Seaman Journey
Four routes from four days to eight, including one that reaches Genovesa in a long weekend. Sixteen guests, nine crew, kayaks and snorkel gear free to use.
Genovesa in four days
The short route reaches the seabird island, which almost no four-day itinerary manages.
Kayaks and snorkel
Free to use, along with the soft drinks, coffee and tea. Fewer things to settle at the end.
A wide hull
Eleven metres of beam on a twenty-seven metre catamaran, with a shallow metre-and-a-half draft.
Four routes, four different trips
Seaman Journey is a boutique motor catamaran: twenty-seven and a half metres, eleven of beam, fibreglass, built in 2007. Sixteen guests, nine crew, and a draft of a metre forty-five that lets her anchor closer in than deeper hulls. Kayaks, snorkel gear and a sport platform come with the boat, and the soft drinks, coffee and tea are inside the fare.
The interesting part is the route list. Two western itineraries of seven and eight days take Isabela and Fernandina at an unhurried pace, while the two short routes split north and south: one reaching Genovesa from Friday to Monday, the other running San Cristobal, Espanola and Floreana. Between them they cover the archipelago in whatever length of trip you actually have.
At a glance
Isabela and Fernandina, day by day
Arrival, highlands and Twin Craters
Met at Baltra and taken to the boat, then up into the Santa Cruz highlands for giant tortoises in the wild and the two collapsed magma chambers at Los Gemelos.
Moreno Point and Mangle Point
Barren lava and brackish pools with views to three volcanoes, then the mangrove channels at Mangle Point on Fernandina, where turtles and rays feed in the shallows.
Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove
Coral reef pushed above the waterline by tectonic uplift, with giant tortoises and land iguanas near the shore. In the afternoon, the walk to Darwin Lake past the ship names sailors carved into the cliffs.
Espinosa Point and Vicente Roca
The westernmost island and the largest marine iguana colonies on earth, with penguins and flightless cormorants alongside. Then snorkeling in the cold upwelling at Vicente Roca with turtles and mola mola.
Espumilla Beach and Egas Port
Golden sand and mangroves at Espumilla, then the tide pools, lava tubes and fur seals along the black rock at Egas Port — the best chance of the week to see fur seals close.
Rabida and Chinese Hat
The red sand beach with its flamingo lagoon and pelican nests, then Chinese Hat: lava formations, penguins on the channel and clear water over volcanic rock.
Black Turtle Cove and farewell
A dinghy ride with the engine off through the red mangroves, watching rays, reef sharks 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
- Western — 7 days, Friday to Thursday. The route above: Santa Cruz highlands, Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Rabida and Black Turtle Cove.
- Western extended — 8 days, Friday to Friday. The same western islands with two more days added: Sullivan Bay, Bartholomew and Bachas Beach at the end.
- Northern — 4 days, Friday to Monday. North Seymour, both Genovesa sites, South Plaza, Santa Fe and the San Cristobal breeding centre. Baltra to San Cristobal.
- Southern — 5 days, Monday to Friday. San Cristobal with the interpretation centre and Witch Hill, Espanola, Floreana and the Fausto Llerena centre. San Cristobal to Baltra.
The northern route is the one worth planning around: Genovesa sits alone in the far north and most short itineraries write it off as too far, yet this one gets there and back between Friday and Monday. The southern route carries Espanola, where the waved albatross nests between April and December. Both start on one island and end on another, so check yours before booking flights.
What she carries
- Snorkel equipment, free to use
- Sea kayaks
- Sport platform
- Lounge and dining room
- Outdoor deck and shaded seating
- Three thousand gallons of fresh water capacity
- 110v and 220v power on board
What the price covers
Included
- All meals throughout the cruise
- Every excursion on the itinerary
- Bilingual National Park guide
- All transfers within the islands
- Use of the snorkel equipment
- Use of the kayaks
- Coffee, tea and soft drinks
- Airport assistance
Not included
- National Park entrance fee — USD 200
- Transit control card — USD 20
- Mainland to Galapagos airfare
- Wetsuit rental
- Alcoholic drinks
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips and personal expenses
Soft drinks, coffee and tea being included is worth a line: on most boats in this class they run through the bar and turn up as a bill at the end of the week. The wetsuit is the one to budget for — the western route spends two days in the cold Cromwell current, which is where the best snorkeling happens.
Where you sleep
Cabins for sixteen guests, in matrimonial and twin configurations, each with a private bathroom. Between excursions there is a lounge, a dining room and a shaded outdoor deck — eleven metres of beam means the shared spaces feel a size larger than the guest count suggests.
Meals on board
All meals are covered, along with coffee, tea and soft drinks throughout the day. Alcohol is charged separately. Tell us about dietary needs before you sail rather than on the first evening.
Is this your boat?
Book it if
- You want Genovesa but only have a long weekend
- Kayaking and snorkeling matter more to you than a jacuzzi
- Your dates are fixed and you need a route that fits them
- Stability at anchor matters — this is a wide, shallow catamaran
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
Same hull, remoter route? The Samba reaches Marchena. Want balconies? The Treasure. Travelling alone? The Solaris. Came for the sharks instead? See our Galapagos diving cruises.
Ask us for a quote
Four routes run on the Seaman Journey, from four days to eight, 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 the park fees included.