Red-lipped Batfish
Ogcocephalus darwini
- Where
- 2 sites on 2 islands, mostly Central
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 862 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$2,966
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 · 2006 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 · 2125 departures in season
See these departures →Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
- Where
- on most islands
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 36 of 97 routes · 862 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 · 383 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 · 829 departures in season
See these departures →Sperm Whale
Physeter macrocephalus
- Where
- 2 sites, mostly West
- When
- Year round
JFMAMJJASOND
On 41 of 97 routes · 968 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 · 1094 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 · 694 departures in season
See these departures →Select a departure that actually reaches it
471 of the 2125 upcoming departures put you where the White-tipped Reef Shark is, at the time it is there.
471
- 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
05/10/2026US$5,295
Archipel I · 8-Day Western Islands: Urbina Bay's Coral Uplift
1 spotAsk about this date
08/10/2026US$2,966
Archipel I · 5-Day Western Islands: Puerto Egas' Fur Seal Colony
1 spotAsk about this date
14/10/2026US$6,720
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
3 spotsAsk about this date
22/10/2026US$2,966
Archipel I · 5-Day Western Islands: Puerto Egas' Fur Seal Colony
2 spotsAsk about this date
09/12/2026US$7,560
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
2 spotsAsk about this date
14/12/2026US$5,295
Archipel I · 8-Day Western Islands: Urbina Bay's Coral Uplift
1 spotAsk about this date
17/12/2026US$3,295
Archipel I · 5-Day Western Islands: Puerto Egas' Fur Seal Colony
1 spotAsk about this date
06/01/2027US$8,550
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
6 spotsAsk about this date
20/01/2027US$8,100
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
8 spotsAsk about this date
03/02/2027US$8,100
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
12 spotsAsk about this date
08/02/2027US$5,450
Archipel I · 8-Day Western Islands: Urbina Bay's Coral Uplift
1 spotAsk about this date
11/02/2027US$3,395
Archipel I · 5-Day Western Islands: Puerto Egas' Fur Seal Colony
1 spotAsk about this date
17/02/2027US$8,550
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
8 spotsAsk about this date
22/02/2027US$4,905
Archipel I · 8-Day Western Islands: Urbina Bay's Coral Uplift
4 spotsAsk about this date
25/02/2027US$3,395
Archipel I · 5-Day Western Islands: Puerto Egas' Fur Seal Colony
4 spotsAsk about this date
03/03/2027US$8,370
Galaxy Stella · 8-Day Western Islands: Mangle Point's Rare Access
10 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
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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$2,966
471 departures