7-Day Galápagos Cruise Experience with HX Expeditions

In this episode, we set out on our latest bucket list adventure: the Galápagos Islands. A place where evolution isn’t just theory—it’s daily life.

We’re following in Darwin’s footsteps as we spend the next week island-hopping and getting up close with giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, sea lions, sharks, and as many of the islands’ Big 15 as we can track down.

And our basecamp for this wild expedition? HX’s Santa Cruz II. This 90-passenger ship is our floating home away from shore—complete with comfortable cabins, creative cuisine, and some well-earned cocktails every evening after days filled with adventure on land and beneath the waves.

But before the islands came Quito. Our nine-day, all-inclusive journey started in Ecuador’s capital—the highest on the planet—where we explored historic sites, tasted authentic local flavors, and stood with one foot in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern. From there, HX flew us out to the islands, bussed us to the port, and set us on our first zodiac ride—delivering us to the ship that will carry us through this unforgettable journey.

So if you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing the Galápagos for yourself and want to see what every detail is like, sit back, relax, and enjoy the adventure.

Contents:

0:00 Intro
1:12 HX Santa Cruz II Ship Tour
7:49 First Excursion
9:29 Mosquera Islet
14:32 Red-Footed Boobies Hike
18:51 Lunch on the Ship
19:37 Deep-Water Snorkel with Sea Lions
23:24 Kicker Rock
23:48 Bridge Tour
24:39 Exploring San Cristobal Island
26:45 Ship Science Center
27:37 Santa Fe Island
32:05 Snorkeling with Sharks
33:00 South Plaza Island
38:08 Santa Cruz Island Darwin Research Station
47:14 Wild Porteri Tortoise Breeding Grounds
51:17 Española Island
58:15 Gardener Beach and Deep-Water Snorkel
59:51 Sunset Cocktails
1:00:50 Glass-Bottom Boat
1:02:48 Swimming with Sharks, Stingrays and More
1:04:10 North Seymour Island
1:05:34 Conclusion
1:06:52 Behind the Scenes