Snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands

While many visitors are enamored by the amazing endemic species of wildlife found on land in the Galapagos Islands, many more are stunned by the beauty and wealth of the marine life here. A truly astounding place, the Galapagos Islands is a marine paradise, where the underwater wildlife is like no place else in the world. You can swim with the Galapagos penguins; the only equatorial penguins found in the world, or snorkel with dolphins, sea lions and marine iguanas, as they gracefully swim the waters of the Pacific in search of food.

Teeming with a multitude of fish of nearly every kind and size, the Galapagos is an underwater adventure waiting to happen. And the best part about snorkeling here is that one does not even need to swim far out to spot the unbelievable wealth of marine life. Schools of fish, rays, and eels can be found in water that is just waist-high! Snorkel alongside angelfish, manta rays, reef sharks, playful sea lions and the unusual-looking marine iguanas as you search for the treasures of this world.

With near crystal clear waters along the coast of most islands, you don’t even need to be an expert swimmer to snorkel out here. However, do bring a wetsuit along just in case, as with the exception of December, the water here stays at a mild temperature of 18 degrees Celsius most of the year. In December, the waters are ideal for snorkeling and the water temperature is a perfect degrees Celsius. All you need is a pair of fins, a mask and a snorkel and you can explore this stunning world for hours on end. Observe parrotfish, damselfish and hawkfish as they dart in between the elegantly swimming sea turtles and lively penguins.

A good place to snorkel is on Isla Bartolomé, where the water is near perfect and offers a stunning visual display of underwater life. Spot fish of every size, color and shape as they swim in huge shoals zipping all over the place. Devils Crown is probably one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galapagos with near perfect water temperatures and great underwater visibility.

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