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Last updated on July 14, 2024
North Seymour, a short trip from Baltra or Santa Cruz, is renowned for its abundance and diversity of fish. It is one of the best spots in the Galápagos to observe reef species such as triggerfish, parrotfish and butterflyfish, as well as large schools of surgeonfish, mullets, creolefish and pompano.
North Seymour Island (Seymour Norte) is located just north of Baltra Island, formerly known as South Seymour. The two islands are separated by a passage sheltered by Mosquera Island’s reef.
North Seymour can only be visited on a liveaboard or a guided boat trip. As it is close to Baltra (where you’ll find the airport, a cruise terminal and, across the Itabaca Channel, the Santa Cruz ferry terminal) it is one of the easiest uninhabited islands to visit.
Day trips from Baltra or Santa Cruz start cost around $250 per person. Tours usually include a walk on the island (home to important blue-footed boobies and frigate birds populations), snorkeling along the drop-off, and sometimes a stop at Las Bachas Beach, on the neighboring island of Santa Cruz, which is also a nice snorkeling spot.
Water entrance is from a boat or dinghy, next to the drop-off.
The main snorkeling area at North Seymour is along the island’s southern drop-off. You will snorkel along the drop-off for 30 to 40 minutes (following your guide) and will be picked up by your boat at the ending point.
North Seymour’s rocky drop off is mostly vertical, even though some areas feature scree. The drop off ends on sandy areas with depths between 12 and 33 feet/4 to 10 meters.
Although the island’s seabed is not spectacular, this spot is unique for its abundance and diversity of fish. In particular, you’ll be impressed by the compact schools of Creolefish, Razor surgeonfish and Steel pompano swimming in the open water.
In the rocky areas, you’ll encounter several species of triggerfish (including massive Finscale triggerfish and Stone triggerfish), parrotfish, butterflyfish, and pufferfish. The Moorish Idol and the King angelfish, two highly colorful species, are also easy to spot here.
North Seymour is also a good spot to see Whitetip reef sharks. They can be seen in shallow rocky areas, but are even more common in the sand at the foot of the drop off, where they sometimes rest by the dozen on the seabed.
North Seymour Island is entirely natural and protected. Day trips include lunch, which will be taken on the boat (it is forbidden to disembark with food on the National Park islands).
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
