Galapagos Question

[bohaiboy]

My wife and I are not water people )swimming, snorkeling, etc) but love being on teh water.  Zodiacs are fine, kayaks not so much.  So my question is are there lots of other opportunities for those of us that don't want to literally dip our toe in the waters?  I am assuming lots of boat rides and shore activities as well.  And I assume there is no bad time to go there due to its location close to the equator.

[Arlopop]

May I suggest you watch this series to get a better idea of what this cruise entails (parts 1-4)?

 

[chrism23]

14 hours ago, bohaiboy said:

My wife and I are not water people )swimming, snorkeling, etc) but love being on teh water.  Zodiacs are fine, kayaks not so much.  So my question is are there lots of other opportunities for those of us that don't want to literally dip our toe in the waters?  I am assuming lots of boat rides and shore activities as well.  And I assume there is no bad time to go there due to its location close to the equator.

I have to say that being in the water, snorkeling, was by far the best part of the cruise, which was the best cruise I have ever taken.  Second day, we are snorkeling off the beach, where a sea lion rookery is, there were more than 100 of these critters, we were scared for a second, and then we figured out they wanted to play with you, they come speeding toward you and dive underneath you, or go flying over you, one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had, laughing so hard I flooded my mask.  Same thing next day with large green sea turtles.  I neither case was the water deep or far from shore.  I run on here  because before this trip my wife had never snorkeled and was very apprehensive.  I took her to the local YMCA pool a couple of times before we went to have her get used to it.  It is not really difficult.  Now, when we travel, I can't get her out of the water when we are able to snorkel.  Just my opinion but I think you'd be missing out on a whole lot of fun.  cheers

[RachelG]

I don't like snorkeling and have been to the Galapagos twice.  Snorkeling is just a tiny part of the trip.  My husband loves snorkeling, and he loved it there--a penguin landed on his back and used him as a diving board.

 

However, you will definitely get your feet wet getting on and off the zodiac.  Usually the water is pretty shallow, but once was almost up to my waist. 

[Fletcher]

We did a couple of zodiac trips - one around Bartholme island, another into a mangrove area - but most of the excursions were on land which you get to by zodiac.  These walks were guided and by that I mean you are aggressively herded.  No one may stray away from the group or step off the path.  I lingered for a photo and was quickly corralled back again.  Guides also force you to stand in the searing heat for 10 minutes while they describe the life cycle of a bug you can't see or a bird that isn't there today. 

[newbie500]

There are several excursion options every day, so if you don't want to get into the water, you don't have to. BUT some of the zodiac landings are "wet" landings so your feet will get wet. The guides are outstanding, and I never felt unsafe, even getting on and off the zodiacs. Each evening, the next day's activities are clearly outlined so you'll be able to decide which excursion meets your needs and comfort level. Silversea has two 7-day itineraries. Our first Galapagos trip was in Nov. 2019 on the Silver Galapagos, sadly no longer part of the fleet. We are returning next year on the Silver Origin to do the other itinerary. It's an amazing trip and I encourage you to take advantage of every bit of it. And Silversea does an outstanding job!