Red-lipped Batfish
Ogcocephalus darwini
- Where
- 2 sites on 2 islands, mostly Central
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 845 departures in season
See these departures →The Galápagos Cruise · Wildlife
Galápagos Underwater: 22 Species and Where to See Them
22
species recorded
3
found only here
14
islands
US$6,632
per guest, double occupancy
Twenty-two species are recorded in the water around the 14 islands our ships reach. Most of what you will actually swim with turns up on ordinary snorkeling stops rather than on dedicated dives: sea lions, fur seals, white-tipped reef sharks and rays. Bottlenose dolphins often ride the bow between islands.
The water changes with the season more than the animals do. December to May the sea is warm, the surface is calm and the visibility is at its clearest, which is the better half of the year for snorkeling. From June the cold Cromwell current pushes up the west coast, the water is colder and richer, and the larger animals feed closer in. Sea lion pups arrive between August and November and are the most curious thing you will meet in the water. Kicker Rock is the hammerhead site and it is never promised. Devil's Crown closes when the swell is wrong. 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.
9 of 22 species shown
almost alwaysoftensometimesnot in this month
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 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 →Balloonfish
Diodon holocanthus
- Where
- on most islands
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
Not on any itinerary we sell
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
- Where
- on most islands
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 845 departures in season
See these departures →Diamond Stingray
Dasyatis brevis
- Where
- 1 site, Devil's Crown
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
Not on any itinerary we sell
Galápagos Bullhead Shark
Heterodontus quoyi
- Where
- 1 site, Buccaneer Cove
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 2 of 97 routes · 78 departures in season
See these departures →Giant Hawkfish
Cirrhitus rivulatus
- Where
- 1 site, Devil's Crown
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
Not on any itinerary we sell
King Angelfish
Holacanthus passer
- Where
- 1 site, Devil's Crown
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
Not on any itinerary we sell
Select a departure that actually reaches it
78 of the 2107 upcoming departures put you where the Galápagos Bullhead Shark is, at the time it is there.
78
- 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.
24/09/2026US$6,632
MONIQUE · 8-Day Western Islands: Elizabeth Bay's Penguins
Buccaneer Cove, day 6
30/09/2026US$7,140
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
Buccaneer Cove, day 5
08/10/2026US$6,632
MONIQUE · 8-Day Western Islands: Elizabeth Bay's Penguins
Buccaneer Cove, day 6
14/10/2026US$6,720
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
Buccaneer Cove, day 5
22/10/2026US$6,632
MONIQUE · 8-Day Western Islands: Elizabeth Bay's Penguins
Buccaneer Cove, day 6
19/11/2026US$6,632
MONIQUE · 8-Day Western Islands: Elizabeth Bay's Penguins
Buccaneer Cove, day 6
03/12/2026US$6,632
MONIQUE · 8-Day Western Islands: Elizabeth Bay's Penguins
Buccaneer Cove, day 6
06/01/2027US$8,550
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
Buccaneer Cove, day 5
20/01/2027US$8,100
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
Buccaneer Cove, day 5
03/02/2027US$8,100
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
Buccaneer Cove, day 5
17/02/2027US$8,550
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
Buccaneer Cove, day 5
03/03/2027US$8,370
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
Buccaneer Cove, day 5
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
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María Fernanda Ortiz
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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$6,632
78 departures