Snorkeling in Galapagos

Snorkeling in the Islands is the highlight of the Galapagos cruise for many of our guests. The great thing about this activity is that it requires no special training and anybody can do it. It only requires the ability to swim and to breathe through the snorkel. At the beginning of the cruise you will receive a brief orientation discussion from your highly experienced naturalist, which will cover equipment usage, basic safety, what to look for when snorkeling, what to look out for, and conservation instructions (fragile organisms such as coral are easily damaged by snorkelers). As with scuba diving it is always recommended that one not snorkel alone, but rather with a "buddy" or a group.

The primary appeal of snorkeling in Galapagos is the opportunity to observe underwater life in a natural setting without the complicated equipment and training required for scuba diving. You will have the opportunity to go snorkeling almost every day and you will be amazed at how beautiful the underwater world of the Galapagos is. Snorkeling with marine iguanas as seen on the video above and with playful sea-lions (view video) are some of the favorite activities of all our guests and the best part is it requires no previous experience to be enjoyed immensely. You will also have the chance to snorkel with green sea turtles (view video), the world's second smallest penguin and an incredible variety of colorful reef fish.

We provide snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel & fins) free of charge onboard. We also provide wetsuits at no additional cost, to make snorkeling more comfortable, especially on the western islands where the water is a little colder but teaming with exotic underwater life! For children, we provide special snorkeling life vests that help them keep their head in the right position to enjoy their snorkeling experience.