From Ecoventura, owners and operators of the Eric:

"In our ongoing effort to keep our tour operators informed and up-to-date on all news concerning Ecoventura and our operations in the Galapagos we want to inform you of an incident that occurred early this morning (April 27) involving our yacht the MY Eric.  After 14 weeks in dry dock, and two days into the first cruise, the ERIC ran around while en route to Puerto Egas, Santiago Island.  After 20 years in operation, this was the first accident ever to occur to the ERIC or any yacht operated by Ecoventura.  Our president and operations management team have arrived in Galapagos to survey the extent of damage sustained.  All passengers and crew on board were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.  We expect the Eric will be out of operation for the next 3-4 weeks for repairs and will notify guests traveling on these future cruise departures of alternatives available.  We will keep you informed as soon as more details are available.   It is our intention to provide the most timely and accurate information possible and we do thank you in advance for your support & understanding."

CNH Tours received an update a few hours later:

"The Eric has been refloated or rather pulled from the rocks and will be towed to Baltra.  It is expected to arrive shortly in Puerto Ayora.  Once there, the ship will be assessed to determine whether it can sail to
Guayaquil or needs to be taken by ferry.

CNH Tours recommends to those booked on the Eric (or its sister ships, the Letty and Flamingo) over the next few weeks to get in touch with their agents to confirm the status of their cruise.

(photo courtesy Galapagos National Park Service).