If there's one day trip from Santa Cruz that delivers the quintessential Galápagos wildlife experience, it's North Seymour Island. This small, flat island just north of Baltra is home to one of the densest concentrations of iconic Galápagos species you'll find anywhere in the archipelago.
Getting There
North Seymour tours depart from Itabaca Channel (the same crossing point between Santa Cruz and Baltra Airport). The boat ride takes about 30–45 minutes. Most tours include hotel pickup in Puerto Ayora with a bus transfer to the channel, then a zodiac or panga to the landing site on North Seymour.
The Wildlife Trail
The visitor trail on North Seymour is a roughly 2-kilometre loop that takes about 1.5–2 hours to complete. The path is rocky and uneven (wear closed-toe shoes with good grip), but the terrain is flat so it's suitable for most fitness levels.
From the moment you step onto the island, you're surrounded by wildlife. The animals here have no fear of humans — they'll walk right past you, nest beside the trail, and continue their courtship displays without the slightest concern for your presence.
Blue-Footed Boobies
North Seymour is famous for its blue-footed booby colony. These charismatic birds are everywhere — perched on rocks, guarding eggs, feeding chicks, and performing their famous courtship dance. Males lift their brilliant blue feet in an exaggerated high-stepping display to impress females. It's comical, endearing, and absolutely unforgettable.
The bluer the feet, the healthier the bird — the colour comes from carotenoid pigments in their fish diet. You'll see every shade from pale blue to vivid turquoise.
Magnificent Frigatebirds
The other star of North Seymour is the magnificent frigatebird. Males inflate their bright red throat pouches (gular sacs) into enormous balloons during mating season, creating one of the most striking visual displays in the bird world. They'll sit in low bushes with their pouches inflated, calling and fluttering their wings to attract females passing overhead.
Frigatebirds are also notorious kleptoparasites — you may see them harassing boobies in mid-flight to steal their fish.
Other Wildlife
The island is also home to:
- Land iguanas — large, yellow-orange iguanas that amble across the trail
- Sea lions — a small colony rests on the rocky shoreline
- Swallow-tailed gulls — the world's only nocturnal gull species
- Marine iguanas — smaller than on other islands but present along the coast
- Sally Lightfoot crabs — brilliant red-orange crabs covering the lava rocks
Snorkelling Stop
Most North Seymour tours include a snorkelling stop, often at a nearby site like Las Bachas beach or a cove off the island. You can expect to see sea turtles, rays, reef fish, and possibly sea lions underwater.
Practical Information
- Duration: Full-day tour (7:00 AM – 4:00 PM approximately)
- Cost: $150–$250 per person depending on operator
- What's included: Naturalist guide, boat transfer, snorkelling equipment, lunch, snacks and water
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate (rocky terrain but flat)
- Best season: Year-round, but frigatebird mating displays peak January–March
Our Take
North Seymour delivers more wildlife spectacle per square metre than almost anywhere else in the Galápagos. The combination of blue-footed booby dances, inflated frigatebird pouches, basking iguanas, and sea lion pups makes it an absolutely essential day trip for any visitor to Santa Cruz. Bring a good camera — you'll fill your memory card.
