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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Americas

Americas

Ecuador

Islands where turtles, penguins, marine iguanas and sharks share the water.

Two marine iguanas resting on the white sand of Tortuga Bay, Galápagos
Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz, Galápagos · Photo: Vincent Croos on Unsplash
Exploring

Ethics pass, open for travel. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard. Checked by Ocean Calling on 29 Sep 2026. Sources: Galápagos National Park Rules, Galápagos Conservancy; New Galapagos Marine Reserve Hermandad established, Charles Darwin Foundation, 2022; Shark finning in the Galapagos Marine Reserve through illegal fishers' eyes, Biological Conservation, 2025.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Coastal Region provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, and within 20km of the Colombian border. Sources: UK FCDO travel advice, Ecuador Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

ScubaSnorkellingWhalesWhale sharksTurtles

Why Ecuador

In the Galápagos, turtles, penguins, marine iguanas and sharks share the water, and sea lions and whales may be seen nearby. Snorkelling works all year and is warmer from December to May. For divers, hammerheads and whale sharks are seasonal at northern sites, from June to November.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

MexicoBrazilBoliviaPeruColombiaPanamaCosta RicaNicaraguaHondurasEl SalvadorGuatemalaVenezuelaGuyanaSurinameEcuadorTrinidad and TobagoGalápagos, Ecuador

When to go

Year-round. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass

Meets the Ocean Calling standard.

In the Galápagos, every visit to the park is with an authorised naturalist guide, and the rules say keep two metres from animals, never touch and never feed them. The marine reserve grew in 2022 with the new Hermandad reserve. Illegal shark fishing is still a problem offshore, so we choose guides who respect the rules and we support shark conservation work.

Checked 29 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Ecuador

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Galápagos

Exploring

Islands where turtles, penguins, marine iguanas and sharks share the water, with sea lions nearby.

🤿 In the water: Green turtles, Marine iguanas, Galápagos penguins, Whitetip reef sharks and rays, Hammerheads and whale sharks (Darwin and Wolf liveaboard dives only, not part of a land-based stay)

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Sea lions, Whales

When: Year-round. Snorkelling works all year, warmer Dec to May. Whale sharks at the far northern islands Jun to Nov, by liveaboard.

Rules and fees: Practical: international visitors aged 12 and over pay a Galápagos National Park entry fee of 200 US dollars in cash on arrival, and children under 12 pay 100. The transit control card is another 20 US dollars on the mainland, before the flight. Stay at least two metres from all wildlife and never feed or touch the animals.

Ocean + land

Sea lions and turtles in the water, giant tortoises on land

In the water

In the Galápagos, sea lions, turtles, rays and marine iguanas share the same bays where people snorkel.

On land

Giant tortoises live on several of the islands. Their recovery is one of the great conservation stories: the Española giant tortoise grew from 15 animals in the 1960s to more than 2,300 today. In 2026, tortoises carrying Floreana tortoise genes were returned to Floreana Island.

Here sea animals and land animals share the same islands, so one trip can include both.

We visit only with a licensed Galápagos naturalist guide, stay on the marked trails and keep our distance. Counts of all wild tortoises differ between sources, so we do not give one number.

Wildlife is never guaranteed, on land or at sea. This is research, not a trip on sale.

Sources for this section

Checked 7 Oct 2026.

Animals

Animals recorded in Ecuador

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Humpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScalloped hammerhead shark cruising in deep blue Red Sea waterScalloped hammerheadSphyrna lewiniSeen in 57 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredPair of blue-footed boobies on lava rock, Isla Isabela, GalápagosBlue-footed boobySula nebouxiiSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGalapagos sea lion twisting underwater over rocksGalápagos sea lionZalophus wollebaekiSeen in 1 country in the AtlasEndangeredMale magnificent frigatebird perched on a mangrove branchMagnificent frigatebirdFregata magnificensSeen in 52 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed-tinged marine iguana basking on lava rockMarine iguanaAmblyrhynchus cristatusSeen in 1 country in the AtlasVulnerableBump-head sunfish swimming in blue water off Nusa PenidaOcean sunfish (mola)Mola molaSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasVulnerableOceanic whitetip shark with pilot fish in sunlit Red Sea waterOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredTiger shark with clear stripes swimming over a reefTiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWhitetip reef sharks resting stacked in a reef creviceWhitetip reef sharkTriaenodon obesusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasVulnerableGiant oceanic manta with T-shaped white shoulder patches and remorasOceanic manta ray (giant manta)Mobula birostrisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlacktip shark swimming in green water in the GalápagosBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusSeen in 49 countries in the AtlasVulnerableGalápagos shark swimming low over a rocky seabedGalápagos sharkCarcharhinus galapagensisSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRound ribbontail ray swimming over rocks at Santa Cruz, GalápagosRound ribbontail rayTaeniurops meyeniSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSmooth hammerhead swimming in clear blue open water off SpainSmooth hammerheadSphyrna zygaenaSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTwo Galápagos penguins standing on dark lava rock under a grey skyGalápagos penguinSpheniscus mendiculusSeen in 1 country in the AtlasEndangeredFlightless cormorant perched on dark rock with its short wings held slightly openFlightless cormorantNannopterum harrisiSeen in 1 country in the AtlasVulnerableHawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBryde’s whale surfacing and exhaling in deep blue open oceanBryde's whaleBalaenoptera edeniSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCalifornia sea lions diving together over a rocky reefCalifornia sea lionZalophus californianusSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOrcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian watersOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData DeficientSchool of bigeye trevally swirling near the seabed at AmedBigeye trevallyCaranx sexfasciatusSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlue whale blowing a tall spout off San DiegoBlue whaleBalaenoptera musculusSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasEndangeredShort-finned pilot whale surfacing off Tenerife with the island behindShort-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala macrorhynchusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMinke whale surfacing and exhaling, seen from aboveCommon minke whale (North Atlantic)Balaenoptera acutorostrataSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMunk's devil ray swimming above others in blue waterMunk's devil rayMobula munkianaSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasVulnerableScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSilvertip shark swimming in open blue waterSilvertip sharkCarcharhinus albimarginatusSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasVulnerableClose-up of a sleeping maned male South American sea lion on rocksSouth American sea lionOtaria byroniaSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-spotted eagle rays gliding over coral at Heron Island, Great Barrier ReefSpotted eagle ray (ocellated eagle ray)Aetobatus ocellatusSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasEndangeredStriped dolphin leaping, dark flank stripe clearly visibleStriped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf minke whaleBalaenoptera acutorostrata (dwarf form)Seen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFalse killer whale surging through blue water off Rota, Mariana IslandsFalse killer whalePseudorca crassidensSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedCuvier's beaked whale surfacing, pale scarred head and small dorsal finCuvier's beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 42 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the seaLeatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePantropical spotted dolphin gliding at the calm ocean surfacePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo rough-toothed dolphins leaping together, blotchy grey skin visibleRough-toothed dolphinSteno bredanensisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOlive ridley turtles nesting on Playa Ostional, Costa RicaOlive ridley turtleLepidochelys olivaceaSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSilky shark swimming near the surface in blue waterSilky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasVulnerableDwarf sperm whale leaping clear of the open seaDwarf sperm whaleKogia simaSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhitespotted eagle ray gliding over reef and sand in BelizeWhitespotted eagle rayAetobatus narinariSeen in 58 countries in the AtlasEndangeredPortuguese man o' war floating with purple crest off Pico, AzoresPortuguese man o' warPhysalia physalisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedSouth American fur seal sitting upright on a seaweed-covered rock by the shoreSouth American fur sealArctocephalus australisSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWedge-tailed shearwaters resting togetherWedge-tailed shearwaterArdenna pacificaSeen in 46 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMasked booby on Ascension IslandMasked boobySula dactylatraSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo Humboldt penguins on a rocky ledge, one with its head tipped backHumboldt penguinSpheniscus humboldtiSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasVulnerableGuanay cormorant perched on a rock at the Ballestas Islands, with a red face patch and white underpartsGuanay cormorantLeucocarbo bougainvilliorumSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedTwo Peruvian boobies with white heads perched facing each other on a rock ledgePeruvian boobySula variegataSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSailfish swimming in open blue water, seen from below, with its long bill and tall dorsal finSailfishIstiophorus platypterusSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasVulnerableScarlet ibis in flight against a pale blue sky, photographed in Georgetown, GuyanaScarlet ibisEudocimus ruberSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernClose view of a red-footed booby head with blue, pink and red bill and throat skin among green leavesRed-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAmerican crocodile resting on a sandy river bank at the water's edge in Costa RicaAmerican crocodileCrocodylus acutusSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon dolphins feeding on a dense shoal of sardines off the east coast of South Africa during the sardine runSouthern African sardine (sardine run)Sardinops sagaxSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCrowd of brown pelicans packed together on a coastal roost, one adult with a pale head and coloured bill facing the cameraBrown pelicanPelecanus occidentalisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAmerican flamingo wading in shallow water with its head lowered toward the surface, Yucatán, MexicoAmerican flamingoPhoenicopterus ruberSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedGreat frigatebird in flight, with long angled wings and a forked tailGreat frigatebirdFregata minorSeen in 44 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeach's storm-petrel in flight over water, wings spread, with a pale patch at the base of the tailLeach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerableNeotropic cormorant perched among willow branches beside the waterNeotropic cormorantNannopterum brasilianumSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSargasso shearwater gliding over a grey sea, dark above and pale belowSargasso shearwater (Audubon's shearwater)Puffinus lherminieriSeen in 27 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAnhinga holding a fish in its long, pointed billAnhinga (American darter)Anhinga anhingaSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of an adult Nazca booby with a pale orange bill and dark face mask, perched on a rock on EspañolaNazca boobySula grantiSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAmazon river dolphin surfacing in a calm river beside rainforest, with spray at its blowholeAmazon river dolphinInia geoffrensisSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasEndangeredTwo tucuxi surfacing side by side in shallow river water beside a grassy bankTucuxiSotalia fluviatilisSeen in 5 countries in the AtlasEndangered

Read before you go

Whales and wildlife ethicsGalápagos Wildlife Rules: The 2-Metre Rule ExplainedRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsWhere to See Tiger Sharks in the World, HonestlyRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationWhy We Leave the Flash Off Around Marine WildlifeRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsWhen Sea Lions Approach: How to Snorkel With RespectRead ↗
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