Petrel
Thirty square metres per double cabin, forty-three in the suites, balcony included. Eleven crew for sixteen guests, with a chef, a sous chef and a barman among them.
The cabins
Thirty square metres for a double, forty-three for a suite. Most of her class runs closer to twenty.
Two chefs
A chef and a sous chef among eleven crew, plus a barman. The galley is not an afterthought here.
Six routes
Four to eight days, east and west, so the trip fits the holiday rather than the other way round.
Space, and what it costs
Petrel launched in September 2015: thirty-five metres, twelve and a half of beam, 208 tons of fibre-reinforced polymer. The number that matters is the cabin size. Doubles are thirty square metres and the two main deck suites are forty-three, balconies included — a different order of space from most catamarans carrying the same sixteen guests.
Nine cabins in all: two suites and two doubles on the main deck, four doubles and a single on the upper. Eleven crew, and the roster tells you where the operator spends: a chef and a sous chef, a barman, a housekeeper, two engineers. She cruises at ten knots, which is unhurried, and makes two thousand gallons of fresh water a day, which is why nobody rations the showers.
At a glance
The western route, day by day
Arrival and North Seymour
Met at Baltra and taken to the boat, then across to North Seymour: the largest magnificent frigatebird colony in the islands, blue-footed boobies, sea lions and iguanas along the coast.
Vicente Roca and Espinoza Point
Snorkeling and panga rides under the collapsed cliffs at Vicente Roca, where whales and dolphins turn up, then Fernandina: lava fields running into the sea, penguins and flightless cormorants in the cold Cromwell current.
Tagus Cove and Urbina Bay
The trail up the tuff cone to Darwin Lake, past the ship names sailors carved into the rock. Urbina Bay in the afternoon: coral reef pushed above the waterline by tectonic uplift, with giant tortoises and land iguanas near the shore.
Elizabeth Bay and Moreno Point
Mangrove channels and islets at Elizabeth Bay, where turtles feed and rest in the lagoon, then the barren lava at Moreno Point with its birdlife and snorkeling.
Sierra Negra and the breeding centre
Up through the vegetation zones to the caldera rim, with the option to walk out onto the lava at Volcan Chico. The afternoon covers the wetlands and the Arnaldo Tupiza centre, where the island’s tortoises are bred for release.
Charles Darwin Station and Twin Craters
The research station and the tortoise restoration programme, then Los Gemelos: two collapsed magma chambers with a short hike through Scalesia forest between them.
South Plaza and Santa Fe
Land iguanas feeding under the prickly pear on South Plaza, then Santa Fe with its own endemic iguana, the cactus forest, and sea lions on the landing beach.
Lobos Island and departure
Nesting blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds, sea lions and marine iguanas, with Kicker Rock on the horizon. Then the transfer to San Cristobal airport.
Landing sites are set by the National Park and can shift with conditions or park scheduling. The guide adjusts the day; the islands do not take requests.
Six ways to sail her
- A — 8 days. The western route above: North Seymour, Isabela, Fernandina, Santa Cruz, the Plazas and Santa Fe. Ends at San Cristobal.
- B — 6 days. The southern islands: Twin Craters, South Plaza, Santa Fe, San Cristobal, Espanola and Floreana.
- C — 5 days. Santa Cruz highlands, Sullivan Bay, Bartolome, Genovesa and Santiago.
- D — 8 days. The eastern and northern loop: San Cristobal, Espanola, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Bartolome, Genovesa and Santiago.
- E — 4 days. La Galapaguera, Espanola and Floreana in a short window, ending at Baltra.
- F — 6 days. The volcanic west: North Seymour, Vicente Roca, Fernandina, Tagus Cove, Elizabeth Bay and Sierra Negra.
The two eight-day routes share almost nothing, so back to back they cover the archipelago properly. If you only get one: A is the volcanic west with Fernandina and Sierra Negra; D carries Genovesa and its two hundred thousand red-footed boobies, plus Espanola, where the waved albatross nests between April and December. Routes start and finish on different islands — check yours before booking flights.
What she carries
- Private balcony on every cabin
- Jacuzzi on the sun deck
- Kayaks and snorkel gear
- Water maker producing 2,000 gallons a day
- Air conditioning and a private bathroom in every cabin
- Two 20-person life rafts
- Two naval radars, two GPS units, Navtex and depth sounder
- Fire detection and prevention systems
- Equipment meeting or exceeding SOLAS standards
What the price covers
Included
- A cabin with private bathroom and air conditioning
- All meals on board, snacks, purified water, tea and coffee
- Every scheduled visit and activity with a bilingual guide
- Snorkelling equipment: mask, lenses and fins
- Sea kayaks
- Airport assistance and support 24 hours a day
Not included
- National Park entrance fee — USD 200, cash, on arrival
- Transit control card — USD 20, at the airport before check-in
- Wetsuit rental on board, paid in cash
- Flights to and from the Galapagos
- Soft and alcoholic drinks on board
- Travel and cancellation insurance
- Gratuities for the guide and crew, in cash
Bring cash. The park fee, the transit card, the wetsuit rental, the bar and the tips are all cash-only, which adds up to more than most people arrive with. Budget USD 220 for the fees alone, and ask us for the current wetsuit rate when you write.
Where you sleep
Two suites of forty-three square metres and two doubles of thirty on the main deck; four more doubles and a single on the upper. Every measurement includes the balcony, and every cabin has a private bathroom and air conditioning. The single is fourteen square metres, which is generous for a cabin sold to one person.
Meals on board
A chef and a sous chef for sixteen guests, which is an unusual ratio and shows up on the plate. All meals are covered, with purified water, tea and coffee throughout. Soft drinks and alcohol are charged separately and paid in cash. Tell us about dietary needs before you sail rather than on the first evening.
Is this your boat?
Book it if
- Cabin space is what you are actually paying for
- You want a balcony without moving to the top category
- Food matters to you — two chefs for sixteen guests
- You are travelling alone and want a single that is not an afterthought
Choose another cruise if
- You came to dive — this is a naturalist cruise, not a dive boat
- You need a published price before you enquire
- You would rather not carry several hundred dollars in cash
- Ten knots feels slow — faster boats exist in this class
Want the faster crossing? Compare the Ocean Spray. Newer hulls? The Elite or the Endemic. Came for the sharks instead? See our Galapagos diving cruises.
Ask us for a quote
Six routes run on the Petrel, from four to eight days, and the rate moves with the season and the cabin. Send us your dates and we come back with what is sailing, which cabins are open, and the full cost with park fees included.