Guide to the Galapagos Islands

Sharks and Rays

The only snorkeling spot in the islands that I know consistently has sharks is Rosa Blanca through the 360 Tour on San Cristobal (see below). But, this doesn't mean you won't get lucky and see sharks elsewhere. If you are scuba certified, there are a variety of dive spots for seeing sharks such as Kicker Rock (San Cristobal) and Gordon Rocks and Seymour (Santa Cruz)

360 Tour ($150)

The 360 tour is my favorite tour excursion in the Galápagos Islands. It takes you to three locations: Rosa Blanca, Punta Pitt, and Kicker Rock. It is a full day tour that you can book through many different tour companies. Even in the high speason, you only need to book the tour a few days in advance. The tour gets its name because it makes an entire loop around San Cristóbal Island in one day.

Rosa Blanca is a shallow, mangrove lined bay that is used as a nursery site by white tipped reef sharks. These sharks are harmless, and lay on the sandy bottom, allowing snorkelers to hover right over them. It is truly breathtaking, and it is my favorite snorkeling spot in all of the Islands. Here you can also find massive turtles and marbled rays.

Punta Pitt is the point on the back side of the island. It is a nesting site for blue and red footed boobies, and also hosts a variety of other bird species. You can visit Punta Pitt on a tour dedicated entirely to the area, where you will take a hike to see the booby nests, where you can see the boobies up close. The 360 Tour only stops at Punta Pitt for a few minutes from the water, so bring binoculars if you want a close look at the vibrant feet!

Kicker Rock is San Cristóbal’s biggest tourist attraction. It is a beautiful rock just off the coast that has the richest species diversity that I have seen in the Galápagos. The rock creates a dramatic and steep wall where you can see all types of algae, sea urchins, sea stars, sea fans, sponges, and sea anemones. You can also see nudibranchs, octopi, and small coral colonies. As for fish, there are incredible schools that can be found here, and you can swim side by side with many different types of fish. In the warm season, you can find Hammerhead, Galápagos, and black tipped reef sharks swimming past you. You can take a tour dedicated entirely to kicker rock, but you will get approximately the same time allowed for snorkeling, and the 360 tour includes more locations, so I believe the 360 tour to be a better bang for your buck.