Galapagos Daphne Island

Visitors that disembark here should consider themselves lucky to be among the few people that are allowed to visit this Island.

These two small Islands in Galapagos provide visitors with their first panoramic view of the Archipelago after landing in the airport at Baltra.

Visitation of Daphne Major is limited to one scientific group per month, this is a measure enforced by the Galapagos National Park Service to prevent erosion.

With limited visitor access, no more than 12 people at a time are allowed on Daphne islands. Therefore the chances of actually setting foot here are quite small. Galapagos Daphne Major is the younger of the two Islands and is the one people most visit.

Volcanic in origin, these two Islands are actually quite different from one another, and while Daphne Minor is badly eroded, Daphne Major still retains much of its volcanic form.

Scientists spend on a lot of time on Daphne Islands mainly due to the major scientific research being undertaken to understand the habitat of Darwin's Finches

Scientists have captured and banded each of the Island's finches, monitoring the birds in an attempt to earn a greater understanding of their lives.

If you do get a chance to come here, you will find are number of endemic Galapagos bird species including finches, Galapagos Martins, Masked Boobies, and Short Eared Owls.



Red-Billed Tropicbirds often build their nests near the summit of Galapagos Daphne Major, while Frigatebirds are often spotted on the Island's slopes.

If you do gain permission to go a shore you will walk up a steep trail to the crater rim. Many Galapagos birds are visible along the way.

Nearing the summit red-billed tropicbirds nest in the cliffs. These elegant birds with long white tail feathers and a coral-red bill, nest in the over hanging ledges and crevices of the steep slopes.

Magnificent frigatebirds build their nests in the little vegetation that occurs on the Islands slopes and near the crater rim. On the floor of the crater blue-footed boobies make their nests between April and December.

The presence of these sea birds makes Galapagos Daphne an exceptional Island to visit. A place where thousands of birds can be seen soaring overhead.

Galapagos Daphne Island is an extraordinary place to tour, there are also 2 dive sites off the Islands. Here pieces of machinery and bomb shells belonging to the US Navy from World War II can be seen among the diverse marine life.

Tuna, Red tailed Snapper, White-tip Reef Sharks, Moray Eels, and Yellow tailed Grunts can be spotted swimming along side graceful sea turtles.

Galapagos Recommended Reading

Chasing a Dream in the Galapagos: A Personal Evolution
A journey of self-discovery unfolds as a woman travels with her adult daughters to the Galapagos Islands to see natural selection in action. It's a travel book that will inspire you to take a trip of your own. (An Excellent Family Book)

More About Galapagos

Galapagos Sailing

Advertise With Us

Economic Galapagos Trips

Search this Site for More Galapagos Information

Custom Search