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 →The Galápagos Cruise · Wildlife
Galápagos Reptiles: 6 Species and Where to See Them
6
species recorded
5
found only here
12
islands
US$2,120
per guest, double occupancy
Six species are recorded across the 12 islands our ships call at: the giant tortoise, two land iguanas, the marine iguana, the Pacific green sea turtle and the endemic rice rat. Between them they are most of what people picture before they arrive.
Reptiles are the easiest wildlife here to plan around, because almost none of it is seasonal. The giant tortoises are in the Santa Cruz highlands all year and easiest to reach from January to May, when the pastures are wet. Marine iguanas hold the shoreline on every island, and on Española they turn red and green in the mating season. Green sea turtles nest between December and June. Santa Fé has a land iguana that lives nowhere else, and South Plaza the only known hybrids of land and marine iguana. The map below shows which island holds what.
Where they are
Tap an island to filter the species below. The number is how many species are recorded there.
3 of 3 species shown
almost alwaysoftensometimesnot in this month
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 →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 · 1996 departures in season
See these departures →Select a departure that actually reaches it
582 of the 2108 upcoming departures put you where the Galápagos Rice Rat is, at the time it is there.
582
- 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$2,120
Galaxy Orion · 5-Day Western & Southern: San Cristobal's Highlands
2 spotsAsk about this date
28/09/2026US$3,320
Solaris · 5-Day Northern Islands: South Plaza's Hybrid Iguana
11 spotsAsk about this date
29/09/2026US$3,735
Treasure · 5-Day Southern Islands: Los Gemelos' Daylight Owl
4 spotsAsk about this date
04/10/2026US$4,152
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
6 spotsAsk about this date
Show more departures of shown
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
Treasure · 5-Day Southern Islands: Los Gemelos' Daylight Owl
29/09/2026 · 4 nights · from US$3,735
María Fernanda Ortiz
We reply within one business day
Prefer to talk? + 1 786 509 6338
We answer first thing on the next working day
María Fernanda Ortiz
We answer personally, and we answer ourselves. A Galápagos trip is once in a lifetime, and you want the right advice before you book.
+ 1 786 509 6338We answer first thing on the next working day
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from US$2,120
582 departures