Snorkeling with penguins and dining under the stars?
An intimate cruise in the Galapagos Islands brings you up close to nature, but doesnt skimp on luxury.
Every few seconds, a fin would break the surface, revealing the stark contrast of a white underbelly.
Shouts from another inflatable raft broke the stillness.
Our companion boat had caught up to us.
Does he know how lucky he is?
Do we know how lucky we are?
I emphasize rigorous to banish the idea of this being a cocktails-with-your-feet-up kind of a vacation.
Arguably more strenuous than most African safaris, aGalapagos cruisechallenges the mind, body, and spirit.
There were multiple snorkeling trips through the Pacific waves in heavy-duty wet suits as penguins darted by our flippers.
Sweat-soaked hikes near volcanoes (yes, plural).
He barked at us like an impatient toddler as we boated to theGrace.
That may have been easier because of the intimate nature of the ship.
And there was a place for everything.
Quasar Expeditionscurrently operates theGraceand one other vessel, the 32-passenger Evolution.
(A new 18-guest yacht, the Conservation, will debut in December 2024.)
Passengers must be back on their ships by 6:30 p.m., and they can leave nothing behind.
By law, all visitors must be accompanied by one certified guide for every 16 people.
On the Grace, Quasar staffs one for every eight.
(I gladly let her handle that one.)
It was a humbling theater, as hundreds of storm petrels danced overhead with the Pacific as a backdrop.
There was a rhythm to every day, one that allowed us to push our personal boundaries.
Lunch, sometimes with a show.
They stood spellbound, elbow-to-elbow, watching hundreds of the mammals catapult out of the water in unison.
The 16-passenger Grace sails through the Galápagos Islands.Credit:Courtesy of Quasar Expeditions
Social creatures, watching other social creatures.
We want to share this place with the world, Reck said to me over an afternoon coffee.
There is an abundance there that I have not seen in many years.
From left: The lounge aboard the Grace; the captain’s wheel.Courtesy of Quasar Expeditions
I wanted to prepare us in case we saw the lightning-quick shark or the otherworldly seahorses.
(I did catch one flick of a shark, but zero seahorses.)
There were hundreds, maybe thousands I gave up trying to keep score.
From left: A sea lion on Genovesa Island; Prince Philip’s Steps, a natural rock formation on Genovesa Island.From left: Courtesy of Jacqueline Gifford; Wolfgang Kaehler/Alamy
I squeezed Bobbys hand, and we both reached out to try and hug them close.
Eight- or 15-dayGalapagos cruises with Quasar Expeditionsstart at $7,300.
Viewing wildlife up close on one of the Grace’s two Zodiacs.Courtesy of Quasar Expeditions
From left: A parade of penguins; the author’s son, Bobby, with a Sally Lightfoot crab.Courtesy of Jacqueline Gifford
Grilled salmon with vegetables aboard the Grace.Courtesy of Quasar Expeditions
From left: A Galápagos tortoise on Santa Cruz Island; watercolors by another passenger on the author’s trip.From left: Matt Dutile; Courtesy of Jacqueline Gifford
