Galápagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

🦎 Marine Iguanas Basking on Black Lava

⏱ 6–8 days 🥾 Easy trails

🌍 #67 Global · 4.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #12 in South America #2 in Desert & Scrub

Galápagos, Ecuador 388 spp. recorded

Nowhere else do wild animals ignore people so completely. Galápagos sea lions lie on the landings on virtually every visit, marine iguanas — the only lizard in the world that feeds in the sea — pack the black rock on nineteen visits in twenty.

0.138° N 90.629° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Marine Iguana

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

80–90% · Very likely

Galápagos Giant Tortoise

Chelonoidis niger

40–50% · Likely

Galapagos Sealion

Zalophus wollebaeki

80–90% · Very likely

Common Land Iguana

Conolophus subcristatus

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

80–90% · Very likely

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

80–90% · Very likely

Blue-footed Booby

Sula nebouxii

80–90% · Very likely

Magnificent Frigatebird

Fregata magnificens

70–80% · Very likely

Small Ground-Finch

Geospiza fuliginosa

70–80% · Very likely

Whitetip Reef Shark

Triaenodon obesus

70–80% · Very likely

Requiem shark

Carcharhinus limbatus

70–80% · Very likely

White-spotted Eagle Ray

Aetobatus ocellatus

60–70% · Likely

Brown Noddy

Anous stolidus

60–70% · Likely

Striated Heron

Butorides striata

50–60% · Likely

Green Turtle

Chelonia mydas

50–60% · Likely

Diamond Stingray

Hypanus dipterurus

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Galapagos Sealion

Zalophus wollebaeki

80–90% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Galápagos Fur Seal

Arctocephalus galapagoensis

20–30% · Possible

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

20–30% · Possible

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

0–10% · With luck

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

0–10% · With luck

Common Dolphin

Delphinus delphis

0–10% · With luck

Galápagos Rice Rat

Aegialomys galapagoensis

0–10% · With luck

Short-finned Pilot Whale

Globicephala macrorhynchus

0–10% · With luck

Eden's Whale

Balaenoptera edeni

0–10% · Rare

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus

Cuvier's Beaked Whale

Ziphius cavirostris

Minke Whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

80–90% · Very likely

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

80–90% · Very likely

Blue-footed Booby

Sula nebouxii

80–90% · Very likely

Magnificent Frigatebird

Fregata magnificens

70–80% · Very likely

Small Ground-Finch

Geospiza fuliginosa

70–80% · Very likely

Brown Noddy

Anous stolidus

60–70% · Likely

Striated Heron

Butorides striata

50–60% · Likely

Lava Heron

Butorides sundevalli

50–60% · Likely

Elliot's Storm Petrel

Oceanites gracilis

50–60% · Likely

Galápagos Shearwater

Puffinus subalaris

50–60% · Likely

Galápagos Mockingbird

Mimus parvulus

50–60% · Likely

Nazca Booby

Sula granti

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Marine Iguana

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

80–90% · Very likely

Galápagos Giant Tortoise

Chelonoidis niger

40–50% · Likely

Common Land Iguana

Conolophus subcristatus

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Green Turtle

Chelonia mydas

50–60% · Likely

Santa Cruz Lava Lizard

Microlophus indefatigabilis

50–60% · Likely

San Cristobal Lava Lizard

Microlophus bivittatus

40–50% · Likely

Isabela Lava Lizard

Microlophus albemarlensis

40–50% · Possible

Indefatigable Island Giant Tortoise

Chelonoidis porteri

30–40% · Possible

Mourning Gecko

Lepidodactylus lugubris

30–40% · Possible

Hood Lava Lizard

Microlophus delanonis

20–30% · Possible

Santiago Lava Lizard

Microlophus jacobii

20–30% · Possible

Santa Fe Land Iguana

Conolophus pallidus

10–20% · Possible

Floreana Lava Lizard

Microlophus grayii

10–20% · Possible

Common House Gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus

10–20% · Possible

Santa Fe Lava Lizard

Microlophus barringtonensis

10–20% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Fowler's Snouted Tree Frog

Scinax quinquefasciatus

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Whitetip Reef Shark

Triaenodon obesus

70–80% · Very likely

Requiem shark

Carcharhinus limbatus

70–80% · Very likely

White-spotted Eagle Ray

Aetobatus ocellatus

60–70% · Likely

Diamond Stingray

Hypanus dipterurus

50–60% · Likely

Hawkray

Rhinoptera steindachneri

40–50% · Likely

Scalloped Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

40–50% · Likely

Blotched Fantail Ray

Taeniurops meyeni

30–40% · Possible

Galápagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis

30–40% · Possible

Oceanic Manta Ray

Mobula birostris

20–30% · Possible

Peruvian horn shark

Heterodontus quoyi

20–30% · Possible

Lesser Devil Ray

Mobula thurstoni

10–20% · Possible

Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

10–20% · With luck

Animal Events

🦎

Marine Iguanas and Giant Tortoises

JulAugSep

Marine iguanas pack the shoreline rocks to warm up and giant tortoises move through the uplands.

Galápagos Giant Tortoise

Chelonoidis niger

40–50% · Likely

Marine Iguana

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

80–90% · Very likely

🦭

Sea Lions and Fur Seals Pupping

NovDec

Galápagos sea lions and fur seals fill the beaches and landings with pups.

Galapagos Sealion

Zalophus wollebaeki

80–90% · Very likely

Galápagos Fur Seal

Arctocephalus galapagoensis

20–30% · Possible

🐦

Boobies and Frigatebirds Court

MarApr

Blue-footed boobies dance in their courtship display and magnificent frigatebirds inflate their red throat pouches.

Magnificent Frigatebird

Fregata magnificens

70–80% · Very likely

Blue-footed Booby

Sula nebouxii

80–90% · Very likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

Galápagos Giant Tortoise

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

40–50

Galapagos Sealion

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

Common Land Iguana

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

Blue-footed Booby

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

Magnificent Frigatebird

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

Small Ground-Finch

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

80–90

70–80

70–80

Whitetip Reef Shark

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

White-spotted Eagle Ray

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

60–70

50–60

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

Diamond Stingray

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

80–90

60–70

80–90

70–80

Animal Events

🦎 Marine Iguanas and Giant Tortoises

🦭 Sea Lions and Fur Seals Pupping

🐦 Boobies and Frigatebirds Court

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Excellent

🦎 Marine Iguanas Basking on Black Lava

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

3.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

233

🐒 Mammals

74

🦎 Reptiles

56

🐸 Amphibians

2

🦈 Sharks & Rays

23

388 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

61 Threatened 78 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

4.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

74%

📊

Coverage (117 species at ≥5% of 388 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

30%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 3 elasmobranch, 1 reptile, 1 mammal)

47% Global avg

78%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

62

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

8

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

30

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