A family of four, including a 4-year-old daughter, spent their second day in Ecuador's Galápagos Islands snorkeling with Galápagos penguins, sea lions, and other wildlife off Bartolomé Island. The article describes the family's thrilling experience observing these animals in their natural habitat, as well as their stay at the Finch Bay Hotel on Santa Cruz Island. The hotel is described as a "sun-drenched paradise" with luxurious rooms and a pool that was perfect for the family to enjoy. Meals at the hotel were also a highlight of their trip, featuring fresh seafood and kid-friendly options.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
We independently select everything we recommend.
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Buying through us may earn us a commission, which supports our work.
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The water was warm and I was busy watching the fish and one curious little octopus unfurl from a crevice below me when I heard a squeal.
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I → watch → squeal
All of a sudden I felt something move fast beside me, and I heard the squeals turn into a clear, shrill, “Sea lions!”
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squeals → feel → lions
I quickly moved my head back into the water and looked down to see three of them doing somersaults to my left.
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three → move → left
We had slipped off the Sea Lion Yacht near Bartolomé Island, and within minutes a sleek, little flash zipped past our group — a Galápagos penguin, small and speedy.
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flash → slip → group
The sea lions continued to twirl around us, curious and playful, weaving between us and the penguin as we tried to follow it, hoping to get a closer glimpse.
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we → continue → glimpse
My four-year-old daughter couldn’t stop giggling, full of excitement for what we were witnessing.
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We floated there as we spotted another penguin climbing up the nearby rocks to sun itself.
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penguin → float → itself
“Mommy, there’s a turtle below us!” she said, clinging to her life raft.
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she → ’ → raft
I poked my head under to see a green sea turtle rising up from the reef below, with two blacktip reef sharks circling even deeper.
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sharks → poke → reef
A marine iguana was spotted next, looking like it was trying to win a race as it glided across the top of the water, its tail swinging behind it.
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tail → spot → it
A snorkelling trip to remember, we were all in awe of the biodiversity we’d already experienced in Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, on the second day of our family trip.
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we → remember → trip
After a meal and a snooze on the Sea Lion Yacht, we came ashore on Santa Cruz at our home for the next few days: Finch Bay Hotel.
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The hotel is a sun-drenched paradise that overlooks the rugged shoreline of one of the most populated islands in the Galápagos.
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that → drench → Galápagos
You wouldn’t know it here at Finch Bay, which felt like our own little sanctuary.
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We stayed in one of the Evolution Suites, and I still dream about the bathroom.
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The tub sat beside a floor-to-ceiling window that looked straight out over the ocean, with cactus, flowers and bright green plants in the foreground.
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that → sit → foreground
The suite was complete with warm wood, soft linens and a big balcony where we drank iced coffee and had downtime from the sun.
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we → drink → sun
The pool was a short walk from our room, although the regular stops to watch sunning iguanas or salamanders clinging to the walls slowed down our pace.
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stops → watch → pace
It had a shallow ledge next to the deep end, perfect for our entire family to enjoy — if we weren’t at the beach (right in front of the pool) we were here.
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we → have → pool
Meals at Finch Bay were a highlight: fresh ceviche, grilled fish with citrus and herbs and breakfasts of papaya, passion fruit and fresh pressed juices plus lots of kid-friendly options.
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Birds visited every common space — finches, mockingbirds, herons and even a lava gull one lucky day — much to my toddlers’ delight.
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The staff was attentive, and no request seemed too big.
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request → seem → ?
The morning before the penguin sighting, we boarded the Sea Lion Yacht for North Seymour Island.
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we → board → Island
We found blue-footed boobies performing the theatrical courtship.
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I’d seen it in a David Attenborough documentary, but they were right in front of us and we watched as they lifted their bright feet and honked to their mate as our naturalist guide explained the ritual.
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guide → see → ritual
Frigatebirds showed off their red throat pouches all puffed up like balloons when a male tried to impress a female.
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male → show → female
We walked along trails where land iguanas lounged all around us, blending into the clay.
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On the return trip we snorkelled again and found a different set of creatures: huge schools of small reef fish and stingrays gliding across the sand.
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we → snorkelle → sand
Bartolomé felt like we were stepping onto another planet.
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we → feel → planet
The volcanic cones and slopes, black lava fields and barren landscape made the summit trail feel like we were walking on the moon (or Mars).
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we → make → moon
From the top, the view of Pinnacle Rock and the surrounding turquoise water felt like the famous Galápagos postcard come to life.
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view → surround → life
Back on Santa Cruz, we visited the giant tortoise reserve where we were able to get up close.
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we → visit → reserve
Explaining to my daughter that the tortoise, just steps away from her, had weathered more than a century felt wild.
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tortoise → explain → century
At the Charles Darwin Research Station, our naturalist guide taught us about breeding programs, invasive species control and the work of restoring habitats.
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guide → teach → habitats
We watched a young tortoise being checked and learned how careful monitoring and community engagement have helped some populations recover.
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populations → watch → ?
It was a rare chance to see conservation in action and to understand that these islands are living, fragile systems.
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islands → see → action
Luckily, Finch Bay and its parent company, Metropolitan Touring, own the Sea Lion Yacht (and others) and were able to put together our entire itinerary, which makes things simple for families who are comfortable being hands-off with planning.
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who → own → planning
The company has been working across Ecuador and the Galápagos to promote sustainable tourism, support local communities and fund conservation projects.
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company → work → projects
…and 8 more, not listed.
