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The Galápagos Cruise  ·  Wildlife

Galápagos Wildlife: 25 Animals and Where to See Them

25
species recorded
14
found only here
15
islands
US$2,120
per guest, double occupancy

Twenty-five animals account for most of the reason people come to Galápagos, and fourteen of them live nowhere else on earth: the giant tortoise, the marine iguana, the flightless cormorant, the waved albatross, the only penguin that breeds on the equator. All twenty-five are recorded across the 15 islands our ships call at, and no single itinerary reaches all of them. The best get to twenty-four, a typical departure to eighteen.

Where you go decides more than when. Fifteen of the twenty-five are on record all year, so the itinerary matters more than the calendar. The waved albatross is on Española and nowhere else, and it is at sea from January to March. The flightless cormorant is on Fernandina and Isabela only, in the cold water of the west. The Santa Fé land iguana lives on the one island it is named after. Blue-footed boobies dance from June to August, the male frigatebirds of Genovesa inflate their red throat pouches from March to June, sea lion pups arrive between August and November, and the marine iguanas of Punta Suárez turn red and green from December to March. Green turtles, white-tipped reef sharks and brown pelicans turn up almost everywhere, on ordinary snorkeling stops and at every landing. The map below shows which island holds what, and the list further down counts only the departures that are in the right place in the right month.

25 of 25 species shown
almost alwaysoftensometimesnot in this month

Santa Fé Land Iguana

Conolophus pallidus

Santa Fé Bay
Where
1 site, Santa Fé Bay
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 42 of 97 routes · 955 departures in season

See these departures  →

Waved Albatross

Phoebastria irrorata

Punta Suárez
Where
1 site, Punta Suárez
When
Apr to Dec, peak in Oct
JFMAMJJASOND

On 45 of 97 routes · 841 departures in season

See these departures  →

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus nanus

Where
2 sites on 2 islands, mostly Central
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 45 of 97 routes · 1152 departures in season

See these departures  →

Galápagos Mockingbird

Mimus parvulus

Where
3 sites on 3 islands, mostly North
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 66 of 97 routes · 1489 departures in season

See these departures  →

Flightless Cormorant

Nannopterum harrisi

Where
6 sites on 2 islands, mostly West
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 42 of 97 routes · 996 departures in season

See these departures  →

Marine Iguana

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

Where
on most islands
When
Year round, more between Jan and Mar
JFMAMJJASOND

On 85 of 97 routes · 1936 departures in season

See these departures  →

Swallow-tailed Gull

Creagrus furcatus

Where
6 sites on 5 islands, mostly South
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 77 of 97 routes · 1793 departures in season

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Darwin's Finches

Geospiza / Camarhynchus spp.

Where
on most islands
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 82 of 97 routes · 1977 departures in season

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Galápagos Fur Seal

Arctocephalus galapagoensis

Where
7 sites on 5 islands, mostly Central
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 82 of 97 routes · 1992 departures in season

See these departures  →

Galápagos Hawk

Buteo galapagoensis

Where
7 sites on 6 islands, mostly West
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 82 of 97 routes · 2032 departures in season

See these departures  →

Galápagos Land Iguana

Conolophus subcristatus

Where
7 sites on 6 islands, mostly South
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 83 of 97 routes · 2010 departures in season

See these departures  →

Galápagos Penguin

Spheniscus mendiculus

Where
8 sites on 5 islands, mostly West
When
Year round, more between Jun and Nov
JFMAMJJASOND

On 78 of 97 routes · 1856 departures in season

See these departures  →

Galápagos Giant Tortoise

Chelonoidis spp.

Where
10 sites on 5 islands, mostly Central
When
Year round, more between Jun and Dec
JFMAMJJASOND

On 85 of 97 routes · 2063 departures in season

See these departures  →

Galápagos Sea Lion

Zalophus wollebaeki

Where
on most islands
When
Year round, more between Aug and Nov
JFMAMJJASOND

On 86 of 97 routes · 2107 departures in season

See these departures  →

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Where
on most islands
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 36 of 97 routes · 845 departures in season

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Giant Manta Ray

Mobula birostris

Where
5 sites on 5 islands, mostly Central
When
Jun to Nov
JFMAMJJASOND

On 50 of 97 routes · 704 departures in season

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Red-footed Booby

Sula sula

Where
5 sites on 4 islands, mostly North
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 53 of 97 routes · 1133 departures in season

See these departures  →

Scalloped Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

Where
5 sites on 5 islands, mostly South
When
Year round, more between Jun and Nov
JFMAMJJASOND

On 12 of 97 routes · 217 departures in season

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White-tipped Reef Shark

Triaenodon obesus

Where
on most islands
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 40 of 97 routes · 852 departures in season

See these departures  →

Great Frigatebird

Fregata minor

Where
6 sites on 3 islands, mostly North
When
Year round, more between Mar and Jun
JFMAMJJASOND

On 67 of 97 routes · 1541 departures in season

See these departures  →

American Flamingo

Phoenicopterus ruber

Where
7 sites on 4 islands, mostly Central
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 79 of 97 routes · 1872 departures in season

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Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

Where
on most islands
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 83 of 97 routes · 2033 departures in season

See these departures  →

Nazca Booby

Sula granti

Where
8 sites on 7 islands, mostly South
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 81 of 97 routes · 1961 departures in season

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Blue-footed Booby

Sula nebouxii

Where
11 sites on 8 islands, mostly South
When
Year round, more between Jun and Aug
JFMAMJJASOND

On 83 of 97 routes · 1991 departures in season

See these departures  →

Pacific Green Sea Turtle

Chelonia mydas agassizii

Where
on most islands
When
Year round, more between Jan and Jun
JFMAMJJASOND

On 85 of 97 routes · 1995 departures in season

See these departures  →

The full lists, group by group

The fifteen above are the shortlist. Each group has its own page with every species on record, the same island map and the same departure check.

Select a departure that actually reaches it

24/09/2026US$6,632

MONIQUE  ·  8-Day Western Islands: Elizabeth Bay's Penguins

Punta Vicente Roca, day 3

Stragglers16 spotsAsk about this date
24/09/2026US$4,140

Alya  ·  5-Day Northern & Western: Bartolome's Endemic Plant

Darwin Bay, day 2

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
24/09/2026US$2,966

Archipel I  ·  5-Day Western Islands: Puerto Egas' Fur Seal Colony

Punta Vicente Roca, day 3

Stragglers2 spotsAsk about this date
25/09/2026US$3,320

Treasure  ·  5-Day Northern & Western: Punta Pitt's Triple Boobies

Santa Cruz Highlands, day 1

Likely3 spotsAsk about this date
26/09/2026US$7,992

ELITE  ·  8-Day Western Islands: El Junco's Bathing Frigatebirds

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Stragglers6 spotsAsk about this date
26/09/2026US$4,080

EcoGalaxy  ·  6-Day Western Islands: Dragon Hill's Restoration

Tagus Cove, day 3

Likely5 spotsAsk about this date
26/09/2026US$2,120

Galaxy Orion  ·  5-Day Western & Southern: San Cristobal's Highlands

Bachas Beach, day 1

Stragglers2 spotsAsk about this date
27/09/2026US$3,060

Galaxy Stella  ·  4-Day Southern Islands: Isla Lobos' Fur Seals

Gardner Bay, day 2

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
28/09/2026US$5,415

Alya  ·  6-Day Western Islands: Punta Vicente Roca's Mantas

Punta Vicente Roca, day 4

Stragglers3 spotsAsk about this date
28/09/2026US$3,320

Solaris  ·  5-Day Northern Islands: South Plaza's Hybrid Iguana

Santa Cruz Highlands, day 1

Likely11 spotsAsk about this date
28/09/2026US$8,300

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route BC

Punta Suárez, day 6

Likely11 spotsAsk about this date
28/09/2026US$14,095

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route BCA

Punta Suárez, day 6

Likely4 spotsAsk about this date
29/09/2026US$3,735

Treasure  ·  5-Day Southern Islands: Los Gemelos' Daylight Owl

Gardner Bay, day 2

Possible4 spotsAsk about this date
29/09/2026US$10,345

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BC

Gardner Bay, day 2

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
29/09/2026US$14,095

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BCA

Gardner Bay, day 2

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
30/09/2026US$7,140

Galaxy Stella  ·  8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access

Tagus Cove, day 4

Likely4 spotsAsk about this date
01/10/2026US$3,352

MONIQUE  ·  4-Day Southern Islands: Santa Cruz's Wild Tortoises

Punta Suárez, day 3

Likely14 spotsAsk about this date
01/10/2026US$6,035

Galaxy Sirius  ·  6-Day Western & Northern: Rabida's Red Sand Beach

Santa Cruz Highlands, day 3

Likely7 spotsAsk about this date
01/10/2026US$13,490

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route CA

Punta Suárez, day 10

Likely14 spotsAsk about this date
01/10/2026US$18,000

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route CAB

Punta Suárez, day 10

Likely14 spotsAsk about this date
02/10/2026US$3,320

Solaris  ·  5-Day Southern Islands: Devil's Crown Hammerhead Sharks

Punta Suárez, day 2

Likely13 spotsAsk about this date
02/10/2026US$10,345

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route CA

Punta Suárez, day 2

Likely4 spotsAsk about this date
02/10/2026US$14,095

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route CAB

Punta Suárez, day 2

Likely4 spotsAsk about this date
03/10/2026US$3,992

ELITE  ·  4-Day Southern Islands: Espanola's Albatross Colony

Punta Suárez, day 2

Likely5 spotsAsk about this date

What's included

All meals on board

Two certified national park naturalist guides

All excursions and landings listed in the itinerary

Snorkelling gear and wetsuit

Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards on board

Coffee, tea and water at any time

Your selection
Galaxy Sirius · 6-Day Western & Northern: Rabida's Red Sand Beach
01/10/2026 · 5 nights · from US$6,035
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María Fernanda Ortiz
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2107 departures