Celebrity's Galapagos IslandsWildlife Calendar

January• Beginningoftherainyseason

• Landbirdsstartnesting,generallyafterthefirstrain

• OnHood(Española)Islandadultmarineiguanasbecomebrightlycolored(green&red+black)

• ThegreenseaturtlesarrivetobeachesintheGalapagosforegglayingperiod

• LandiguanasbeginreproductivecyclesonIsabelaIsland

• Both,waterandairtemperaturesriseandstaywarmuntilJune

• Idealtimeforsnorkeling

February• OnFloreanaIslandgreaterflamingosstartnesting

• Bahamapintailducks(Black-tailedpintail)starttheirbreedingseason

• Nazca(masked)boobiesonHoodareattheendoftheirnestingseason

• MarineiguanasnestonSantaCruzIsland

• Thehighestwatertemperaturereaches25C(77F).ThistemperatureremainsconstantuntilApril

• VeryfewpenguinsaresightedatBartolomeIsland(mosthavefollowedthecoolwatersbacktothewestornear

upwellingareas)

• NestingseasonoftheGalapagosdovereachesitspeak

March• Therainyseasonreachesthehighestprecipitation(thisdoesnotmeanitrainseveryday)

• Sporadictropicalrains,intensesunandhotclimate.Airtemperaturecanreachupto30C(86F).Humidityishigh.

• MarineiguanasnestonFernandina

• March21st,thebeginningofthesummerequinoxsignalsthearrivalofthewavedalbatrosstoEspañola.

• Eventhewesternislandshavewarmwaterswheresnorkelingisexcellent.PuntaVicenteRoca(Isabela)canbean

amazingsite.Penguinsstillactiveinthewater,nexttotropicalfish!(Howbizarre!)

• Someshores,speciallythosefacingthenorthside,canreceivedeepsurge(oladefondo)comingfromthenorthern

currents.WetlandingsatplaceslikePuertoEgas,GardnerBay,Bartolomecansometimesbeachallenge.

• Snorkelerswillremainlongperiodsoftimeinthewaterbychoice,marinelifeisveryactive.

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April• MassivearrivalofwavedalbatrossestoEspañola.Amazingcourtshipstarts.

• Endofhatchingseasonofthegianttortoises

• Eggsofgreenseaturtlesbegintohatch

• EggsoflandiguanashatchonIsabela

• Whiletherainshaveended,theislandsquitecontinuegreen

• Goodvisibilityinthewaterforsnorkelers

• Perhaps,togetherwithMay,thebestmonthsinGalapagos(weather,animals,watertemperature)

May• NorthSeymour'sblue-footedboobiesbegintheircourtship

• SeaturtlesarestillhatchingonGardnerBay,PuntaCormorant,andPuertoEgas

• Mostofmarineiguanas'eggshatchfromnestsonSantaCruz

• Palosantotreesbegintoshedtheirfoliage

• WavedalbatrossonEspañolastartlayingtheireggs

• Ban-rumpedstormpetrelsbegintheirfirstnestingperiod

June• Beginningofthegarúaseason

• GianttortoisesonSantaCruzIslandmigratefromthehighlandstothelowlandsinsearchofsuitable

nestingplaces

• Beginningofthenestingseasonofgianttortoises

• Southeasttradewindsreturn.Currentsbecomeabitstronger.Seaspickupinsurgeandwaveaction.

• ManyredpouchesbymalesofMagnificentFrigatebirdsonNorthSeymour.

• Southernmigrantshavestartedtheirjourneytowardsthenorth.Galapagosisareststopforsuch

birds.Somespeciesofcetaceansalsofollowthispatternofmigration.

• SomegroupsofHumpbackwhalesthatmigrateuptoequatoriallatitudesalongthecoastofEcuador,

canreachtheGalapagostoo.

July• Seabirdcommunitiesareveryactive(breeding),speciallytheBluefootedboobiesonEspañola.

• FlightlesscormorantsperformbeautifulcourtshipritualsandnestingactivitiesonFernandina.

• AlongtheshoresofPuertoEgas(SantiagoIsland)youcouldfindAmericanoystercatchersnesting.

• LavalizardsinitiatematingritualsuntilNovember

• Whales&dolphinsaremorelikelytobeobserved,especiallyoffthewesterncoastofIsabela

• GreatmonthtoseethefourstagesofnestinginBluefootedboobies:eggs,chicks,juveniles&subadults.

• Watertemperaturedoesnotreachmorethan21C(68F)

Celebrity's Galapagos IslandsWildlife Calendar

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August• GalapagoshawkscourtonEspañolaandSantiago

• Nazca(masked)boobiesandSwallow-tailedgullsnestonGenovesaIsland

• Thetemperatureoftheoceandropsto18C(64F),whichobviouslyvariesaccordingtothegeographic

zonesamongtheislands.

• Migrantshorebirdsstarttoarrive,andstayontheislandsuntilMarch

• GianttortoisesreturntothehighlandsofSantaCruz

• Oceansarequitechoppy,currentsatthestrongestlevels,surgecanbeexpectedalongtheshoresthat

facewestorsouth

• Puppingseason(births)ofsealionshasstarted.Westernandcentralislandsarecommonplacesfor

suchsightings.

September• Peakofthecold(garúa)season

• Theairtemperaturereachesitslowestlevels(19C-66F)

• GalapagosPenguinsshowremarkableactivityonBartolome.

• SinceMayswimmersandsnorkelerscanbedelightedatBartolomewithpenguinsactiveatthe

surfaceortorpedo-likewhileunderwater.

• Sealionsareveryactive.Femaleshavereachedestrusstage,andsoharem-gatheringmalesare

constantlybarkingandfighting.Shorefightingisheavy.Westernandcentralislandsarethemost

activeonesintermsofsealions'activities.

• Mostspeciesofseabirdsremainquiteactiveattheirnestingsites.

October• LavaheronsstartnestinguntilMarch

• TheGalapagosFurSeals(subspeciesofSealions)begintheirmatingperiod

• BluefootedboobiesraisechicksalloverEspañolaandPuntaVicenteRoca(Isabela)

• Gianttortoisesarestilllayingeggs

• Daysarenotalwayssunny.Garúacanbeexpectedinmostlocations,exceptthewesternislands

wheremostdayshaveamistystartbutafterfewhoursofdaylightitburnsoff.

• Sunrisesinthewestcanbequitebeautifulafterthegarúacoversonlycertainlocationsofthe

westernvolcanoes.

• Summitsareclear,butlow-lyingfogcoverstheshoreline.

Celebrity's Galapagos IslandsWildlife Calendar

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November• Puppingofsealionscontinue.

• Sealionsaresexuallyactiveontheeasternpartofthearchipelago.

• Breedingseasonforthebrownnoddies

• Somespeciesofjellyfishcanbeseenaroundtheislands.

• ThegenusPhysaliaiscommonlyseenfloatingaroundGardnerandTortugaIslets.Somecanalsobe

seenstrandedattheshoresoftheFlourBeachatFloreana.

• Band-rumpedstormpetrelsbegintheirsecondnestingperiod

• Seasarecalm.Southeasttradewindshavedecreasedstrength.Watertemperaturesareslowlyrising.

• Generallygreatweatherduetotransitionbetweenoneseasonandthenextone

• Goodvisibilityforsnorkelers

• Sealionpups(speciallyatChampionIslet)playaqua-aerobicsnexttosnorkelers.Mostpupshereare

curiousenoughtonibbleatfinsofsnorkelers.Theaverageageofmostpupsis3-4months.

December• Hatchingofgianttortoise'seggsbeginsandlastsuntilApril

• Greenseaturtlesdisplaytheirmatingbehavior

• Therainyseasonbegins,alloftheplantsofthedryzoneproduceleaves.Galapagosbecomes"green"

• Thefirstyoungwavedalbatrossesfledge

• Greatweather

Celebrity's Galapagos IslandsWildlife Calendar