Red-lipped Batfish
Ogcocephalus darwini
- Where
- 2 sites on 2 islands, mostly Central
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 853 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$3,320
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.
7 of 7 species shown
almost alwaysoftensometimesnot in this month
Pacific Seahorse
Hippocampus ingens
- Where
- 2 sites on 2 islands, mostly West
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 38 of 97 routes · 820 departures in season
See these departures →Golden Cownose Ray
Rhinoptera steindachneri
- Where
- 3 sites on 2 islands, mostly West
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 50 of 97 routes · 1088 departures in season
See these departures →Galápagos Shark
Carcharhinus galapagensis
- Where
- 4 sites on 4 islands, mostly Central
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 12 of 97 routes · 214 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 · 214 departures in season
See these departures →Spotted Eagle Ray
Aetobatus laticeps
- Where
- 5 sites on 5 islands, mostly South
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 77 of 97 routes · 1852 departures in season
See these departures →White-tipped Reef Shark
Triaenodon obesus
- Where
- on most islands
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 40 of 97 routes · 855 departures in season
See these departures →Select a departure that actually reaches it
820 of the 2108 upcoming departures put you where the Galápagos Sea Lion is, at the time it is there.
820
- 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.
30/09/2026US$7,140
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
4 spotsAsk about this date
01/10/2026US$6,035
Galaxy Sirius · 6-Day Western & Northern: Rabida's Red Sand Beach
7 spotsAsk about this date
02/10/2026US$3,320
Solaris · 5-Day Southern Islands: Devil's Crown Hammerhead Sharks
13 spotsAsk about this date
04/10/2026US$4,152
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
6 spotsAsk about this date
05/10/2026US$5,295
Archipel I · 8-Day Western Islands: Urbina Bay's Coral Uplift
1 spotAsk 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
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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$3,320
820 departures