Weather
Even though the Galápagos archipelago nestles the equatorial line, its
climate is atypically tropical, influenced almost entirely by the seasonal
dominance of surrounding ocean currents. Although air and water temperatures
fluctuate, cruise tours can operate on a year-round basis.
From January to June, the Galápagos experiences its warm/wet season. During
these months, southeast trade winds, which drive the cool (Humboldt)
currents, lose their strength and allow warmer (El Niño) waters from the
north to flow through the Galápagos. Generally, the weather is hot and
sunny, with occasional—but heavy—downpours. Although high temperatures are
fairly moderate during this season, the actual heat produced by the
reflection of the sunlight by some islands' black, bare lava surfaces can
feel uncomfortable. Visitors can expect to see the islands uniformly covered
in lush green vegetation, to star-gaze in ultra-clear night skylines, and to
swim in gentle, comfortably cool ocean waters.
The July to December season is known as the garúa , or cool/dry season,
during which time cool winds from the southeast regain force. Weather is
cool and breezy, with skies lightly overcast. This time of year the sea is
at its roughest; water temperatures are at their lowest; and coastal island
landscapes are most barren.
The transition months are highly variable and unpredictable, although they
tend to combine certain climatic characteristics of both seasonal extremes.
From November to January, air temperature will start to rise while water
temperatures remain cool, and from April to June, fresh breezes and cooling
water temperatures will offset the heat.
Most birds nest year round, so you can see courtship, mating, chicks
hatching and rearing almost any time of the year. However, if you are a
novice naturalist hoping to get a glimpse of migratory birds and sea
mammals, it is important to coordinate your trip with migration patterns. If
you are desperate to see the albatross, for example, you should plan to
visit the southern islands between April and December. If you want to see
humpback whales, go to the islands between June and September.
|
Temperatures
|
JAN
|
FEB
|
MAR
|
APR
|
MAY
|
JUN
|
JUL
|
AUG
|
SEP
|
OCT
|
NOV
|
DEC
|
|
Max. Air Temp.
|
84
|
86
|
88
|
86
|
82
|
78
|
76
|
74
|
76
|
77
|
78
|
80
|
|
Min. Air Temp.
|
70
|
74
|
74
|
72
|
72
|
68
|
66
|
64
|
62
|
64
|
66
|
68
|
|
Avg. Sea Temp.
|
74
|
76
|
76
|
76
|
74
|
74
|
72
|
66
|
68
|
70
|
72
|
74
|
|
Avg. Rainfall (in.)
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1.5
|
0.75
|
0.25
|
0.5
|
0.25
|
0.5
|
0.25
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
The wildlife you will see on your Galapagos tour are completely
unaffected by Galapagos travel visitors . For this reason, there is a
restricted number of visitors permitted into the Galapagos each year, as
part of a joint effort to protect the delicate environmental and
ecological equilibrium. The most sensible method of Galapagos travel is
via our cruise ships. The M/V Galapagos Legend provides 3 night, 4 night
and 7 night cruises to select from, which can also be easily merged with
Galapagos travel visits to neighboring South American locations