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$4,152
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 · 817 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 · 1083 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 · 217 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
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 · 852 departures in season
See these departures →Select a departure that actually reaches it
66 of the 2107 upcoming departures put you where the Galápagos Shark is, at the time it is there.
66
- 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.
04/10/2026US$4,152
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
6 spotsAsk about this date
18/10/2026US$4,152
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
7 spotsAsk about this date
01/11/2026US$4,152
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
10 spotsAsk about this date
15/11/2026US$4,152
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
1 spotAsk about this date
05/12/2026US$5,350
GRAND OCEAN SPRAY · 4-Day Southern Islands: Black Turtle Cove Sanctuary
11 spotsAsk about this date
13/12/2026US$4,152
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
6 spotsAsk about this date
02/01/2027US$5,650
GRAND OCEAN SPRAY · 4-Day Southern Islands: Black Turtle Cove Sanctuary
1 spotAsk about this date
24/01/2027US$5,490
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
14 spotsAsk about this date
21/02/2027US$5,490
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
1 spotAsk about this date
11/03/2027US$8,490
GRAND OCEAN SPRAY · 6-Day Southern Islands: Santa Fe's Uplifted Terrain
13 spotsAsk about this date
04/04/2027US$5,490
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
2 spotsAsk about this date
08/04/2027US$8,490
GRAND OCEAN SPRAY · 6-Day Southern Islands: Santa Fe's Uplifted Terrain
6 spotsAsk about this date
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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
MONIQUE · 5-Day Southern & Western: Kicker Rock's Swim Channel
15/11/2026 · 4 nights · from US$4,152
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
Talk to us
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from US$4,152
66 departures