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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$2,966
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.

9 of 18 species shown
almost alwaysoftensometimesnot in this month

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus nanus

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

On 45 of 97 routes · 1155 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 · 1003 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 · 1937 departures in season

See these departures  →

Darwin's Finches

Geospiza / Camarhynchus spp.

Where
on most islands
When
Year round
JFMAMJJASOND

On 82 of 97 routes · 1978 departures in season

See these departures  →

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 · 2033 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 · 2012 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 · 1861 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 · 2064 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

1003 of the 2108 upcoming departures put you where the Galápagos Sea Lion is, at the time it is there.

1003
  • You see it. The ship is at the site while the species is recorded there.
  • Right island, wrong month. The route calls there outside the months on record.
  • Never gets there. The route does not call at any of its sites.
26/09/2026US$7,992

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

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Possible6 spotsAsk about this date
26/09/2026US$4,080

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

Elizabeth Bay, day 2

Stragglers5 spotsAsk about this date
28/09/2026US$5,415

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

Elizabeth Bay, day 2

Stragglers3 spotsAsk about this date
28/09/2026US$14,095

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route BCA

Las Tintoreras, day 10

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
29/09/2026US$10,345

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BC

Punta Vicente Roca, day 9

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

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BCA

Punta Vicente Roca, day 9

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

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

Las Tintoreras, day 2

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
01/10/2026US$13,490

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route CA

Punta Vicente Roca, day 4

Possible14 spotsAsk about this date
01/10/2026US$18,000

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route CAB

Punta Vicente Roca, day 4

Possible14 spotsAsk about this date
02/10/2026US$10,345

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route CA

Las Tintoreras, day 6

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
02/10/2026US$14,095

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route CAB

Las Tintoreras, day 6

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
03/10/2026US$3,570

Galaxy Orion  ·  8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery

Las Tintoreras, day 2

Stragglers1 spotAsk about this date
03/10/2026US$5,576

Treasure  ·  7-Day Western Islands: Dragon Hill Land Iguanas

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
03/10/2026US$10,045

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route CA

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
03/10/2026US$14,095

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route CAB

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
04/10/2026US$7,992

ENDEMIC  ·  8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti

Elizabeth Bay, day 5

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
05/10/2026US$5,295

Archipel I  ·  8-Day Western Islands: Urbina Bay's Coral Uplift

Punta Vicente Roca, day 6

Possible1 spotAsk about this date
05/10/2026US$7,475

Archipel I  ·  Archipel I: Route AB4

Punta Vicente Roca, day 6

Possible1 spotAsk about this date
05/10/2026US$10,300

Archipel I  ·  Archipel I: Route AB

Punta Vicente Roca, day 6

Possible1 spotAsk about this date
06/10/2026US$5,266

Solaris  ·  7-Day Western Islands: Las Tintoreras' Reef Sharks

Las Tintoreras, day 2

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
06/10/2026US$10,345

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route AB

Las Tintoreras, day 2

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
06/10/2026US$14,095

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route ABC

Las Tintoreras, day 2

Stragglers4 spotsAsk about this date
07/10/2026US$18,000

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route ABC

Punta Vicente Roca, day 12

Possible14 spotsAsk about this date
08/10/2026US$6,632

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

Elizabeth Bay, day 4

Stragglers1 spotAsk about this date
08/10/2026US$5,295

Archipel I  ·  Archipel I: Route A5B4

Punta Vicente Roca, day 3

Possible1 spotAsk about this date
08/10/2026US$2,966

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

Punta Vicente Roca, day 3

Possible1 spotAsk about this date
08/10/2026US$8,345

Archipel I  ·  Archipel I: Route A5B

Punta Vicente Roca, day 3

Possible1 spotAsk about this date
09/10/2026US$14,095

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route ABC

Punta Vicente Roca, day 13

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
10/10/2026US$7,992

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

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Possible6 spotsAsk about this date
12/10/2026US$5,415

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

Elizabeth Bay, day 2

Stragglers2 spotsAsk about this date
12/10/2026US$14,095

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route BCA

Las Tintoreras, day 10

Stragglers5 spotsAsk about this date
13/10/2026US$10,345

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BC

Punta Vicente Roca, day 9

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
13/10/2026US$14,095

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BCA

Punta Vicente Roca, day 9

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
14/10/2026US$6,720

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

Las Tintoreras, day 2

Stragglers3 spotsAsk about this date
16/10/2026US$10,345

Solaris  ·  Solaris: Route CA

Las Tintoreras, day 6

Stragglers5 spotsAsk about this date
17/10/2026US$5,266

Treasure  ·  7-Day Western Islands: Dragon Hill Land Iguanas

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Possible5 spotsAsk about this date
20/10/2026US$5,266

Solaris  ·  7-Day Western Islands: Las Tintoreras' Reef Sharks

Las Tintoreras, day 2

Stragglers9 spotsAsk about this date
21/10/2026US$18,000

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route ABC

Punta Vicente Roca, day 12

Possible4 spotsAsk about this date
22/10/2026US$6,632

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

Elizabeth Bay, day 4

Stragglers7 spotsAsk about this date
22/10/2026US$2,966

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

Punta Vicente Roca, day 3

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
24/10/2026US$7,992

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

Punta Vicente Roca, day 5

Possible4 spotsAsk about this date
24/10/2026US$6,390

Galaxy Sirius  ·  6-Day Western Islands: Albemarle Point's WWII Ruins

Elizabeth Bay, day 2

Stragglers3 spotsAsk about this date
25/10/2026US$13,490

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route BC

Punta Vicente Roca, day 8

Possible4 spotsAsk about this date
25/10/2026US$18,000

Tribute  ·  Tribute: Route BCA

Punta Vicente Roca, day 8

Possible4 spotsAsk about this date
26/10/2026US$5,700

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

Elizabeth Bay, day 2

Stragglers2 spotsAsk about this date
27/10/2026US$10,345

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BC

Punta Vicente Roca, day 9

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
27/10/2026US$14,095

Treasure  ·  Treasure: Route BCA

Punta Vicente Roca, day 9

Possible2 spotsAsk about this date
29/10/2026US$7,916

Tribute  ·  7-Day Western Islands: Fernandina's Marine Iguanas

Punta Vicente Roca, day 4

Possible7 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

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María Fernanda Ortiz
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from US$2,966
1003 departures