Short answer: December is in the warm season: days around 26.8°C, nights around 21.6°C, sea 23.2°C and changeable seas. It is an ordinary month for visitor numbers, neither peak nor trough. Wildlife highlights: waved albatross chicks fledge, colony empties, green sea turtle nesting season, marine iguana breeding season.
Weather in December
- 26.8°Caverage high, Puerto Ayora
- 21.6°Caverage low
- 23.2°Csea temperature (#7 of 12)
- 12 mmtypical rain over 5.2 rainy days (middling)
The warm season runs roughly December to May. December brings hot sunny spells broken by short tropical showers, lush green highlands and the calmest, clearest water of the year. Averages for this month are inflated by El Niño years; the typical figure above is the median.
Compared with November (22.3°C sea) and January (24.5°C), December is warming up.
What the animals are doing in December
- Waved albatross chicks fledge, colony emptiesPunta Suárez, Española
First young fledge in December; whole colony has left by January and spends about three months at sea.. - Green sea turtle nesting seasonQuinta Playa (Isabela, main site); Las Bachas (Santa Cruz); small beach at Bartolomé
Sources disagree on the window. - Marine iguana breeding season; males colour upCoasts of all main islands; Española males most colourful
Wikipedia: breeding Dec-Mar, nesting Jan-Apr. - Giant tortoise seasonal markersSanta Cruz highlands; breeding centres
GCT: breeding visible in March; hatching season ends in April and starts again in December; migration from the highlands begins in June. - Sea lion pupping season (pups present year-round)All islands; Playa Baquerizo / La Lobería (San Cristóbal), North Seymour, Mosquera
Wikipedia: breeding May to January. - Whale sharks at Darwin Island (adult, mostly pregnant females)Darwin Island (liveaboard dive/snorkel only)
Peer-reviewed six-year study: presence tracked sea surface temperature inversely, concentrated July-December (about 207 sightings Jul-Dec vs 4 Jan-Jun, from a blog summary of the paper). - Hammerhead sharks most abundant in the cool seasonDarwin and Wolf (liveaboard only); Kicker Rock sometimes (secondary)
CDF-led study compared March (warm) with August (cold): hammerhead biomass about 5 t/ha in the warm season vs 21 t/ha in the cold season. - Flamingo egg layingLagoons: Villamil and Punta Moreno (Isabela), Las Bachas and Garrapatero (Santa Cruz), Punta Cormorán (Floreana)
Tindle et al.
Where to find each animal and how likely you are to see it: wildlife bingo card.
Boats and seasickness in December
Sea conditions are usually changeable. This is the comfortable time for the inter-island ferries and the long day trips to Bartolomé and Española. The seasickness meter rates every month and boat.
How busy is December?
December is an ordinary month for visitor numbers, neither peak nor trough. The park counted 290,404 visitors in 2025, with demand peaks in March–April and July–August and the low point in September. The Christmas and New Year weeks are busy even though the month overall is not a statistical peak; book those dates early.
What to pack for December
- A rash guard is enough for most snorkels; the water is warm.
- Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses: the sun is strong on the equator in every month.
- A light rain jacket for the afternoon showers.
- Seasickness tablets.
Good tours for December
Santa Fe Island Snorkeling Day Tour
Bartolome Day Tour for Penguin Snorkeling
Los Túneles: Snorkel with Sharks, Seahorses & Sea Turtles
Giant Tortoises, Lava Tunnels & Craters Tour
Prices and ratings as listed in November 2026; the price at checkout is what counts. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Disclosure
Questions people ask about December
Is December a good time to visit the Galápagos?
Yes. It is the warm season: the sea is around 23.2°C, days reach about 26.8°C and the water is at its clearest and calmest. December is an ordinary month for visitor numbers, neither peak nor trough.
How warm is the sea in December?
About 23.2°C at Puerto Ayora (30-year average), the 7th warmest month of the year. A shorty wetsuit is enough for most people.
Does it rain in December?
Very little: a typical December brings about 12 mm over 5.2 rainy days.
Is the sea rough in December?
Sea conditions are usually changeable. Ferries and day boats are at their most comfortable.
Other months
All twelve months side by side · What a trip costs · Plan your days
Sources: Charles Darwin Foundation, NOAA, peer-reviewed research, Galápagos Conservation Trust, Galápagos Conservancy, Galápagos National Park and Governing Council. Every figure with its document: facts and figures.
Updated 2026-11-06. Fees, boat times and prices change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.