Galapagos

Welcome to Galápagos!

Darwin’s islands are the improbable home to species you’ll find no place else on earth. Come discover why these islands are so famous. Swim with sea lions and penguins, kayak with sea turtles, walk among nesting boobies, watch carnival-colored crabs jostle for territory, learn about the geology and geography that make Galapagos special, and stargaze under the equatorial sky, all under the guidance of our superb naturalists.

The most rewarding and environmentally sound way to visit the Galápagos is by yacht. The most luxurious yacht with the finest naturalists in the islands is INTEGRITY. And the most experienced team to deliver your Galápagos dream is INCA.

COVID-19 Information

All naturalist guides and yacht crew have received special training to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and are dedicated to ensure you enjoy your time in the islands worry-free. Read more about these efforts here »

The Adventures

Experiencing Galápagos the INCA way

At INCA, we consider ourselves the original Galápagos Specialists. We offer a truly special Galápagos experience – different than other luxury operators. INCA was founded in 1976 by Bill Roberson, a former Galápagos guide, naturalist, scientist and educator. With over 40 years of experience in Galápagos, INCA's trips stand head and shoulders above all other offerings to this incredible destination.

Our Naturalists

Our naturalist guides are selected by INCA, which means that we personally know them and trust them to take care for our guests. They meet our exceedingly high standards.

Most of our naturalist guides have completed graduate or postgraduate degrees in the natural sciences and have an average 20 years of guiding experience. They are all old hands and passionate about the Galápagos.

Regardless of their background, they are fluent in idiomatic English. Most important of all, each one is a superb teacher and congenial host. We all know that the guide makes the trip - that’s why we choose our guides so carefully.

Our Yacht

INCA is the exclusive representative of the luxury 16-passenger, 141-foot yacht INTEGRITY. The yacht's size allows access to visitor sites not accessible to the larger ships that most other luxury operators use. With only 16 guests aboard a zodiac, INCA guests are shuttled quickly from the yacht to and from the Islands providing more time at the sites.

INTEGRITY is owned, operated, and fastidiously maintained to the highest safety standards by the hands-on owners and Galápagos residents, Rolf Sievers and his two sons. They stand by 24/7 to mitigate any issues that may arise. With that level of commitment and dedication, INCA’s clients are assured of a complete and uninterrupted experience.

The crews have worked together for many years and are dedicated, experienced and attentive. And, most importantly, the Sievers team shares the INCA vision of what it takes to deliver an exceptional Galápagos adventure.

Our Itineraries

INCA’s distinctive approach always includes starting every cruise on Santa Cruz Island prior to boarding the yacht. This also allows our guests to enjoy an uninterrupted week’s cruising to the outer islands that other operators cannot reach.

Our guests' serenity and immersion in the wildlife experience is not broken by a mid-trip return to civilization that other boats must do. That makes an INCA Galápagos experience unique and gives our guests more time to cruise INCA’s carefully crafted and exceptionally rewarding itineraries.

The INCA Team

The INCA office staff knows Galápagos from personal experience of multiple trips and are dedicated to the details of making your trip an adventure of a lifetime. We have dedicated associates in the Galápagos, Quito and Guayaquil just as we have in each of INCA’s destinations around the world. They are on hand to ensure a seamless journey, to smooth out any unanticipated wrinkles, and to provide for special requests. In essence, they are there to deliver the promised INCA experience. Our guests can be assured that when they are in Ecuador or Galápagos they are our team’s priority.

Experiencing Galápagos the INCA way will give you more quality time than on any other company’s trip. You will have more time on the outlying islands and are able to visit more sites. You will gain greater insight into the flora, fauna and the colorful human history of the islands, swim with penguins and sea lions, walk with boobies and giant tortoises, and simply soak up more Galápagos.

The Animals

Visitors quickly become aware of the remarkable quality of the Galápagos fauna—these animals show little or no fear as you come very close. The birds don’t fly away; instead they appear interested in you. Marine iguanas sunning themselves will pay you no mind.

Why are these creatures unafraid? Because mammalian predators couldn’t survive the long sea voyages on logs or rafts needed to reach these islands. So the wildlife of Galápagos evolved without the predator threats faced by mainland species. They had nothing to fear on land at least until 1535, when man first arrived. Although the crews of pirate ships, whalers and fur sealers carried away tens of thousands of giant tortoises for food and hunted fur seals almost to extinction, only the fur seals became wary of humans. What remains is an environment unique in all the world—a truly peaceable kingdom.

Darwin’s Legacy

When Charles Darwin and colleagues reviewed the collections from his 1835 visit, they found that half the birds and plants were different from species found elsewhere in the world, that nearly all the reptiles were different, and about a third of the shore fish were unique. What’s more, they discovered that the various species of Galápagos finches seemed specific to different islands. Darwin’s puzzling over these observations led him to develop the theory of natural selection, a theory that has forever changed the way we view nature and mankind.

What will I see?

On all Galápagos adventures, you’ll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galápagos National Park headquarters on the island of Santa Cruz to learn firsthand about the conservation and research efforts in the islands. There you’ll see tortoise hatchlings and learn about rearing programs that are saving several subspecies of tortoises and iguanas from extinction.

In addition to Santa Cruz, the islands you may visit during your cruise of the archipelago will vary depending on your itinerary. INTEGRITY Eastern and Western routes are almost equal in opportunity for wildlife viewing, hiking, snorkeling and kayaking.  Unless there is a very specific animal you would like to see during a certain time of the year, we find that guests equally enjoy both routes.  It is really hard to go wrong as both are unique in their own ways.

You will see most iconic Galápagos animals on both itineraries.  These animals include giant tortoises, frigatebirds, boobies, iguanas, Galápagos Penguins, sea lions, fur seals, finches, mockingbirds, sharks, rays, sea turtles.  One big difference is that only on the Eastern Route you will see Red-footed Boobies and from roughly April through November the Waved-albatross, and only on the Western Route will you see the Flightless Cormorant.

Throughout the Islands

The Galápagos Islands lie at the intersection of several major scientific disciplines; geology, volcanology, plate tectonics, ocean currents, climate patterns, and of course, wildlife and the theory of natural selection.  Swim with Sea Turtles, Galápagos Penguins and sea lions, discover giant tortoises in the wild, watch hundreds of marine iguanas basking in the sun, and their much larger terrestrial cousins burrowing nests along park trails.  Delight in brightly colored Sally-Lightfoot crabs, elusive ghost crabs skittering across sandy beaches, or mockingbirds curious about you.  And on both routes, you'll see the iconic Blue-footed Booby, the ultimate clown prince of the Galápagos.

The Eastern Islands

Older, mostly the result of volcanic uplift, these islands are relatively flat, heavily eroded, and home to some spectacular birdlife, such as the world's only breeding site of Waved Albatross on Española Island, or masses of Red-footed Boobies and Great Frigatebirds on Genovesa Island.  If you're lucky, you may even see Short-eared Owls.  You’ll likely also encounter the Large-beaked Ground Finch, Large Cactus Finch, dense colonies of land iguanas, the largest giant opuntia cactus, El Junco—the fresh water lake on San Cristóbal, more opportunity to swim with penguins and see sharks while snorkeling, more nesting frigatebirds, more Swallow-tailed Gulls, more Red-Billed Tropicbirds, swarms of petrels at Genovesa and Short-eared Owls hunting them, iconic Bartolomé peak at sunset. For contrast, you’ll also walk on one of the youngest lava flows in the Islands on Santiago Island.

The Western Islands

Younger and actively volcanic, Isabela and Fernandina Islands are sole home to the unique Flightless Cormorant.  You’ll walk on young lava flows and learn about plate tectonics and geological hot spots.  Explore enormous lagoons, walk on white, red, and green beaches, snorkel in search of the elusive mola mola, and learn about the colorful human history of Floreana Island.  No day-boat tours reach the western visitor sites. You’re likely to encounter Flamingos (3 possible sites), Mangrove Finch, Medium Tree Finch, fur seals sleeping that you can approach closely, more human history (Wittmer's Cave on Floreana, Post Office Barrel, ancient mariner graffiti, salt mine ruins), possible giant tortoises in the wild, greater variety of lava flows, younger islands, giant uplifted coral beds, more Brown Noddy Terns, higher likelihood of seeing marine iguanas feeding, more variety of beaches, higher likelihood of whales and dolphins, possible giant sunfish.

Is this the right trip for me?

Our shore landings in the Galapagos Islands include many short strolls and some longer hikes, usually over rough terrain and sometimes in hot weather. While are none are particularly strenuous, good balance and sturdy shoes will provide a distinct advantage. Obviously, the more fit you are, the more fun you will have. We encourage you to exercise regularly beforehand. If you walk, swim, bicycle, jog, or participate in aerobic workouts, your trip will be easier and more enjoyable.

If in the course of the trip however, you are concerned about your ability to do any particular hike or activity, please consult our naturalist guide before you start. We have structured our itineraries in ways that permit you to skip a planned activity if you choose.