Diving in Galápagos Islands

Giant Electric Ray

General species description, not specific to this destination

A large electric ray found in the Eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru, including the Galápagos. It has a rounded disc-shaped body, a short tail, and can generate powerful electric shocks of up to 200 volts to stun prey and deter predators.

Green Sea Turtle

Destination note

Common at most dive sites. Nesting season Dec-May on Galápagos beaches. Frequently seen resting on sandy bottoms and cleaning stations.

Spotted Eagle Ray

Destination note

Frequently spotted at cleaning stations and sandy areas. Often solitary or in small groups at most dive sites.

Hawksbill Turtle

Destination note

Less common than green turtles but regularly encountered at cleaning stations. Nesting beaches on Santiago and Bartolomé. Critically Endangered globally.

Great Hammerhead

Destination note

Less common than scalloped hammerheads. Occasionally spotted patrolling deep drop-offs at Wolf and Darwin. Largest of all hammerhead species, reaching 6m. Best during warm season.

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin

Destination note

Year-round resident populations; frequently encountered near Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, and Isabela during crossings

Purple Cone Snail

General species description, not specific to this destination

A venomous cone snail found in the Eastern Pacific including the Galápagos. Its shell is pale brown to orange with a fine network of brown lines and a distinctive purple interior. Like all cone snails, it hunts with a harpoon-like tooth that injects powerful neurotoxin.

Mexican Hornshark

General species description, not specific to this destination

A small, stocky bottom-dwelling shark of the Eastern Pacific, found from the Gulf of California to Colombia including the Galápagos. It has a blunt head with prominent ridges above the eyes, giving it a horned appearance. Its body is covered in dark spots and blotches on a tan background.

Great Barracuda

General species description, not specific to this destination

The Great Barracuda is an impressive predator with a streamlined body and powerful jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. They can grow over 6 feet long and often hover motionless near the reef, curious about divers.

Longspined Porcupinefish

General species description, not specific to this destination

The Longspined Porcupinefish is a fascinating resident of tropical reefs around the world, easily recognized by its rounded body covered in prominent spines and distinctive yellow-brown coloration with darker spots. When relaxed, this gentle fish appears almost balloon-like as it slowly navigates the reef. However, when threatened, it transforms dramatically by inflating into a spiky sphere twice its normal size - a spectacular defensive display that divers occasionally witness. These curious fish often approach divers closely, their large eyes giving them an almost comical expression. They're commonly found hovering near coral formations and caves during the day, using their beak-like mouths to crush small crustaceans and mollusks. Their slow, deliberate swimming style and tendency to remain stationary make them excellent photography subjects for underwater enthusiasts.

Whitetail Damselfish

General species description, not specific to this destination

A small territorial damselfish found on rocky reefs throughout the Eastern Pacific, including the Galápagos. Adults are dark brown with a distinctive white tail and yellow pectoral fins. They aggressively defend their algal gardens from other herbivores.

Red Squat Lobster

General species description, not specific to this destination

A small bright red squat lobster that forms enormous aggregated swarms on the seafloor of the Eastern Pacific, from Baja California to Chile including the Galápagos. It resembles a lobster but is more closely related to hermit crabs.