November is the last month of the cool, dry season in the Galapagos, and offers the best opportunities for swimming with sea lion pups.

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Overview

• Tourist numbers are fairly low during November, although two Ecuadorian public holidays at the start of the month and the US Thanksgiving weekend at the end can see them rise.
• The Humboldt Current experiences its last hurrah during November, bringing a final wave of marine life and ocean nutrients, ensuring the Galapagos waters are teeming with life.
• Winds will continue to calm, making swimming a bit of an easier experience.
• Make sure to grab a wetsuit before you take to the water and experience the underwater ecosystem, as it can be quite chilly.
• Although mainly cool and dry, there may still be a touch of mist or drizzle to contend with.
• Be aware that the warm ocean current known as El Niño can significantly impact the Galapagos during years on which it occurs, bringing increased rainfall and higher temperatures but negatively affecting wildlife as the nutrient-rich Humboldt Current gets supplanted.

Where to Go and What to See

• November is the month when seal and sea lion pups will finally begin to enter the water. Swimming with them is a quite wonderful experience!
• You may also get to share the waters with Galapagos penguins and marine iguanas, or even dolphins if you find yourself close to Fernandina Island.
• Brown noddy terns, band-rumped storm petrels, blue-footed boobies, red-footed boobies and waved albatrosses are just some of the bird species that can be seen breeding or nesting throughout November.
• Try spotting male frigatebirds as they blow up their magnificent red throat pouch to impress the females!
• Keep an eye out for Galapagos giant tortoises as they plod across the islands.