By Richard Feldman
We were recently snorkeling in the Galapagos Islands for the fourth time (wife) and third time (husband), in October 2025. We were primarily interested in snorkeling there because we were very familiar with the land portions from our previous trips.
In our opinion, the Galapagos Islands offer perhaps the most unique snorkeling in the world. Here’s why: where else can a snorkeler encounter penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, sharks, green sea turtles, and flightless cormorants, all in one snorkel session? We also loved the huge schools of gorgeous King Angelfish.
We had the opportunity to snorkel seven times during our one week aboard the National Geographic Delfina, a catamaran that has eight cabins and holds a total of 16 people. Six of the snorkeling sessions were from a zodiac and one was off a beach. Of course, there were also walks on the various islands to see terrestrial animals. Unfortunately we only have pictures above water to share.
Our October trip was during the cold season when the water temperature is in the 60’s°F. Be advised to bring a full 5mm wetsuit as the shorties provided by the catamaran do not provide sufficient warmth. A hood, booties and gloves are also a good idea, especially if you get cold easily. The cold season provides upwellings that bring nutrients to the waters surrounding the islands — and a great variety and quantity of sea life.
For us, the most dramatic snorkeling was with the huge numbers of giant green sea turtles. We must have seen more than 100 of these beautiful, graceful creatures during the week. It was also the beginning of mating season, so we had a chance to see a few green sea turtles mate.