Floreana Island lies about a 5-hour cruise west of Espanola Island, where we'd gone swimming with sea lions the day before.

After taking a typical breakfast of eggs, bread, fruit, coffee, and juice at 7 AM, we took the pangas ashore to Green Beach. From there, we went for a short walk to Flour Beach, where we saw some fresh Sea Turtle tracks in the sand.

The turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs on the sand dunes. They can lay about 100 at a time, which is necessary given the high mortality rate of the little guys.

If they're not eaten before they hatch, then they face flying predators picking them off on the way to the water. If they make it that far, there are plenty of sea creatures ready to eat them too.

Of the 100 eggs laid, one or two turtles may be lucky enough to reach adulthood, and lay their own to continue the cycle.

Walking along the water's edge, we also saw some small stingrays.

We took the pangas back to the yacht where we donned our wetsuits, picked up our snorkels, and then set off for the nearby volcanic outcropping known as Devil's Crown.

The current was especially strong here, so once we jumped in the water, all you had to do was relax, and let it sweep you around the rocks.

The coolest thing I saw on this snorkel was a Blue Footed Boobie dive-bombing the water.

I was looking underwater when I saw something dive down straight in front of me. It was like a spear entering the water, and it wasn't until the bird was on its way back to the surface that I realized what was happening.

Back on the yacht, we had lunch and cruised over to another popular spot on Floreana Island called Post Office Bay.

There's an old tradition of travelers leaving postcards and letters in the mailboxes here.

When you visit, you can either leave a letter or take one addressed to your next destination (or home country) for delivery.

Supposedly, there's no postage charged but I'd be surprised if any actually make it to their final destination for free.

We also climbed down into a lava tunnel for a short walk, which required the use of headlamps.

Hanging out on the beach of Post Office Bay after the lava tunnel, a few people went snorkeling.

It was the one time I decided to skip a snorkel, and everyone who'd gone into the water ended up seeing numerous Sea Turtles.

I was kicking myself then, and wouldn't see any turtles underwater for the remainder of the trip.

The lesson here is to do every snorkel, because you may not get a second chance to see certain animals.

On land, someone noticed a few baby Sea Turtles in the sand.

According to our guides, they had died on their way from the next where they hatched to the water.

Apparently the sunlight can be strong enough to kill them (via dehydration).

After the snorkelers returned to shore, we boarded the pangas back to the Estrella del Mar, cleaned up for dinner, talked about what we saw on Floreana Island, and looked ahead to the following day's encounter with the iconic Giant Land Tortoises.

Aside from reading Darwin's Origin of Species 15 to 20 years ago, I had little knowledge of the Galapagos Islands, so it was a wonderful surprise to learn that we'd have the chance to go swimming with sea lions in Gardner Bay on Day 3.

Located on Espanola Island, in the Southeast corner of the Galapagos marine park, spending time in Gardner Bay erased any lingering thoughts of the Eden Yacht debacle.

We arrived in the tranquil waters almost exactly 9 hours after we'd set off from Santa Cruz Island the night before.

This was my first night sleeping aboard a small yacht motoring across the open sea, and it was quite an experience.

I lay awake in my bunk for about 3 hours after dinner, watching the room sway back and forth.

I wasn't getting nauseous; I think it was a combination of excitement, nerves, and the loud noise of the motors that kept me awake that long.

By midnight, the motion sickness pill knocked me out and I slept well until morning.

We had breakfast at 7 AM, and then boarded the pangas for the ride to shore. We were the first visitors to the beach that morning, beating the other boats by 10 - 15 minutes.

The park tightly monitors cruise itineraries to ensure a dozen boats don't arrive in the same locations at the same time.  

As a result, even though there were another 50 - 60 people on the beach besides our group, it still felt fairly empty.

There were sea lions everywhere. Sunning themselves on the beach, rolling around in the surf, and swimming offshore.

They talked to each other by making a gutteral noise that sounded like they were vomiting, but I found everything about them endearing.

We spent some time walking the length of the beach, observing their behavior and taking photos.

Lots of photos.

The more serious photographers, like the other David on our cruise, carried tripods and camera bags with telephoto lenses.

And then most of us donned our wetsuits, fins and snorkels, and hit the water for a trip around a rocky outcropping that was about 50 - 75 meters off the beach.

Felipe had enticed us with the chance to see Galapagos Sharks, in addition to the sea lions.

I've done some snorkeling before, but not often enough to consider myself skillful at it.

Once I'm in the water, it usually takes me awhile to become comfortable with the whole breathing through a tube while looking for sharks concept.

Thankfully, the water was calm enough that morning, and the currents slow enough, that I made it around the rock without too much effort.

We approached it from the left hand side (when looking at photo above), and went counterclockwise. Along that left side, someone was pointing into the water at a certain spot.

I swam over, looked below, and saw a stationary Galapagos Shark hanging out under a rock.

We learned sharks like to rest during the day, and surprisingly, they are able to rest in one spot (contrary to popular belief that they always have to be swimming to stay alive).

Heart beating faster, I continued around the back side of the rocks, and out of nowhere, a sea lion swims up from below, directly in front of me, and does a rotation a few inches away.

The sun was shining bright that morning, and beneath the surface, it illuminated his/her golden brown chest.

Graceful is the best word to describe how these marine mammals move underwater.

I immediately associated the experience of swimming with sea lions with watching mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

Both are awe-inspiring wildlife encounters.

The best in my life.

We returned to the beach, and boarded the pangas for another snorkel.

This time, we headed to a small island in the opposite direction of Gardner Bay, and would snorkel off of the pangas (as there was no beach).

Sticking close to the rocks, we traced the outline of the island, and within 10 minutes, were befriended by several sea lions. At one point, I counted four swimming around below the surface.

We all were excited to be in their company, watching them play beneath the surface, and do the occasional swim-by out of curiosity.

I could've snorkeled there a lot longer than the 30 or so minutes we stayed. I couldn't get enough.

Spoiler Alert: swimming with sea lions in Gardner Bay would be the underwater wildlife highlight of my 8-day Galapagos cruise.

And by the time we climbed back aboard the Estrella del Mar for hot chocolate, and lunch, our day on Espanola Island was only half over.

In the afternoon, we were headed to Punta Suarez, where I'd rediscover my appreciation for birds, big and small.

Monday morning began at 7 AM with the metallic sound of a ringing bell aboard the Eden. I'd slept well, given the yacht had been anchored in a quiet harbor.

On our modified agenda for Day 2 was a visit to Tortuga Bay on Santa Cruz Island.

Felipe assured us it offered was one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos Islands, and who were we to argue.

However, in the back of my mind, I couldn't let go of the fact that we were simply killing time until our new yacht, Estrella del Mar, had been prepared.

At 8 AM, we took the pangas ashore and boarded a 45-minute bus across Santa Cruz Island until we arrived in Punta Ayora, the largest city in the Galapagos.

From our brief drive through town, it wasn't much to look at. It's a short walk to the trail entrance from town, so we saw several other land-based foreigners visiting as well.

Along the way to the beach, which was a 30 to 45-minute walk along a stone trail, Felipe told us about the local fauna, including cacti that can grow to be hundreds of years old, and incense trees.

Small Lava Lizards ran all along trail in front of us.

The walk also introduced us to small but common birds we'd start to see regularly on all the islands, including brown Cactus "Darwin" Finches, yellow Galapagos Flycatchers, and the singing Galapagos Mockingbirds.

Originality didn't seem to be too important when naming species on the volcanic island chain.

A running joke was you could add "lava" or "Galapagos" in front of anything and be almost assured that was the actual name.

The sound of crashing waves greeted us as the trees and cactuses gave way to Tortuga Bay, and its white sand beaches.

We continued walking the length of the bay, its surf too rough for swimming or snorkeling.

The sun was strong, even in the morning. Not only were we at the beach, we were at a beach along the Equatorial line where the sun shines strongest.

I was determined to avoid any severe sunburns, and applied copious amounts of sunscreen throughout the week, in addition to wearing a hat, sunglasses, and long sleeves whenever I could bear it.

Felipe led us to a beach protected by a reef. It was as pretty a beach as I'd ever scene, and everyone immediately got out their snorkel gear to go for a dip in the turquoise waters.

I went in without my wetsuit to test the waters, literally. It was chilly, but the sun warmed my back so it wasn't too bad.

We snorkeled along mangrove trees, however, the visibility was all but non-existent.

I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, yet I was excited at the opportunity to see some life underwater, including White Tip Reef Sharks that were known to be in the area.

Keeping an eye on the time, so as to avoid a massive Day 2 sunburn, I turned back toward the beach about 30 meters before some of the others, who were much closer to the reef.

Turned out I gave up too early on seeing anything worthwhile, as the group by the reef saw some sharks and an octopus.

I learned an early lesson.

Back on the beach, some people sunbathed, while others took photos of the birds, which were all too happy to surround us for a chance at the crumbs of our ham sandwiches.

Clouds began to move in, and a light mist of rain began to fall as we collected our things and made the long walk back to the trail entrance.

The bus was waiting for us, and once we'd all boarded, Felipe informed us we'd be making a quick stop before heading back to the harbor.

That quick stop occurred on the patio of a picturesque hostel in Punto Ayora.

The Eden's Sales Manager gave us 1-page documents and asked that we sign them, thereby accepting the alternate cruise on Estrella del Mar given the Eden had been disabled by a freak mechanical accident.

The situation stoked the annoyances from the night before, however, the only alternative was to get a refund, and basically be left in Punta Ayora to try and book another cruise.

Given all but myself, Sebastien, and Maya were on vacation, that wasn't a feasible option.

We all signed the document. If I had wanted to book a cruise from Punta Ayora, I would've done that previously.

Plus, it's amazing how fast you begin to bond with people, and I was enjoying the company of my cruise mates.

The idea of having to start over with a whole new crew of people didn't appeal to me.

Paperwork signed, we took the 45-minute bus back to the harbor, where we boarded the pangas to Estrella del Mar.

We were shown to our assigned rooms, and as expected, Sebastien and I were placed in a cabin below deck.

I knew the room-with-a-view placement of two solo male travelers on the Eden had been too good to be true.

Our new cabin was the same size, but the beds were wider, and the bathroom a little smaller.

Unlike the Eden, we had our own AC unit which we could fully control.

The interior design of the Estrella del Mar was more of a classic ship design. Less modern, and lots of wood trim.

A third level sundeck was a bonus for us all, and one of the only things I missed from the Eden was the wood decks.

Estrella del Mar had plastic mats which were fine, but not quite as elegant.

After a late lunch, we took the pangas to a nearby beach where we passed a flock of Blue Footed Boobies.

We had the beach to ourselves and stayed until the sun began to set.

Then it was back in the pangas, and back to our new yacht where we were introduced to the crew with (another) welcome cocktail and fed pasta for dinner (again).

Then, the Captain started up the engines, and we began the 9-hour, overnight cruise to Espanola Island.

Almost everyone on board popped a sea-sickness tablet in preparation for a bumpy night.

After all the anxiety created by our false start on Day 1, it finally felt as though our Galapagos cruise was underway.

Touching down on the tarmac at Santa Cruz Island, it felt as though my Galapagos Islands adventure had finally begun.

The Eden yacht and its crew were awaiting me in a nearby harbor, but first, some paperwork had to be taken care of in the airport.

As I waited in line to show my passport and pay my $100 park entrance fee, additional planes arrived.

Sundays, it turns out, are the busiest days of the week, with up to a half dozen planes arriving in the morning.

Once the payment was made, my carry-on bag was searched, and I could collect my larger backpack.

Walking out the backside of the airport building, I saw a local holding a sign for The Eden yacht. It was Felipe who'd serve as our naturalist/guide for the whole 8-day journey.

Boarding the Eden Yacht

But before we could get going, we had to wait for the rest of the boat's passengers to arrive. And that took another 45 minutes, as they were on the flight that arrived after mine.

By the time we left in the shuttle bus to the harbor, everyone else had already reached their boats.

A panga (or small dinghy) was dispatched from Eden to ferry us over. Pangas are used by all the cruise ships to take passengers back and forth between the boats and islands and for snorkeling.

Everyone was excited to reach the yacht, which would serve as our home for the next seven days and nights.

My first impressions were very positive as I explored the yacht's main deck.

The interior design was modern; there were tablecloths on the two dining room tables, a handsome bar, and even a flat-screen TV in the lounge area.

Once everyone and their luggage were aboard, we were shown to our rooms.

I wasn't surprised to learn I was bunking with Sebastian, a Canadian truck driver with a penchant for backpacking; however, neither of us expected to be given a room on the 2nd level.

Given Sebastien towered over me, I took the top bunk, which was a little narrow, but would suffice for a week.

The bathroom was small, clean, and better than I expected. In addition to a central AC system feeding the room, we had the ability to open our window and let a breeze in.

Next, we had a briefing by Felipe regarding the afternoon's itinerary. We'd have our first nature walk on nearby Bachas Beach, followed by snorkeling, but first, we'd have lunch.

For the passenger's comfort, I gather, all meals are served while the boat is stationary, so we ate while bobbing around in the now-empty harbor.

The family-style dining tables were a good icebreaker, and everyone began to get to know one another.

Related: How to Book a Last Minute Cruise to the Galapagos Islands

Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island

After lunch, we motored over to Bachas Beach. Several other yachts were already anchored offshore, and I began to wonder if we'd have time to snorkel.

It seemed like we'd been behind schedule since the airport, but I tried not to let it bother me.

We boarded the Eden Yacht's two pangas and sped toward shore.

As we got closer, a giant flock of Blue Footed Boobies could be seen. And people were snorkeling amongst them all in the clear blue waters.

By now, the sun was already fading toward the horizon, and I knew we were too short on time. I accepted that we would miss our first snorkel and reminded myself there'd be many more that week.

Felipe led us to two separate ponds where Chilean Flamingoes were busy feeding.

We quickly saw our first Marine Iguanas and red Sally Lightfoot Crabs, herons, and a few other types of birds.

After visiting the ponds, we arrived back at the main beach, which was now devoid of the Boobies and snorkelers who'd returned to their yachts already.

There was a sweet stillness to the beach at sunset. I was no longer in a hurry and could enjoy the moment.

The Breakdown

As the light faded, the pangas were dispatched to pick us up, and we passed our first pelican on the way back to the Eden Yacht.

Once onboard, the captain started up the engines, but we didn't seem to go anywhere.

Then, we noticed some of the crew on the pangas next to the boat. It was already dark, so something clearly wasn't right.

The more time that passed without us moving, the more obvious it became there was a serious problem.

Felipe told us we'd eat dinner first and have our briefing for the following day afterward (normally, the briefings happen before dinner). We all knew that was a stall tactic.

Either the crew was still trying to diagnose or fix the problem, or they needed time to figure out what to do with 16 paying passengers whose yacht just broke down on the first day of a week-long cruise.

We continued to bond over our spaghetti dinner, after which we reconvened for the briefing.

Felipe, who looked young for his position as Galapagos nature guide, broke the news as we all held "welcome" cocktails.

The boat suffered a mechanical failure. And it wasn't something that could be fixed immediately.

He informed us that other 1st Class yachts were being contacted to see if they could take us.

The first boat offered up space for three of us -- an older Italian couple, and Maya, an Israeli backpacker.

Only Maya would need to bunk with a man, which was not the normal protocol when pairing up single travelers on Galapagos cruises.

As they got their stuff together to be transferred, fear of the unknown set in with the rest of us.

Would they find another comparable yacht for us?

Would the new yacht have a similar, if not the same, itinerary as the Eden?

Many of us had chosen Eden specifically for its itinerary, which included far-flung Genovesa Island.

Time passed, and anxiety increased as we awaited Eden's Sales Manager, who was due to arrive on the yacht around 9 PM'ish to further address the situation with us.

Our cruise had barely begun, and we were already being forced to abandon ship.

I would've been more pissed off if it weren't for the others on the boat, many of whom maintained a steady stream of jokes to lighten the mood.

I gave them all credit for keeping their cool. Despite the high cost of a Galapagos cruise, not including the actual cost to reach Ecuador from the USA or Italy, everyone behaved maturely.

A little before 10 PM, Maya returned. Upon seeing the other boat, and her new room, complete with an older man sleeping in it, she refused to stay there and rejoined the rest of us.

A Solution

A little after 10 PM, the Sales Manager arrived on the Eden, looking very flustered. She recapped the situation; the boat suffered a mechanical accident that could not have been predicted.

It was not a reflection of poor maintenance (earlier in the year, the Eden underwent a three-month maintenance overhaul).

Somehow, the metal rod that connected one of the two motors to one of the two propellers had broken.

Of course, that was the bad news we already knew.

The good news was they'd come up with the best solution we all had been hoping for -- transferring all of us to a new 1st Class yacht, Estrella del Mar, the following day.

The Estrella del Mar was a dive boat, and it wasn't scheduled with a tour, so it was undergoing routine maintenance.

I imagine Eden had to pay a pretty penny for this solution, not that we cared. But, I give them credit.

For it to work, they found an available boat of a similar class and worked out the charter with the owner, who then had to get a captain and crew together, prepare the boat, and stock it with food within about 12 to 14 hours.

There was no way around it. We had to accept the itinerary of the new yacht. The park service requires eight days to consider itinerary changes, even given extenuating circumstances.

We were losing a full day of our original itinerary, thereby missing Genovesa Island and the world's largest colony of Red Footed Boobies.

But there was nothing we could do, so humor and patience prevailed once again, and we all retired for the night.

When I found a $400 flight from New York City to Quito (via Guayaquil) on Aerolineas Galapagos, or AeroGal for short, I couldn't bear to pass it up. 

That I did not know this Ecuadorian airline was a secondary concern to getting the lowest price possible.

Of course, once the payment was made, I then began wondering if AeroGal was a comfortable airline to fly, let alone a safe one.

After all, it's an entire airline geared around a tourist destination in Ecuador, albeit the country's biggest and one of the world's most popular.

I even tweeted my concern, upon which I received positive feedback from fellow travel bloggers who'd also flown AeroGal en route to the Galapagos Islands.

Based in Quito, AeroGal began service to the Galapagos in 1986 and currently has domestic routes within Ecuador and international service to Lima, Bogota, and New York City.

In October 2009, it merged with Colombia's Avianca, which now owns a majority stake, though AeroGal operates under its own brand.

We flew out of JFK International at 12:30 AM and were promptly served an unexpected, late-night dinner. I'd already eaten at an overpriced airport bar but ate once again as it was something to do.

As the food service wound down, the cabin lights were dimmed. I'd gotten a refill on my cup of water as I didn't have a bottle on me.

(Sidenote: Airport terminals should always have at least one drink vending machine available for late-night flights. Yea, I'm looking at you, JFK Terminal 5.)

I apparently fell asleep and then knocked over the cup because the next thing I knew, the water had spilled all over my lap -- I was soaking wet.

I immediately hit the stewardess button on my armrest, hoping to get some napkins, but nobody showed up.

I always get a window seat, so I was boxed in by a sleeping passenger. Being drowsy myself, I wasn't in the mood to rowse him to get to the bathroom.

In my semi-unconscious haze, I continued to look back down the aisle behind me for help, but none arrived despite my light remaining on for at least 30 minutes, if not all night.

It's ironic one of the rare times I use the stewardess button, nobody arrived.

Eventually, I gave up and caught a few hours of sleep.

Around 7 AM'ish, we landed in Guayaquil's new international airport.

I had to pass through immigration and customs, re-check my bag, and find the gate for my connecting AeroGal flight to Quito. In all, it took about an hour, which was a pleasant surprise.

I even had a little time to grab breakfast before the 35-minute flight to Quito. And what a scenic flight it was!

The weather was clear enough that we could see multiple volcanoes, including the giant 5,897-meter Cotopaxi (which I'd later mountain bike down).

Quito is perched at 2,800 meters above sea level amidst the Andes Mountains, and our approach to the airport involved more than a few special banks and maneuvers.

We landed safely for the second time, and I collected my bag and headed for the taxi stand within minutes.

Overall, I was satisfied with my first experience flying AeroGal, and I am happy to recommend them.

Just try not to spill anything on yourself at 2 AM!