Penguins in Galapagos

by Becca
(USA)

What is the best time of year to see the Galapagos penguins?

Is there a time of year to avoid going in order to not miss seeing them?

Your Answer

You can see Galapagos Penguins all year round. Every month of the year is favorable to see penguins in the Galapagos Islands.

Penguins congregate mostly along the rocky lava shores of Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, and Bartolome, Islands which are cooled off by both the Cromwell and Humboldt currents.

The Humboldt Current (which is composed by cold waters and nutrients coming from the Antarctica) is the one that brought them all the way up to the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos penguins enter into the water to cool off form the strong Equator sun and they swim slowly and graciously just with their heads above the water.

But when they are looking for food they can submerge into the water using its flippers and feet to gain a great speed.

In most cases they look for food close to shore and feed mostly on small fish such as sardines and mullet which are caught while they swim and dive in the Ocean.

The Penguins that live here, are exclusive to the Galapagos Islands where 1,700 to 8,500 individuals breed on 6 main Islands and several other small ones.

See Our Economic Galapagos Tours

Looking at how the Galapagos penguins live in the tropics and swimming or snorkeling among them, is an experience that you will never forget.