Petrel - 35.05m (2019)

Custom-built in the Galápagos Islands in 2019, Petrel was conceived specifically for navigating the UNESCO World Heritage archipelago that defines evolutionary science. Her 35-meter hull moves between the thirteen major islands and countless islets where Darwin's finches still demonstrate natural selection in real time, accessing anchorages from the marine iguana colonies of Fernandina to the giant tortoise reserves of Santa Cruz. This purpose-built expedition vessel positions guests within swimming distance of sea lions at Champion Islet or snorkeling range of Galápagos penguins at Bartolomé. Petrel's itineraries follow the protected waterways where blue-footed boobies nest on volcanic cliffs and hammerhead sharks patrol underwater seamounts. Her shallow draft and local construction enable access to restricted visitor sites that larger vessels cannot reach, while her recent launch ensures modern systems support extended exploration of these remote Pacific waters. Each day aboard unfolds around wildlife encounters impossible elsewhere on Earth, from tracking the courtship rituals of waved albatross on Española to observing the feeding behaviors of marine iguanas along the coastlines of Santiago.