Expert Naturalists Guide Guests to Reconnect with Nature on a Galapagos Voyage

The sea lions were putting on a show. While I was snorkeling with my fellow travelers, these playful creatures entertained us with their acrobatics. They weren't alone; schools of vibrant fish swam by as penguins gracefully glided through the water. A cormorant startled me, but it was the five white tip reef sharks, each around four feet long, that really caught my attention. I clutched the arm of one of the Ecuadorian naturalist guides, grateful for his presence.

Visiting Galápagos National Park allows you to get up close with these remarkable animals, all of which remain surprisingly unbothered by your presence. To venture beyond the few inhabited islands, you’ll require a park-certified naturalist guide and a means of water transport—ideally, Silversea Cruises’ luxurious Silver Origin. With a capacity of 100 passengers, it meets the park’s guest limit, offering a blend of upscale service and unique expedition-style adventure.

Aboard the Silver Origin, suites feature ocean-view showers to ensure breathtaking vistas, along with walk-in closets, designer bathrobes, and fair-trade chocolates sourced from the Ecuadorian Andes. A dedicated butler is available to serve you a cappuccino or a perfectly crafted martini and will even have your wet bathing suit laundered by the next day. The ship’s anchorless technology allows it to hover without disturbing the seafloor when it stops. (This eco-friendly innovation was first introduced by Silversea’s sister line, Celebrity Cruises, in the Galápagos in 2019.) Once anchored, guests can board Zodiacs for onshore adventures, such as strolling among thousands of mating iguanas or hiking a picturesque volcanic peak.

Enjoying champagne in the hot tub is certainly a treat, but Silver Origin truly stands out with its exceptional 1:10 guide-to-guest ratio, touted by Silversea as the highest in the Galápagos. One afternoon, while kayaking through the verdant mangroves of Isabela Island, a playful young sea lion approached, proudly displaying an octopus in its mouth. This was a rare sight, as noted by my naturalist companion. I didn’t envy the sea lion’s catch; if I craved locally caught octopus, it was readily available on the menu back on board.