Travel Galapagos Islands, information on Galapagos travel, Galapagos cruises, Galapagos tours, galapagos diving and island hopping.

Galapagos is a year around destination, you will be able to see exotic wildlife all year around!  When to visit or when to go to Galapagos basically depends on your budget, your preferences for travelling and weather preference. 

The high season (June to September and November to March) is not necesarily related to wildlife activity or weather, but merely with the international high seasons around the world.   On high season it is more difficult to find last minute deals and most cruises are booked with more than 90 days (and even more in Christmas and New Year's) in advance.  You might bump with bigger crowds during the visits, but the Galapagos National Park regulates the amount of tourists that can visit a determined island every day; so you will never feel like in an amusement park there. 

The low season on the other hand is somewhat under rated, and by some is considered as the best time to travel.  Although prices are relatively the same, you are more likely to get sunnier days, calmer seas and warmer oceans. 

For divers the peak season starts from July to September as there is more chances of seeing whalesharks and bigger schools of hammerheads in Darwin and Wolf. 

Wildlife activity however, happens all year around in the Galapagos.  Here you can find a chart with the monthly expected activity for your planning.

Galapagos Wildlife Calendar

JANUARY
	Land birds start to nest after the first rain.  Green sea turtles start to lay eggs on Galapagos beaches. Giant tortoise eggs are hatching.  On Española the adult male marine iguanas become brightly colored. The green sea turtle arrives in the Galapagos Islands to lay their eggs on beaches. Land iguanas begin reproductive cycles on Isabela. Ideal time for snorkeling.
FEBRUARY
	Greater flamingos start nesting on Floreana. Marine iguanas nest on Santa Cruz. Galapagos doves are nesting. Penguins migrate away from Bartholeme to cooler waters off Isabela and Fernandina.   Giant tortoise eggs are still hatching. Bahamas pintails start their breeding season. Masked boobies on Española are at the end of their nesting season.  Penguins may be sighted at Bartolomé. The nesting season of the Galapagos dove reaches its peak.
MARCH
	Usually the height of the rainy season. Sporadic rains, high humidity and strong sun.  Marine iguanas nest on Fernandina and North Seymour. Waved albatrosses start to arrive back on Española at the beginning of the summer equinox. Hatching season of giant Galapagos tortoise eggs continues. Galapagos Penguins on Isabela island.   Frigatebirds inflate their red throat pouches for the mating season on San Cristobal and Genovesa islands.
APRIL
	Green sea turtle eggs begin to hatch. Mass arrival and courtship of waved albatrosses on Española. Land iguana eggs hatch on Isabela. End of the giant tortoise hatching season. Mating dance of blue-footed boobies on North Seymour. Mating season for frigatebirds on Genovesa and San Cristobal, when the males attract a mate by showing off their red throat pouches. The eggs of the green sea turtles begin to hatch.
MAY
	Band rumped storm petrels start first of two nesting periods. Waved albatross are laying eggs on Española Island. North Seymour’s blue-footed boobies begin their courtship. Sea turtles are still hatching on Gardner Bay, Punta Cormorant and Puerto Egas. Most of the marine iguanas eggs hatch from nests on Santa Cruz. Palo Santo trees begin to shed their foliage. Albatross on Española start laying their eggs. Storm petrels begin their first nesting period.
JUNE
	Giant tortoises on Santa Cruz come down to the lowlands to look for nesting sites. Birds migrating north use the Galapagos Islands to rest.   Humpback Whales pass the Galapagos Islands from June to September. Whale sharks may be seen in the far northwestern islands towards the end of the month. The endemic short-eared owl starts mating on Genovesa Island. Beginning of the garúa season (cooler and drier climate).
JULY
	Whales and dolphins off the west coast of Isabela, whale sharks near Darwin and Wolf islands. American oystercatchers nest on Santiago.   Flightless cormorants court and nest on Fernandina. Sea bird colonies are breeding. Sea bird communities are very active, especially the Blue Footed boobies on Española. Greater flamingoes court potential mates with a dance-like ritual. The first frigatebird chicks satart to hatch. Oystercatchers start nesting at Puerto Egas. Lava lizards initiate mating rituals until November.
AUGUST
	Sea lions are giving birth to pups and can be agressive if they feel threatened.  Frigatebird chicks are hatching. Greater flamingo courtship dances continue. Migrant shore birds are arriving. Courtship of Galapagos hawks on Santiago and Española. Nazca boobies nest on Genovesa. Possibility of whale shark sightings near Wolf and Darwin islands.   Humpback whales pass the Galapagos on migration route.  Migrant shore birds start to arrive, and stay on the islands until March. Giant tortoises return to the highlands of Santa Cruz.
SEPTEMBER
	Penguins demonstrate remarkable activity on Bartolomé. Male sea lions are fighting to win or defend their harems of females. Lots of sea birds at nest sites. Chance of seeing whale sharks in the northwest of the archipelago or humpback whales migrating past the islands. Cold (garúa) season peak.
OCTOBER
	Galapagos fur seal mating season.   Blue footed booby chicks on Española and Isabela. Lava herons start nesting. Whale sharks still around Darwin and Wolf islands. Lava herons nest until March. Giant tortoises still lay their eggs.
NOVEMBER
	Sea lion pups are old enough to play with tourists and their mothers are more relaxed about them.  Sea lions are sexually active on the Eastern part of the Archipelago. Brown noddy breeding season.   Band rumped storm petrels start nesting again. Chance of seeing whale sharks in the far northwest of the Galapagos Islands.   Green sea turtle mating season starts.
DECEMBER
	Giant tortoise eggs start to hatch, through until April. Waved albatross chicks fledge and the waved albatrosses leave the Galapagos, not to return until March. Green sea turtles are mating.  The rainy season begins, all of the plants of the dry zone produce leaves. Galapagos “turns green”. The first young albatross fledge.