Short answer: May is in the warm season: days around 28.3°C, nights around 22.9°C, sea 24.7°C and changeable seas. It is an ordinary month for visitor numbers, neither peak nor trough. Wildlife highlights: waved albatross courtship dance and egg laying, blue-footed boobies start courtship dances, green sea turtle nesting season.
Weather in May
- 28.3°Caverage high, Puerto Ayora
- 22.9°Caverage low
- 24.7°Csea temperature (#4 of 12)
- 4 mmtypical rain over 4 rainy days (one of the driest)
The warm season runs roughly December to May. May 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 April (25.5°C sea) and June (23.5°C), May is cooling down.
What the animals are doing in May
- Waved albatross courtship dance and egg layingPunta Suárez, Española
Courtship dance (bill circling, clacking) and a single egg per pair per year. - Blue-footed boobies start courtship dancesNorth Seymour (day tour from Santa Cruz)
GCT dates the display to May on North Seymour. - Green sea turtle nesting seasonQuinta Playa (Isabela, main site); Las Bachas (Santa Cruz); small beach at Bartolomé
Sources disagree on the window. - Galápagos penguins: active fishing (May), courtship peak (September)Bartolomé; Isabela and Fernandina west coast
GCT: penguins very active at Bartolomé in May and at courtship peak in September. - Flightless cormorant breeding seasonFernandina, northern and western Isabela
Wikipedia summary: April to October.
Where to find each animal and how likely you are to see it: wildlife bingo card.
Boats and seasickness in May
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 May?
May 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. Last-minute availability is usually fine outside the holiday weeks.
What to pack for May
- 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 May
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 May
Is May a good time to visit the Galápagos?
Yes. It is the warm season: the sea is around 24.7°C, days reach about 28.3°C and the water is at its clearest and calmest. May is an ordinary month for visitor numbers, neither peak nor trough.
How warm is the sea in May?
About 24.7°C at Puerto Ayora (30-year average), the 4th warmest month of the year. A shorty wetsuit is enough for most people.
Does it rain in May?
Very little: a typical May brings about 4 mm over 4 rainy days.
Is the sea rough in May?
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, Audubon. 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.