The Galápagos Penguin: the bucketlist star you didn’t know you needed
If you’ve been diving for any length of time, you probably have your list of creatures you’d love to see, and have also probably ticked off your fair share of the usual suspects—manta rays, frogfish, maybe even a hammerhead shark or two. But there’s one critter you probably didn’t even know you needed on your list: a penguin.
Cue a trip to the Galápagos Islands, home of the world’s northern-most penguin, and one of the most unique creatures you could find while diving.
Penguin Transplant
The Galápagos penguin is the only penguin species that lives north of the equator. It colonized the tropical islands millions of years ago, riding the cold water Humboldt current up along the western coast of South America from Antarctica. Now you can find them zipping through the same waters where you’re busy scanning for mola mola and marine iguanas.
They’re small—about knee-high—and perfectly built for life in the chilly currents swirling around the western islands of the archipelago. Thanks to the Humboldt and Cromwell currents, the water here stays just cool enough to sustain the schools of the small fish the penguins prey on and to keep them from overheating.
Where to Spot Them
You’re most likely to see Galápagos penguins on dive trips around Isabela and Fernandina, and occasionally around Bartolomé if you’re snorkeling or doing a land excursion. But for divers, the real magic happens at sites like Punta Vicente Roca or Tagus Cove. You might be drifting along looking for sea horses when a penguin torpedoes past.
They move fast. Blink and you’ll miss them. But when you do catch one in action, it’s the kind of thing you’ll still be talking about during your surface interval—and probably long after you’re home.
Conservation Status: Endangered and Under Pressure
Now, before you fall completely in love with these birds (too late?), it’s worth knowing that Galápagos penguins are endangered. With only around 2,000 individuals in the wild, they’re threatened by a number of factors. Some significant struggles for them are strong El Niño events that wipe out their food supply and invasive species like rats that prey on their eggs and chicks.
There are efforts underway to give them a fighting chance—like building artificial nest sites and carefully monitoring their population—but it’s a fragile situation. So if you’re lucky enough to see them, enjoy the moment and respect their space.
Why Divers Love These Birds
For divers and eco-travelers, the Galápagos penguin is kind of the perfect mascot. They’re a little quirky, unexpectedly charming, and completely at home in a wild, rugged, unpredictable environment.
And while they’re not as famous as the big sharks or as well-known as the sea lions, seeing one underwater is a uniquely Galápagos moment. It’s the kind of encounter that reminds you why you chose this place over a cookie-cutter dive destination—because you want the weird, the wild, the wonderful.
Final Thought
So the next time someone tells you all penguins live in the southern hemisphere, you’ll know better. Some of them hang out on lava rocks, hunt in the same chilly currents as mola molas and surprise divers on an equatorial dive site.
If you’re ready to explore your opportunity to see them in the wild, check out my Galapagos Dive Safari for a land-based dive adventure, which includes a day-trip to Bartolome when available, or my Galapagos Dive Expedition for a liveaboard experience in the northern and western islands.