North Seymour - Galápagos Islands
North Seymour is a gentle drift dive, often a good warm-up for a longer Galápagos trip. We drop in near the island, usually finding ourselves carried along a rocky reef that slopes down to a sandy bottom around 18 metres. It’s a pleasant ride, and you'll typically spot white and blacktip reef sharks cruising past, along with the occasional green sea turtle munching on algae. Keep an eye out for schools of spotted eagle rays gliding by in formation; we’ve had some cracking encounters with them here. Barracuda, snapper, and octopi are also common, tucked into the rock crevices. It's a relaxed dive, suitable for most experience levels, especially if you're keen to get comfortable with drift diving.
- Location
- Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America
- Coordinates
- -0.391667, -90.283330
- Maximum Depth
- 8-18m
Marine Protected Area: Galápagos
Best Time to Dive in Galápagos Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Galápagos Islands occur in March, averaging 27.3°C. The coolest conditions are in September at 22.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 25.2°C
- February: 27.0°C
- March: 27.3°C
- April: 26.9°C
- May: 25.4°C
- June: 24.3°C
- July: 23.8°C
- August: 23.0°C
- September: 22.7°C
- October: 23.1°C
- November: 23.6°C
- December: 23.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Galápagos Islands
- Albany Rock
- Bainbridge Rocks
- Barranco Cave - 23-34m (cave)
- Bartolome and Cousins Rock - 30-40m
- Beagle Rocks - 12-60+m
- Cabo Marshall
- Café Scuba
- Cape Douglas
- Cape Marshall
- Carawa Shipwreck (wreck)
- Champion
- Champion Islet
- Champion Rock
- Channel (drift)
- Coamaño
Nearest Dive Centres to North Seymour
Marine Life in Galápagos Islands
Home to 141 recorded species including 108 reef fish, 7 whales & dolphins, 7 sharks & rays, 6 seagrass & algae, 5 hard corals, 3 sea cucumbers.
Notable Species
- Pronghorn Spiny Lobster (Panulirus penicillatus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Brown Sea Cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Green Spiny Lobster (Panulirus gracilis) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Mangrove (Mycteroperca olfax) - Reef Fish
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Sea Bass (Epinephelus labriformis) - Reef Fish
- Barracuda (Acanthocybium solandri) - Reef Fish
- Mexican hogfish (Bodianus diplotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Galapagos ringtail damselfish (Stegastes beebei) - Reef Fish
- Chameleon wrasse (Halichoeres dispilus) - Reef Fish
- King Angelfish (Holacanthus passer) - Reef Fish
- Large-banded Blenny (Ophioblennius steindachneri) - Reef Fish
- Razor Surgeonfish (Prionurus laticlavius) - Reef Fish
- Cortez Rainbow Wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum) - Reef Fish
- Barberfish (Johnrandallia nigrirostris) - Reef Fish
- Spinster wrasse (Halichoeres nicholsi) - Reef Fish
- Molly Miller (Bathygobius soporator) - Reef Fish
- Blacktip Cardinalfish (Apogon atradorsatus) - Reef Fish
- Sabertooth Blenny (Plagiotremus azaleus) - Reef Fish
- Jack (Seriola rivoliana) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for North Seymour
Based on average water temperature of 24.7°C, currents 34 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 25°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins (stiff blade recommended for strong currents)
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories