Beluga
A hundred and ten feet of steel hull at twelve knots, with a triple cabin for families and two cabins whose beds join or separate. Sixteen guests, wetsuits included.
A triple cabin
Two lower berths and an upper, so a family of three travels in one room rather than two.
Beds that move
Two cabins take beds joined or apart, decided by who is travelling rather than by the brochure.
Twelve knots
Faster than most first class yachts, on a longer hull. The crossings take less out of the week.
Room to arrange
Beluga is a superior first class motor vessel with a steel hull: a hundred and ten feet, sixteen guests, twelve knots cruising. Steel and length do the same thing here — she sits heavier in the water than the small yachts and moves faster than most of them, which matters on the long night runs to Genovesa and Fernandina.
The cabins are where she differs. One is a triple with two lower berths and an upper. Two more take beds that join into a matrimonial or split into twins, and the rest divide between matrimonial doubles and twins. Wetsuits and snorkel gear come with the fare rather than being rented on the first morning, which on the western routes is not a small thing.
At a glance
Genovesa, Espanola and Floreana, day by day
Arrival, highlands and the research station
Met at Baltra, then up into the Santa Cruz highlands to find giant tortoises in the wild. The Charles Darwin Station in the afternoon, with its breeding programme for tortoises and land iguanas.
South Plaza and Santa Fe
Tall Opuntia cactus, land and marine iguanas and a sea lion bachelor colony on the cliffs of South Plaza. Santa Fe in the afternoon has its own endemic land iguana and a Palo Santo forest.
Witch Hill, El Junco and the Galapaguera
A volcanic cone above a white sand beach full of sea lions and boobies, then up to El Junco at seven hundred metres — the only freshwater lagoon in the archipelago — and tortoises in their own habitat.
Gardner Bay and Suarez Point
Sea lion colonies on white sand, snorkeling off Gardner and Osborn islets with reef sharks and turtles, then the trail at Suarez Point: the blowhole, Galapagos hawks, and the waved albatross between April and December.
Cormorant Point, Devil’s Crown and Post Office Bay
Two beaches of different colours and a lagoon with flamingos, then snorkeling inside a submerged volcano eroded into a crown. The afternoon is human history: the mail barrel that has worked since the whalers.
Dragon Hill and Sullivan Bay
A hypersaline lagoon behind the beach at Cerro Dragon, usually with flamingos on it, then Sullivan Bay: a century-old lava field with pahoehoe formations and lava bubbles you walk across.
Darwin Bay and El Barranco
Tower Island: a flooded caldera acting as a natural harbour. Thousands of frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, tropicbirds and storm petrels on the cliffs, and a real chance of the short-eared owl hunting on the lava.
Turtle Cove and farewell
A dinghy ride with the engine off through the red mangroves of Caleta Tortuga, watching rays and green turtles in the shallows, then the transfer to Baltra.
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.
Four ways to sail her
- Eastern — 8 days, Wednesday to Wednesday. The route above: the Plazas, Santa Fe, San Cristobal, Espanola, Floreana, Santiago, Genovesa and Turtle Cove.
- Western — 8 days, Wednesday to Wednesday. Chinese Hat, Rabida, Sierra Negra, Elizabeth Bay, Punta Moreno, Urbina Bay, Tagus Cove, Fernandina, Santiago and Bartolome.
- Eastern short — 6 days, Friday to Wednesday. San Cristobal, Espanola, Floreana, Santiago and Genovesa, finishing at Turtle Cove.
- Western short — 6 days, Friday to Wednesday. Starts on Isabela: Sierra Negra, Elizabeth Bay, Urbina Bay, Tagus Cove, Fernandina, Santiago and Bartolome.
The two eight-day routes split the archipelago cleanly, so back to back they cover almost everything. If you only get one: the eastern route carries Genovesa and Espanola, the two islands a day tour cannot reach; the western carries Fernandina and Sierra Negra. The western short route starts on Isabela rather than at Baltra, so you need to reach Puerto Villamil by speedboat or small plane the day before — ask us and we arrange it with the booking.
What the price covers
Included
- Accommodation on board
- All meals and snacks
- Purified water
- Every excursion with a bilingual naturalist guide
- Wetsuits
- Snorkel equipment
Not included
- National Park entrance fee
- Migratory control card — USD 20
- Flights to and from the Galapagos
- Bottled and alcoholic drinks on board
- Travel and cancellation insurance
- Gratuities and personal expenses
The wetsuit being included counts for more than it sounds on the western routes: the Cromwell current keeps the water cold enough that most people stop snorkeling without one. Ask us for the current park fee when you write — it is paid in cash on arrival and has changed recently.
Where you sleep
Eight cabins and no two identical. One is a triple, with two lower berths and an upper. Two are matrimonial doubles, three are twins, and two more take beds joined into a double or split into twins, decided when you book. Tell us who is travelling and we will tell you which cabins work — on this boat that question has a real answer.
Meals on board
All meals and snacks are covered, with purified water throughout. Bottled and alcoholic drinks are charged separately. Tell us about dietary needs before you sail rather than on the first evening.
Is this your boat?
Book it if
- You are three and want one cabin rather than two
- Whether the beds join or split actually matters to your group
- You want the wetsuit and snorkel gear inside the fare
- Twelve knots on a steel hull sounds better than a slower, lighter boat
Choose another cruise if
- You came to dive — this is a naturalist cruise, not a dive boat
- You want a balcony, a suite or a jacuzzi
- You are travelling alone — there is no single cabin here
- You need a published price before you enquire
Travelling alone? The Cachalote Explorer and the Elite sell single berths. Want more comfort? The Petrel. Came for the sharks instead? See our Galapagos diving cruises.
Ask us for a quote
Four routes run on the Beluga, of six and eight days, and the rate depends on the cabin and the season. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we come back with what is open and the full cost with fees included.