ORCAS OF THE GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS

THE SEARCH FOR THE ORCAS OF THE GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS BEGAN

My girlfriend and I had planned a three-month journey through Latin America. While preparing for this part of our trip, I researched recommended diving and snorkeling spots in the Galápagos Islands. On one website, I read about the possibility of encountering the Orcas of the Galápagos Islands. I imagined what it would feel like to watch these apex predators in their natural habitat. From that moment on, I was captivated—and determined to get there.

A few months later, we arrived on Isabela Island. We tried all the free snorkeling spots as well as the most popular day tours. The abundance of wildlife was overwhelming. Around every corner, something new appeared. For our final day, we wanted to do something truly special, so I started researching additional snorkeling trips. On several websites, I came across a collapsed volcano called Isla Tortuga, located a few miles off the coast of Isabela Island. It was said to be the place with the highest chance of seeing the Orcas of the Galápagos Islands.

THE PERFECT TRIP

The description sounded irresistible, and I was determined to join a snorkeling tour to Isla Tortuga and the Islas Cuatro Hermanos. But during the peak of the heatwave (thanks to El Niño), every tour operator told us they weren’t running the trip because it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t want to give up and eventually found a small, newly opened dive school—the very last operator on my list. Roy, the owner of Whale Shark Diving Galápagos, said it was absolutely no problem. And just like that, I booked our spots for the day after next.

On the morning of the tour, the excitement was palpable—at least for me. The camera gear was fully prepped, and the Nauticam housing looked spotless and shiny. At 7:30 a.m., we were picked up to collect our snorkeling equipment. Then we boarded the boat. There were eleven of us on board, including Roy and the fantastic guide, Omar. The weather was perfect. Ahead of us lay a 45-minute ride. Everyone chatted happily, the mood was great. Omar briefed us on the places we were about to visit and told us we might encounter hammerheads, Galápagos sharks, turtles, manta rays, and sea lions. You could feel the excitement rising.

At the first spot, we actually saw several scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) and whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus) deep below. We snorkeled over the open blue, and beneath us you could vaguely see the edges of the volcanic crater. An impressive start to the tour. Then we continued toward the Cuatro Hermanos islands. Just before we arrived, Paula spotted some fins in the distance. Then the captain shouted something that made all of us jump to our feet: Orcas!

WE HAD FOUND THE ORCAS OF THE GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS

Suddenly, they were right beside us— even underneath our boat. Everyone screamed and cheered as the animals surfaced barely two meters away. Without warning, Omar shouted: “Get ready and jump!” Shocked and unable to believe what we were hearing, we all looked at each other. For a moment, everyone hesitated to jump straight into the water. But adrenaline won, and we went for it. A short distance away, we saw an orca (Orcinus orca). He came close for a few seconds and then disappeared into the endless vastness of the ocean. Shaking, we climbed back onto the boat.

WE WERE LIVING THE DREAM: SWIMMING WITH ORCAS IN THE GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS

On deck, the mood was euphoric. No one could believe what had just happened. After a few minutes, the captain’s voice cut through our cheering. He had spotted them again, and we headed in their direction. Our captain was an old fisherman who knew these waters and their inhabitants like the back of his hand. Suddenly, a mix of joy and nervous anticipation filled the air. The same procedure as before: we put on our gear, and everyone jumped wildly into the water — one person even did a head-first dive.

This time, they stayed. There were five orcas. They played with us for minutes. They circled around us, observing us with curiosity. Eventually, they said their quiet goodbye and disappeared into the deep. With wet eyes, we climbed back onto the boat. Everyone knew that what we had just experienced was truly one of a kind.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

After this unexpected stop, we continued our tour to two more snorkeling spots. While Omar and the captain prepared our lunch, we swam with Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki), green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), and more whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus). The day kept getting better. One young sea lion was so fascinated by my dome port that he swam straight at me and gently bumped into it.

After hours of absolutely incredible wildlife encounters, we began our journey back to the harbor. And to end the day perfectly, four Pacific spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus laticeps) glided through the knee-deep water beneath the harbor bridge. This day was — and still is — the most astonishing of my life, and I was grateful to share it with my wonderful girlfriend.