Aqua Expeditions Hosts Voyages On The Galapagos’ First Superyacht

19.09.2023 - 13:45 / forbes.com

Experience the wildlife-rich Galapagos on Aqua Mare, the newest luxury ocean vessel of Aqua Expeditions and the first of its kind in this archipelago.

Last year, luxury cruise specialist Aqua Expeditions announced the launch of its new cruising yacht, Aqua Mare, which—joining a collection of other Aqua Expeditions vessels in nature-rich locations of Indonesia, the Mekong and Amazon—will sail year-round in the Galapagos Islands – an archipelago around 600 miles off mainland Ecuador that’s long garnered the attention of nature enthusiasts for its unique landscape and endemic wildlife resulting from volcanic formation and its position between four ocean currents.

Nowhere else can you see unique species like the Galapagos penguin, marine iguana and Galapagos tortoise, which live alongside other extraordinary species like the blue-footed booby, flamingo and Galapagos sea lion in diverse landscape ranging from sandy shores and volcanic plateaus to mangrove, windswept clifftops and lush highlands. With Aqua Mare being the first superyacht in the archipelago, on no other cruise vessel can you experience this environment in such style.

This is a small group expedition (accommodating 16 guests on-board and with groups excursions limited to eight people) where exploration of the wildlife-rich landscape and waters of this archipelago meets plush accommodation–joined by opulent social spaces including a lounge area, indoor and outdoor dining space and a roof deck with Jacuzzi–and elevated gastronomy that’s been curated by the star Peruvian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. A company that’s long stood out for its commitment to sustainability and care for the environment, this is also a cruise that you know is aligned with the Galapagos Islands’ focus on achieving a balance between its tourism and protection of the landscape and wildlife.

Following its 2022 launch, Aqua Mare is now newly available for private charter and, earlier this year, Aqua Expeditions also added to Aqua Mare’s offering with the introduction of SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Internet, making it the only small ship expedition line to have this technology on its voyages through remote parts of the natural world. This along with a dining concept that’s draws on its locale and service afforded by a one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio help set the on board experience apart in luxurious interiors designed by François Zuretti.

Even with this level of luxury on board, the focus of these expedition cruises is of course primarily on the extraordinary environment you’re sailing through. On voyages through the east or west islands of the archipelago, each day presents a series of land and water-based excursions on which the vessel’s two local naturalist guides immerse