Safari to Isla Darwin

hammerhead sharks and whale sharks

The neighbouring Isla Darwin and Isla Wolf are distant specks of land, far removed from the rest of the Galapagos group.

Area : 1 sq km / 0.5 sq mi
Location : 230 km northwest of Seymour Airport
Activities : diving, snorkelling (no landing)
Highlights : hammerhead sharks, whale sharks

They are both the tops of vast and long-extinct volcanoes, that tower above the ocean floor, but which only just peek above the surface of the ocean.

The island is named after Charles Darwin. It was previously known as Culpepper Island.

Around 1 km to the southeast of the island is a distinctive rocky outcrop known as Darwin’s Arch.

Isla Darwin rises to 168 metres (551’) above sea level and is surrounded by cliffs, with no viable landing locations. The island is thought to have been first visited by humans in 1964, with access being provided by helicopter.
The island is home to frigatebirds, Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and marine iguanas.

Marine life includes Galapagos sharks, silky sharks, blacktip sharks, whales and dolphins and other pelagic fish, with large schools of scalloped hammerheads being a particular speciality. More occasional visitors include whale sharks (Jun-Nov), green turtles and manta rays.

The area is said to have the highest concentration of sharks in the world.

Landing is not permitted on either of the two islands up here, so the only real activities are snorkelling and diving. Visitor traffic is therefore extremely low, with only a few dive-focused live-aboard tending to head this far north.

If you specifically want to include Isla Darwin in your trip, then do let us know and we will make sure that you get onto the best and most appropriate vessel.

The island is usually included in the following specialist dive live-aboard trips

only visited by specialist dive boats