGalaxyII http://www.ecogalaxyonboard.com. We became their first trip since the COVID-19 shut down.
Us paddle boarding back 
Stunning views
A holiday within a holiday. I can’t tell you how excited we are to sleep in proper beds, have hot showers and for someone to kindly cook and wash up for us (and of course to see all the amazing animals)!
Stunning water colours
What followed was the most amazing ten day tour of our lives on a gorgeous boat with a wonderful crew and delightful fellow passengers. We cruised around Santa Cruz, the western island of Isabela, Santiago, Fernandina, Bartolome, Rabida and north Seymour and swam with penguins, sea turtles and sea lions all at the same time! The water was bitterly freezing but worth the chill to have penguins swim past you.
Land iguanas 
Marine iguanas
On land we were treated to giant tortoises, sealions, land and marine iguanas and countless stunning birds.
Each day had breathtaking sights and we were spoiled by being the only boat at every site. There simply aren’t any other tourists here and no other boats are working (yet). So it’s Galapagos without the tourists and doubly inquisitive animals.
The crew were amazing and we had a crossing the equator party complete with pirates and Neptune.
The guide, James, explained to us that we were so lucky as normally for example the penguins are shy. But with us they played happily around the dinghy, diving and fishing as a family.
Amazing caves 
Whale skeleton 
Turtles everywhere
Each day we seemed to snorkel with more exiting sights. Groups of white tipped reef sharks, huge Galapagos sharks, stunning fish, turtles and sea lions.
Lava holes! 
Lava cones 
Lava fields 
Swimming with the most enormous manta ray on our last day has to be the most beautiful experience ever and an image etched on my brain forever.
An amazing trip, stunning volcanic scenery and beaches, I wish we could stay forever!
Halls Aboard - Sailing Kathryn del Fuego 
What a wonderful experience for you all, particularly the boys; they must have been ecstatic seeing all the animals in their natural habitat. I’m very jealous!
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Yes the boys have loved seeing everything so close up, not sure we’ve even used the binoculars that much! Giant tortoises were a huge hit!
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