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There are places in the world that simply feel different. The Galapagos is one of them.
Remote, wild, volcanic and seemingly suspended in time, this isolated chain of islands sitting roughly 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador is the kind of destination that reminds you why travel and fishing remain so deeply connected through the common denominator of adventure.
For Marlin Expeditions, the recent back-to-back Galapagos trips delivered exactly that. Two separate groups made the journey, with instructor, friend and renowned ocean-extraordinaire Bill Boyce helping lead the way through an itinerary that blended high-volume billfishing with genuine exploration.
By the time it was over, the numbers spoke loudly: 122 striped marlin released, three surprise blue marlin, and several days when the fleet raised as many as 60 fish. In other words, the Galapagos didn’t disappoint.
Our adventure began in Quito, Ecuador, where the group settled in at Hotel EB before making the final jump to San Cristobal Island. Quito itself became far more than a simple overnight stop. Sitting high in the Andes and surrounded by towering volcanoes, the city offered a dramatic start to the expedition. The group explored the city, visiting the Virgin of El Panecillo, a massive aluminum statue overlooking Quito, and later pushing deeper into the city to experience the Central Mercado. There, among fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, local food stands and the rhythm of daily Ecuadorian life, the trip began to take on its own personality.
The following day brought a visit to the equator itself, the literal center of the Earth, where the group toured the monument and learned more about Ecuadorian culture, history, food, coffee and chocolate. That night, dinner featured local Ecuadorian dishes, setting the tone for the next chapter.
Then came San Cristobal, Darwin’s first step of the Galapagos.
After arriving in the Galapagos, the groups settled into Hotel Indigo and Casa Opuntia, with the harbor, boats and vast Pacific now taking center stage. Fishing would be based aboard two custom center-consoles: Mantarraya, a 38-foot custom boat powered by triple 300 hp Suzukis, and On the Hook, a 35-foot custom powered by twin 300 hp Suzukis. The crews were dialed in from the start. Capt. Jonathan Valiente ran Mantarraya, with mates Eduardo Garcia and Jair Panchana and naturalist Christian Cabrera. Capt. Segundo Yauli ran On the Hook, joined by mates Humberto Hernandez and Alejandro Guerrero and naturalist Geoffrey Herrera. Local guide Javier Guevara helped keep the operation moving smoothly on the ground and on the water.
Week one featured anglers Mark Toigo, Diamond and Passion Bragg, Derrek Stewart and Todd Shier, with Jaime Toigo joining as a guest. Over four fishing days, the group released 64 striped marlin, ranging roughly from 125 to 275 pounds, along with a blue marlin estimated at 500 pounds. The best day of the week produced 17 releases. Throughout the week, the boats raised hundreds of fish and saw more than 100. Passion, later to be nicknamed Panic, ended up catching her first marlin ever and the only blue marlin for the first week, making this trip for her and her family extra special.
But what the numbers don’t represent was the intensity. Having caught plenty of striped marlin but never in the Galapagos, I found the fishing extremely visual, aggressive and electric. Fish piled into spreads. The constant shouts of “Right teaser! Left teaser!” making your heart skip a beat. Crews stayed busy. Anglers rotated through shots, hookups, releases and missed chances, the kind of organized chaos that defines a truly great marlin bite.
Week two kept the momentum rolling, with anglers Haleem Elyas, Jeffrey and his sons Whit and Mark, and Kendall and Laura Hendrick joining the expedition. Over another four days of fishing, the second group released 58 striped marlin, ranging from about 125 to 300 pounds, along with two blue marlin estimated at 450 and 500 pounds. Once again, the boats raised hundreds of fish and produced more than 100 bites across the week. Haleem caught his first marlin ever, and his smile and determination showed nothing but pure happiness and satisfaction.
That consistency is what stood out most. These were not isolated windows or one lucky day propping up the report. The bite held. The fish were there. The boats found them, raised them, hooked them and released them. For clients chasing a high-action marlin destination, it was everything you could hope for.
But as good as the fishing was, the Galapagos also reminded everyone that the water is only part of the story.
Each week included a 360-degree tour of the island, giving guests the chance to experience San Cristobal beyond the cockpit. Week one added wahoo to the adventure, a first for the Bragg sisters, while week two brought unforgettable wildlife encounters, including orcas and hammerhead sharks. There were tortoise walks, island exploration, and the strange, almost prehistoric feeling of moving through a place where the natural world still seems fully in charge.
That is the magic of the Galapagos. One moment you are staring down a spread packed with frenzied striped marlin, and the next you are watching ancient tortoises move through the brush or looking across volcanic terrain that feels untouched by time.
That balance is exactly what Marlin Expeditions continues to build toward: premier fishing paired with world-class experience. The goal is not simply to put clients on fish, though these trips certainly did that. It is to create the kind of adventure that feels complete, where the travel, meals, boats, crews, wildlife, instruction and camaraderie all work together. Across two weeks, strangers became teammates.
The good news is that the return is already on the calendar. Dates have been set for two separate Marlin Expeditions trips to the Galapagos in March 2027, and anyone interested in a true bucket-list adventure should mark their calendars now.
Some places you visit. The Galapagos is a place you experience.
