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Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
marine iguana next to blue-footed boobies, Galapagos Islands animals

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Situated 563 miles west of mainland Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago bursting with unique landscapes, as well as endemic wildlife and marine life. The archipelago and its surrounding waters are part of Ecuador’s Galápagos Province. Famous for its national park and marine reserve, consider adding this renowned diving destination to your bucket list.

Geography of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Known in Spanish as Las Islas Galápagos, the archipelago is made up of about 19 islands and several smaller islets. This “living laboratory” is home to a remarkable array of endemic species which were widely studied by Charles Darwin, helping him formulate his theory of evolution. The archipelago became Ecuador’s first national park in 1959 and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Situated at a major intersection of three ocean currents, the islands are teeming with friendly wildlife and a vast array of marine species.

Daphne Minor Islet

Located in Daphne Island on the north coast of Santa Cruz, Daphne Minor is a dive site with a smooth current, making it suitable for beginners and more experienced scuba divers. The platforms, caverns, walls, and slopes of Daphne Minor are teeming with sea turtles, juvenile Galápagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, and manta rays.

Shark Point

Home to massive whale sharks and other large marine species, Shark Point is an extremely popular dive site located near Wolf Island. Accessible only via liveaboard expedition, this Galapagos Island scuba diving destination is known for its strong currents, harsh surges, and limited visibility. As a result, Shark Point is reserved only for advanced divers. Other marine attractions in this dive spot include dolphins, silkies, bluefin tuna, Galápagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, turtles, eagle and mobula rays, and thousands of reef fish.

Gordon Rocks

Located in Santa Cruz Island, Gordon Rocks is a 32 meter deep volcanic crater with a sandy bottom, making it suitable only for experienced scuba divers. Despite the strong currents, Gordon Rocks offers great visibility and a front row seat to some of the most magnificent marine life on Earth, including sea lions, eagle rays, stingrays, green sea turtles, barracudas, moray eels, white and blacktip reef sharks, and the occasional giant manta ray.

Caamaño Islet

Also found in Santa Cruz Island, Caamaño Islet is the best spot for first Open Water checks and novice scuba divers looking for a shallow dive. With its moderate currents and great visibility, this dive site offers a relaxed and laid-back diving experience for beginners. The Caamaño Islet is home to a colony of sea lions, as well as schools of batfish, seahorses, eels, and the native marine iguanas diving beneath the waves in search of food.

Cape Marshall

Situated in Isabela Island, Cape Marshall is home to a huge array of sunfish; manta, mobula, and marble rays; hammerhead sharks; and the unique black striped salema. A number of sea lions and sea turtles can also be found in this diving site. Just like Shark Point, Cape Marshall is only accessible through scuba diving cruises and the strong currents make it suitable only for advanced scuba divers.

Bartholomew Point

Known as one of the most iconic and biodiverse sites in the Galápagos Islands, Bartholomew Point is characterized by lava and rock formations teeming with sea lions, sea turtles, iguanas, and the native Galápagos penguins. Situated near Bartholomew Island, this dive site has moderate currents, making it suitable for novice and experienced scuba divers. Bartholomew Point’s famous pinnacle rock is known for providing tourists with amazing photographic opportunities. Whitetip reef sharks, barracudas, stingrays, modula rays, and variety of reef fish can also be spotted in Bartholomew Point.

Kicker Rock

Kicker Rock is characterized by the two large remaining rocks of an older degraded lava cone. The passage between the two large rocks is inhabited by schools of whitetip reef sharks, green sea turtles, flying rays, stingrays, eagle rays, eels, barracudas, reef fish, and octopuses. Suitable for divers of all skill levels, Kicker Rock is a great spot for both scuba diving and snorkeling.

Tortuga Island

Home to a variety of endemic species, Tortuga Island is an excellent spot for intermediate level divers who want to explore its deep drift wall. Located southeast of Isabela Island, this dive site is teeming with Galápagos sharks, sheephead and groupers, as well as various rays, reef fish, great gorgonians, and the occasional orcas.

Marine Life

The Galápagos Islands are known for their geographic isolation—and it is this isolation that has given it some of the highest levels of endemism (i.e. species that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth).

Be on the lookout for these friendly creatures when scuba diving in the Galápagos Islands:
  • Galápagos penguins - Endemic to the archipelago, these playful creatures are the only penguin species that can be found north of the equator.
  • Marine iguanas - These remarkable marine reptiles are also endemic to the Galápagos Islands. Known for being excellent swimmers, scuba divers often encounter marine iguanas diving beneath the waves in search of food.
  • Hammerhead sharks - Known for their flat hammer shaped snouts, hammerhead sharks are by far the most iconic marine sight in the Galápagos Islands and can be spotted all year round.
  • Whitetip reef sharks - This shark species is easily recognizable because of its white-tipped dorsal and caudal fins. Seldom aggressive towards humans, whitetip reef sharks grow up to 5.2 feet in length and usually hunt at night for fish, octopus, and crustaceans.
  • Galápagos sharks - First discovered in the Galápagos Islands, this shark species was named after the archipelago and can be distinguished by a ridge that runs between its dorsal fins. Galápagos sharks are large creatures that grow to over 11 feet and prey on fish, octopus, and squid.
  • Whale sharks - Massive whale sharks can be found drifting in the Galápagos Islands during the wet season. Advanced scuba divers can swim with these gentle giants in Shark Point.
  • Manta rays - Reaching widths of up to 29 feet, manta rays are much larger than any other ray species in the world. These creatures gather in large numbers in the Galápagos from December to May during the dry season. Despite their size, manta rays are considered to be gentle giants who often feed on tiny plankton.
  • Sea lions - These creatures are often found in large colonies in the Galápagos Islands. Known as intelligent marine mammals, sea lions stay very close together, both on land and in the water.
  • Galápagos tortoises - Known as the largest tortoise in the world and equally renowned for its longevity, this giant creature recently re-emerged in Galápagos Islands even though it was believed to be extinct.

Other Attractions

Apart from scuba diving and snorkeling, the Galápagos Islands also offer an exciting array of above-ground activities. These include:
  • Wildlife Watching - The Galápagos Islands are perfect for nature lovers who want to observe unique wildlife, such as blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and penguins.
  • Trekking - Trekking is a great way to discover the archipelago’s sites. Shutterbugs and professional photographers will not run out of scenery and wildlife to photograph. While you may opt to trek alone or in small groups, take note that the government requires all tourists to be led by a nature guide from the Galápagos National Park.
  • Kayaking - Discover the hidden beauty of lagoons when you embark on kayaking adventures in the Galápagos Island’s mangrove forests. You can easily rent kayaks without a guide at Tortuga Bay in Santa Cruz Island.

How To Get There

Anyone with a valid passport can visit Ecuador without a visa. However, tourists who wish to stay for more than 90 days should get a visa prior to entering the country. The Galápagos Islands is only accessible via airline due to its considerable distance from the mainland.

By Air
Once you arrive in mainland Ecuador, the only way to get to the Galápagos Islands is to fly from either the capital city of Quito (via the Mariscal Sucre International Airport) or via Guayaquil, the capital of Guayas Province (via the José Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport).

There are two major airports in the Galápagos: the Seymour Airport, which serves Baltra Island and connects to Santa Cruz Island/Puerto Ayora via water taxi and bus, and the San Cristobal Airport, located on the island of San Cristobal.

Getting Around
Visits to most of the islands are not allowed without a guide licensed by the Galápagos National Park. If you choose to fly to Baltra Island, you should take a bus and ferry ride to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, the most popular tourist hub in the Galápagos. This will allow you to book day trips to some of the islands.

Otherwise, you may choose to fly directly to the capital, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and explore San Cristobal Island. To make the most out of your scuba diving trip, the best option is to take a cruise on a small yacht or on liveaboard boats with a licensed guide to see the more remote islands and wildlife in the Galápagos.

Best Time to Visit

Looking for the best time to scuba dive in the Galapagos Islands? Blessed with pleasant weather all year round, there is no bad time to visit the archipelago. Divers can visit during either the dry or wet season. The dry season falls in the months of July to December, when there is less rain and the temperature is cooler. Despite the low visibility in the waters, this is the peak season for spotting migratory whale sharks.

The wet season falls in the months of January to June when the weather is mostly sunny and the ocean is at its calmest. Despite the occasional brief but intense rains, there are greater occurrences of hammerhead shark and manta ray sightings during the wet season. Whichever time of the year you prefer to visit, keep in mind that water temperatures can vary greatly the closer you are to the currents. Also, the climate pattern in the Pacific (known as El Niño) can cause major changes to the Galapagos Islands’ weather conditions.

Required Trainings & Certifications

Scuba divers who wish to explore the major dive sites are advised to be at least a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver. Before diving in the Galápagos Islands, you should have enough experience with deep dives and a proper understanding of how currents can affect a diver. Taking the PADI Drift Diver course is also highly recommended.

For beginners who do not meet these requirements but still wish to discover the amazing Galápagos Marine Reserve, taking a Discover Scuba Diving course in the Galápagos is the way to go. There are many dive sites around the central islands that are suitable for novice drivers.

Miscellaneous Information

Currency
As with mainland Ecuador, the official currency in the Galápagos Islands is the US dollar. Locals use US-produced notes and a mixture of US and locally-produced coins.

Language
The principal language of Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands is Spanish, but English is widely spoken in tourist areas and by the licensed guides who run trips to the archipelago.

Time Zone
The Galápagos Islands utilize Galápagos Islands Time (GALT) year round with standard time UTC - 6. The archipelago does not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Driving Side
People drive on the right side of the road in Ecuador.

Calling Code
The country code for Ecuador is 593. Dialing 011+593 followed by the area code and local number will allow you to call Ecuador from another country.

ISO 3166 code
ISO 3166-2:EC is Ecuador’s entry in the ISO 3166-2 code.

Internet TLD
.ec is the Internet country code top-level domain for Ecuador.