Short answer: June is in the cool season: days around 26.7°C, nights around 21.8°C, sea 23.5°C and choppy seas. It is an ordinary month for visitor numbers, neither peak nor trough. Wildlife highlights: waved albatross courtship dance and egg laying, green sea turtle nesting season, giant tortoise seasonal markers.
Weather in June
- 26.7°Caverage high, Puerto Ayora
- 21.8°Caverage low
- 23.5°Csea temperature (#6 of 12)
- 10 mmtypical rain over 3.4 rainy days (middling)
The cool season runs roughly June to November. June is drier at the coast, often grey and misty in the highlands, with southeasterly winds that make the sea choppier. The upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water is what makes the marine life so active. Averages for this month are inflated by El Niño years; the typical figure above is the median.
Compared with May (24.7°C sea) and July (22.3°C), June is cooling down.
What the animals are doing in June
- Waved albatross courtship dance and egg layingPunta Suárez, Española
Courtship dance (bill circling, clacking) and a single egg per pair per year. - Green sea turtle nesting seasonQuinta Playa (Isabela, main site); Las Bachas (Santa Cruz); small beach at Bartolomé
Sources disagree on the window. - 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. - 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. - Humpback and blue whales in the Marine ReserveOpen water; Santa Fé sighting 2005
Springer chapter (Denkinger and colleagues) reports presence June-November. - Frigatebird courtship: magnificent (Feb), great (June, Genovesa)North Seymour, Cerro Tijeretas (San Cristóbal); Genovesa (cruise)
GCT: magnificent pairs gather for courtship in February; great frigatebird courtship peaks on Genovesa in June. - Flightless cormorant breeding seasonFernandina, northern and western Isabela
Wikipedia summary: April to October. - Cool-season upwelling: marine life most active, best snorkellingWestern and central islands
GCT: June is start of cooler air and water; July cold nutrient-rich water makes marine life more active; October nutrients inshore make snorkelling great.
Where to find each animal and how likely you are to see it: wildlife bingo card.
Boats and seasickness in June
Sea conditions are usually choppy. Plan the long crossings (Santa Cruz to Isabela, Bartolomé, Española) for the morning boats, take a seasickness tablet before boarding and sit at the back. The seasickness meter rates every month and boat.
How busy is June?
June 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 June
- 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 windproof layer for boat rides and the misty highlands.
- Seasickness tablets, especially this month.
Good tours for June
Kicker Rock & Beach Full-Day Tour
North Seymour: Day Tour with Wildlife Walk & Snorkeling
Tintoreras Islet: Penguins & Blue-Footed Boobies
Los Túneles: Snorkel with Sharks, Seahorses & Sea Turtles
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 June
Is June a good time to visit the Galápagos?
Yes. It is the cool season: the sea is around 23.5°C, days reach about 26.7°C, and the nutrient-rich water brings the most active marine life. June is an ordinary month for visitor numbers, neither peak nor trough.
How warm is the sea in June?
About 23.5°C at Puerto Ayora (30-year average), the 6th warmest month of the year. A shorty wetsuit is enough for most people.
Does it rain in June?
Very little: a typical June brings about 10 mm over 3.4 rainy days, though the highlands are often misty.
Is the sea rough in June?
Sea conditions are usually choppy. The two-hour inter-island ferries can be bumpy; take a tablet and sit at the back.
Other months
All twelve months side by side · What a trip costs · Plan your days
Sources: Charles Darwin Foundation, NOAA, Galápagos Conservation Trust, peer-reviewed research, 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.