General

Weather and Wildlife Galapagos Islands

What is the best time due to the weather to visit the Galapagos Islands?

Due to the weather on the Galapagos Islands the whole year you can go and visit these beautiful islands.

On the Galapagos Islands you can find two different seasons in a year:

The time period between December and May, the “wet (warm) season.” During this warmer season, the Galapagos’ climate is more tropical with daily rain and cloudier skies. Also, the ocean temperature is warmer.
From June to December the winds bring the colder Humboldt Current to the Galapagos Islands.The water is cooler and there will be a hanging fog on the coast of the islands.

Wildlife you will find on the islands in different month

January weather on the Galapagos Islands:

maximum temperature: 86°F (27°C)
minimum temperature: 72°F (22°C)
sea water temperature: 76°F (24°C)

Wildlife in January:

Land birds begin nesting.
Flightless cormorants and both red footed and Nazca boobies and frigate birds can be seen at this time of the year.
Galapagos sea lions mating season.
Marine iguanas and land iguanas start their mating season.
Galapagos giant tortoises start laying eggs.
Galapagos Penguins and some Flamingos.

February weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum temperature: 86°F (30°C) – Average
minimum temperature: 75°F (24°C) – Average
sea water temperature: 77°F (25°C) – Average

Wildlife in February:

Flamingos start nesting
Nazca Boobies will be coming to the end of their nesting season
Sea Turtles laying eggs
Marine iguanas nesting

March weather Galapagos Islands (The sunniest month of the year):

maximum temperature: 88°F (31°C)
minimum temperature: 75°F (24°C)
sea water temperature: 77°F (25°C)

Wildlife in March:

Green Sea Turtles and Marine Iguanas and land Iguanas are nesting
Great Frigate Birds are nesting
Penguins, Flightless Cormorants and greater Flamingos are also nesting this time of the year.
Baby Giant Tortoises are hatching in March

April weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum temperature: 88°F (31°C) – Average
minimum temperature: 75°F (24°C) – Average
sea water temperature: 77°F (25°C) – Average

Wildlife in April:

Frigate birds and blue footed boobies are mating
The Albatross will arrive on the island Española
Land Iguana eggs start to hatch
the hatching season of the Galapagos Giant Tortoises comes to an end

May weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum average temperature: 82°F (28°C)
minimum average temperature: 72°F (22°C)
sea water average emperature: 77°F (25°C)

Wildlife in May:

The blue footed boobies doing its courtship dance.
Waved Albatross start laying their eggs.
The sea turtles are continuing to hatch as well.
Galapagos land iguanas tend to hatch in May.
Galapagos shearwaters can also be seen on the islands in May.
The penguins are nesting.
A range of other bird species can be seen in this month, like the red footed boobies, Nazca booties and frigate birds, flightless cormorants and greater flamingos.
You can also see marine and land iguanas at this time.
Great Frigate birds are nesting on Genovesa.

June weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum temperature: 79°F (26°C) – average
minimum temperature: 70°F (21°C) – average
sea water temperature: 73°F (23°C) – average

Wildlife in June:

Many migratory birds will start their journey north
The red footed boobies and the masked boobies and the magnificent and great frigate birds, the flightless cormorants and the penguins and the greater flamingoes are breeding and nesting.
The Galápagos giant tortoises are at the end of mating season and are beginning of nesting
The waved Albatross are nesting this month.

July weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum temperature: 79°F (26°C) – average
minimum temperature: 68°F (20°C) – average
sea water temperature: 72°F (22°C) – average

Wildlife in July:

The whales and dolphins are coming to the Galapagos Islands and can be observed on the West Coast of Isabela Island.
The sea lion is breeding
The blue footed boobies will start nesting in July
Lava lizards initiate mating rituals.
American Oystercatchers are nesting.
Great month to see the four stages of nesting in blue-footed boobies.

August weather Galapagos Islands, the coolest month of the year:

maximum average temperature: 79°F (26°C)
minimum average temperature: 66°F (19°C)
sea water average temperature: 71°F (21°C)

Wildlife in August:

The whales and penguins and dolphins can be spotted in August as well as the sea lions.
Galápagos hawks make their appearance as also do the giant tortoises and the lava lizards.
Tortoises lay eggs in the wild in the highlands.
The sea birds are busy feeding their chicks
The flightless cormorants, penguins and the greater flamingos are nesting and breeding.
The red footed boobies and the blue footed boobies and the Nazca boobies are nesting and breeding this month.
Waved albatrosses are nesting on Espanola.

September weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum average temperature: 79°F (26°C)
minimum average temperature: 66°F (19°C)
sea water average temperature: 72°F (22°C)

Wildlife in September:

Galapagos penguins can be observed nearby the islands Bartolomé, Isabela and Fernandina.
Sea Lions will be engaging in courtship displays.
Galapagos fur seal will be in the midst of its mating season.
The blue footed boobies and the waved albatrosses are nesting or fishing.
Many of the bird species will be active at this time, including brown pelicans.
The Galapagos hawks are nesting (through October).
For the Galapagos sea lions it´s the birth and breeding season.
Most sea birds found at nesting sites

October weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum temperature: 79°F (26°C)
minimum temperature: 68°F (20°C)
sea water temperature: 73°F (22°C)

Wildlife in October:

Sea Lions and their pups you can observe on the beaches
Galapagos fur sea lions continue mating
The blue footed booby chicks can be spotted at this time of the year
The lave herons can be found on some islands.

November weather Galapagos Islands:

maximum temperature: 79°F (26°C) – Average
minimum temperature: 70°F (21°C) – Average
sea water temperature: 73°F (23°C) – Average

Wildlife in November:

The sea lions pups are starting to play in the water.
The blue footed boobies and the red footed boobies and the Nazca boobies are all nesting.
The Frigate birds and the waved Albatrosses and the flamingos are also nesting in November.
The Galapagos penguins are breeding.
The green sea turtle breeding cycle will start.
Jellyfish can be seen around the islands.
Sea lions are sexually active on the islands.
The Band-rumped storm petrels begin their second nesting period.