Red-lipped Batfish
Ogcocephalus darwini
- Where
- 2 sites on 2 islands, mostly Central
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 868 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$3,570
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 11 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 · 2024 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 · 2142 departures in season
See these departures →Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
- Where
- on most islands
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 868 departures in season
See these departures →Ocean Sunfish
Mola spp.
- Where
- 1 site, Punta Vicente Roca
- When
- Jul to Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 387 departures in season
See these departures →Pacific Seahorse
Hippocampus ingens
- Where
- 2 sites on 2 islands, mostly West
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 38 of 97 routes · 844 departures in season
See these departures →Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus
- Where
- 2 sites, mostly West
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 41 of 97 routes · 973 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 · 1108 departures in season
See these departures →Giant Manta Ray
Mobula birostris
- Where
- 5 sites on 5 islands, mostly Central
- When
- Jun to Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
On 50 of 97 routes · 700 departures in season
See these departures →Select a departure that actually reaches it
368 of the 2142 upcoming departures put you where the Moray Eel is, at the time it is there.
368
- 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.
03/10/2026US$3,570
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
1 spotAsk about this date
04/10/2026US$7,992
ENDEMIC · 8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti
6 spotsAsk about this date
29/11/2026US$8,563
ENDEMIC · 8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti
2 spotsAsk about this date
13/12/2026US$9,990
ENDEMIC · 8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti
2 spotsAsk about this date
26/12/2026US$6,300
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
1 spotAsk about this date
06/02/2027US$4,600
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
1 spotAsk about this date
03/04/2027US$4,600
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
1 spotAsk about this date
01/05/2027US$4,600
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
3 spotsAsk about this date
15/05/2027US$4,600
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
1 spotAsk about this date
29/05/2027US$4,600
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
4 spotsAsk about this date
12/06/2027US$4,600
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
7 spotsAsk about this date
13/06/2027US$10,490
ENDEMIC · 8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti
2 spotsAsk about this date
10/07/2027US$4,510
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
12 spotsAsk about this date
11/07/2027US$10,490
ENDEMIC · 8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti
14 spotsAsk about this date
24/07/2027US$4,510
Galaxy Orion · 8-Day Western Islands: Isabela's Tortoise Hatchery
11 spotsAsk about this date
31/10/2027US$8,992
ENDEMIC · 8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti
14 spotsAsk about this date
28/11/2027US$8,992
ENDEMIC · 8-Day Western Islands: Tagus Cove's Sailor Graffiti
4 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
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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.
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from US$3,570
368 departures