When is the best time to go on an adventure cruise in the Galapagos Islands
One of the most commonly asked questions about the Galapagos Islands is "When is the best time to go on an adventure cruise in the Galapagos Islands?"
Read on to find out the best time to go on an expedition cruise in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
There is never a bad time to go on an adventure cruise in the Galapagos Islands It all depends on what animals you would like to see and what you would like to do.
Here is a quick summary of the seasons - more information follows below for those of you who would like to get into the fine details:
December through May - rainy season - great for land animals, swimming & snorkelling
water and air are warmer
daily drizlle for a short period of time
also the sunniest time of year
great for swimming and snorkeling
not as many fish
breeding season for land birds (watch unusual mating rituals)
sea turtles nest on the beach
March through May land tortoises come down from the highlands in search of a mate
sea lions mate (males fight it out for the females)
March and April see newborn sea lion pups
February, March, and April flowers bloom and the islands are awash in colours
sea is calmer, so there is little chance of getting seasick.
June through November - dry season - fish & birds abound, great diving
cold water (bring a wet suit)
cold weather
water rich in nutrients and plankton, which attracts fish and birds
often cloudy but rarely rainy
windy - seas can be rougher (especially July & August)
best time for diving
Albatrosses on Espanola from April to December
Penguins are more common
Blue-footed boobies mate (beautiful mating ritual)
During the school holidays - from mid-June through early September and from mid-December through mid-January - you need to book far ahead of time. And while the number of visitors to each island is strictly controlled, during school holidays you are less likely to get a sense of solitude and isolation.
My recommendation is to spend as much time as you can on your adventure cruise in the Galapagos Islands. Operators often add one night on either end in Quito and two days are used up for travel back and forth to the islands. So what may look like a 10-day adventure cruise in the Galapagos means you only spend six days on the ship.
At a minimum you should try to include Fernandina, Isabela and Española in your itinerary. They offer a lot of the different species you can see on your adventure cruise in the Galapagos Islands. If you are looking for specific animal species, check out my blog post on where to find what animals in Galapagos.
Rábida (Jervis) and Santiago (James) offer the best snorkeling in the islands.
Broken down by month, this is what you can expect to see on your adventure cruise in the Galapagos Islands
January
• Land birds start nesting, generally after the first rain.
• On Española adult male marine iguanas become brightly colored.
• green sea turtles arrive to lay their eggs.
• Land iguanas begin their reproductive cycles on Isabela.
• Hatching of giant tortoises eggs