Galápagos Shark
Carcharhinus galapagensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderCarcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
- FamilyCarcharhinidae (Requiem Sharks)
- GenusCarcharhinus (Typical Requiem Sharks)
- SpeciesCarcharhinus galapagensis (Galápagos Shark)
Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands
Requiem shark
Carcharhinus limbatus
Silky Shark
Carcharhinus falciformis
Silvertip Shark
Carcharhinus albimarginatus
Whitetip Reef Shark
Triaenodon obesus
Tiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
Scalloped Hammerhead
Sphyrna lewini
spotted houndshark
Triakis maculata
White-margin Fin Hound Shark
Mustelus albipinnis
hammerhead
Sphyrna zygaena
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Isla del Coco National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Galápagos Shark in Galápagos Islands?
About 34% of visitor-days record a Galápagos Shark sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 84 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see Galápagos Shark in Galápagos Islands?
October has the highest sighting rate for Galápagos Shark in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.