Go west
Most penguins live around the western islands of Isabela and Fernandina, where the cool upwelling is strongest. Choose an itinerary that reaches them.
Galápagos Islands
Isabela & Fernandina, Ecuador
The Galápagos penguin is the only penguin to live on the equator — a small, heat-dodging bird that fishes the cold upwellings around the western islands and rests in the shade of the black lava shores.
The equator penguin
A penguin on the line
Penguins reach the Galápagos on the cool Cromwell and Humboldt currents, which sweep nutrient-rich water up around Isabela and Fernandina. That cold water lets a penguin survive on the equator — but only just. It is the rarest penguin of all, with a population numbered in the low thousands and tied tightly to the state of the ocean.
Because they stay close to the cool-water shores, Galápagos penguins are most often seen from the water — porpoising past a panga, or darting through a shoal while you snorkel off a lava point. On land they tuck into cracks and caves in the rock to escape the sun.
Equatorthe only penguin to live this far north
~1,200breeding pairs — the rarest species
Jul–Novthe cool season, best for sightings
Isabelathe island with the most birds
Plan your visit
Watching well at Galápagos Islands
Galápagos penguins are seen on guided island cruises and day tours — almost always alongside the water.
Snorkel the lava points
The best encounters come in the water — snorkelling off Bartolomé, Isabela and the Mariela Islets, where penguins hunt small fish in the shallows.
Favour the cool season
July to November brings cooler, richer water and the most active birds. Sightings are possible year-round but less reliable in the warm season.
Everything is guided
The national park requires a licensed naturalist guide. Penguins are watched from boats and in the water, keeping the regulated distance from the birds.
Keep exploring
More places to see penguins
Galápagos Islands is one of many wild shores where penguins come ashore. Follow them around the globe.
Where to see penguins