Is Galápagos good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 1 of the 11 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Mosquera Islet. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Galápagos?

The water is usually between 16 °C and 25 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Galápagos?

Divers regularly see whale sharks (Jun–Nov), hammerhead sharks (Jun–Nov), manta rays (all year), galápagos sharks, silky sharks (Dec–May) and whitetip reef sharks.

How do you dive Galápagos?

The nearest airport is GPS|SCY. Ways to dive here: liveaboards and day boats.

Galápagos

Q: When is the best time to dive Galápagos?

The best months to dive Galápagos are Jun–Nov. Cool season Jun–Nov: strong currents, peak marine life. Warm season Dec–May: calmer, 24–28 °C. 7 mm wetsuit standard.

Diving in Ecuador

11 documented dive sites, 1 of them for Open Water divers. Known for whale sharks, manta rays and hammerhead sharks.

Best months: Jun–Nov
Water: 16–25 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
Diving from: Liveaboards, Day boats
Nearest airport: GPS|SCY

Photo: Xxchangwoo0120xx, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Galápagos in October

Best season

Air: 27 °C; 21 °C at night
Rain: < 10 mm; one of the driest months
Wind: 14 km/h; on average

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Cool season Jun–Nov: strong currents, peak marine life. Warm season Dec–May: calmer, 24–28 °C. 7 mm wetsuit standard.

Source: galapagosinsiders.com

Dive sites in Galápagos

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Northern islands (Wolf & Darwin): liveaboard only, Advanced + 30–50 logged dives typical.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m1 site

Drift

down to 25 m

Mosquera Islet

A gentle drift between Seymour and Baltra over a 15-18 m sandy floor, where hammerheads, curious sea lions and turtles pass by.

Open Water
Hammerhead sharks

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m8 sites

Drift

down to 50 m

Punta Vicente Roca

Cold-upwelling wall off Isabela where mola mola are a signature sighting and seahorses and frogfish hide in the crevices.

Advanced
Sea lions

Wall

down to 33 m

Cape Douglas (Cabo Douglas)

Advanced
Sea lions

Pinnacle

down to 20 m

Devil’s Crown

Advanced
Hammerhead sharks

Pinnacle

down to 35 m

Gordon Rocks

Advanced
Whale sharks

Kicker Rock (León Dormido)

Advanced
Wall
Blacktip reef sharks

Reef

down to 18 m

North Seymour

A rocky reef sloping to sand at 16-18 m where black and whitetip reef sharks, turtles and spotted eagle rays are regulars.

Advanced
Blacktip reef sharks

down to 40 m

Cabo Marshall

Isabela ray site with a 12 m plateau cleaning station where mantas and large schools of mobula rays pass.

Advanced
Manta rays

Wall

down to 40 m

Cousin's Rock

Advanced
Manta rays

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m2 sites

The two pillars left after the collapse of Darwin's Arch, 2024

Darwin's Arch (Darwin's Towers)

Wall drift beside the pillars of the arch that collapsed in May 2021, with large numbers of hammerheads, silky and Galápagos sharks.

Experienced
Drift
Whale sharks

down to 37 m

El Derrumbe (The Landslide), Wolf

Rock reef at Wolf where divers look out into the blue as hammerhead shoals, hundreds strong, pass by.

Experienced
Hammerhead sharks

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Whale sharksSource: liveaboard.com
Hammerhead sharksSource: liveaboard.com
Manta raysSource: liveaboard.com
Silky sharksSource: liveaboard.com
Mobula raysSource: cloudfront.masterliveaboards.com
Mola mola (sunfish)Source: blog.padi.com
Galápagos penguinsSource: blog.padi.com

Peak season
Seen

Also reported here, season not documented yet:

Galápagos sharks
Whitetip reef sharks
Sea lions
Seals
Turtles
Eagle rays
Seahorses
Batfish
Marine iguanas
Tiger sharks
Orcas
Dolphins

Where is the Galápagos?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Galápagos Islands (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: GPS|SCY
How people dive here: Liveaboards, Day boats

Galápagos: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Galápagos?: The best months to dive Galápagos are Jun–Nov. Cool season Jun–Nov: strong currents, peak marine life. Warm season Dec–May: calmer, 24–28 °C. 7 mm wetsuit standard.
Is Galápagos good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 1 of the 11 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Mosquera Islet. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Galápagos?: The water is usually between 16 °C and 25 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Galápagos?: Divers regularly see whale sharks (Jun–Nov), hammerhead sharks (Jun–Nov), manta rays (all year), galápagos sharks, silky sharks (Dec–May) and whitetip reef sharks.
How do you dive Galápagos?: The nearest airport is GPS|SCY. Ways to dive here: liveaboards and day boats.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Kicker Rock (León Dormido) rising from the sea, Galápagos, Xxchangwoo0120xx, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The two pillars left after the collapse of Darwin's Arch, 2024, Scopoli, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dive boats beside Kicker Rock (León Dormido), Galápagos, MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash