Changing Seasons in Galapagos: Drier Days are on the Horizon!

The different seasons in Galapagos are a surprise to many. The tropics are usually seen as palm trees swaying under the sun and occasional thunderstorms, devoid of any long-term changes at all. But be advised, fellow explorer – the tropics in the Galapagos are quite different from what our geography teachers had us believe! Despite being in the tropics of the East Pacific Ocean, seasons in Galapagos do occur and they are markedly different. The distinctive weather patterns consist of a hot season from December to May and a dry season that lasts from June to November.

The Winds of Change

The transition between seasons in Galapagos starts to brew in the southernmost continent of our planet. Over the course of an eight-month period, winds gradually start to build up in Antarctica and eventually make their way up along the west coast of South America. With these winds comes the upwelling of underwater nutrients, which consequently contributes to the vast concentrations of fish that are found next to Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. The movement of water and nutrients in this manner and during this period is what makes up the Humboldt Current. The winds eventually reach subtropical and tropical latitudes and, with the help of the Coriolis effect (where Earth’s gyre is faster), quickly change direction towards the west, mixing up with different masses of water along the way. This interplay of currents is what constitutes the South Equatorial Current (SEC), which travels from east to west. And so long as the winds keep blowing, cooler water will go with them.

Graph Of Changing The Seasons And Weather Of The Galapagos Islands
Contrary To Popular Belief, The Galapagos Islands Does Have Seasons: Dry And Hot Season

Change is the Nature of Time and All Living Things

Many scholars and scientists see these factors as fundamental contributors to a visible transitionary phase throughout the archipelago. So much so that, for some time now, these coming months are what they call “transition months.” Despite there is no bad time to visit the Galapagos, it’s still pretty magical to witness what goes on specifically during the months of April, May, and June.

During these transition months, the aforementioned trade winds (that are within the geographic location of the islands) remain weak. Nevertheless, the waters in the area have cooled off just enough to trigger the reproduction patterns of microscopic life (plankton and zooplankton). What this does is create a domino effect by providing ideal conditions for larger marine life to begin eating and, in turn, begin reproducing. This translates into courtship rituals, mating and the evolutionary need to perpetuate one’s own species. Galapagos explodes in activity during this somewhat brief window of time! Not to be missed is the mating dance of the blue-footed boobies.

With these patterns in mind and the levels of activity that are to come, what better time to see them for yourself than aboard the Santa Cruz II Galapagos cruise!

Text by Francisco Dousdebés Galapagos Expert, North Seymour, April 17th, 2017 – 0°39’S / 90°28’W

Updated:May 8, 2023

Published:April 17, 2017

CALL US TODAY

Machu Picchu & Galapagos Islands Tour 2024 Package: 12 days / Quito, Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu / From USD 9,598 per person

SHARE THIS POST

RELATED POSTS

TravelandLeisure.com

Condé Nast Traveler ONLINE

This small, secret rooftop of the restored Casa Gangotena mansion peers over Plaza San Francisco in the center of Quito’s colonial Old Town, the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Order a Cedrón Spritz, a refreshing mix of rum, lemon, sparkling wine, and fresh lemon verbena (cedrón) syrup and leaf, then revel in the mesmerizing, real-time montage of daily life in Ecuador’s capital as it parades past.

National Geographic Traveller

A Font of information, Klaus has spent decades in the field, leading tours in the Amazon, Andes and Galapagos Islands. He hung up his guiding boots a few years back and now creates itineraries for the tour operator, Metropolitan Touring. Adrift in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles from mainland South America, Galapagos is one of the most biodiverse locales on Earth.

Cruise Critic

Santa Cruz II is a replacement for the much-loved Santa Cruz, which plied the waters of the Galapagos for 36 years. It is not a new ship; it was built in 2002 and sailed as Mare Australis under the Australis cruise brand, operating expedition cruises around Cape Horn and to Antarctica. Metropolitan Touring bought the ship in 2015 and completely refurbished it, launching it as Santa Cruz II in October 2015.

Telegraph Ultra Travel: 50 Greatest Hotels in the World

When this modern, minimalist, glass-walled jungle lodge opened in 2012, it changed the accommodation game in South America. Arquitect Alfredo Ribadeneira’s “protective cocoon” would impress in a modern city; in the depths of an Andean cloudforest, it is wild, audacious and beautiful. Though only 70 miles from Quito, Maspi Lodge sits in splendid isolation, perched on a cliff at the end of an unsealed road.

Terms and Conditions

Itinerario de 5 días / 4 noches: Basado en la tarifa regular (4214 USD + impuestos por persona)
Itinerario de 7 días / 6 noches: Basado en la tarifa regular (5672 USD + impuestos por persona)
No reembolsable. Aplica únicamente para residentes ecuatorianos en nuevas reservas directas realizadas, hasta el 30 de junio del 2022, con un ejecutivo de ventas del hotel. Válido para estadías hasta el 31 de agosto de 2022. No puede ser combinada con otros descuentos, promociones u ofertas. El descuento no aplica para otros servicios. El precio no incluye recargo de combustible de $20 por noche de crucero.

We have what you are looking for!