North Seymour Island, located in the world-famous Galapagos Archipelago, is a wildlife haven known for its incredible biodiversity. One of the island’s main attractions is the unique blue-footed boobies, a bird species that fascinates visitors with its vibrant blue feet and intriguing courtship dance. Whether you’re a birdwatching enthusiast or a nature lover, North Seymour offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness these charismatic birds in their natural habitat.
Tips&Tricks: Formed 2 million years ago as a result of the eruption of a submarine volcano, North Seymour is one of the uninhabited islands of the Archipelago, located north of Baltra. Because it hosts the largest colonies of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds is considered the most beautiful island in Galapagos for birdwatching. Although it can be visited throughout the year, from July to November you have a good chance to see whales swimming along the island, sometimes even with their babies.
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Top Guided Tours and Activities (our favorite choices)
Highlights
With breathtaking views and turquoise water, North Seymour is one of the most beautiful island in the Archipelago and the largest nesting site for many endemic birds in Galapagos. Covered with bushy vegetation, the island is relatively arid, surrounded by cliffs that are only a few meters high. Endemic Palo Alto trees serve as home for frigate-birds, while blue-footed boobies are nesting directly on the ground. If you’re lucky, alongside you may spot land iguanas that are basking in the sun or foraging for fruits underneath Giant Prickly Pear Cacti.
Tips&Tricks: During the courtship period, male frigate birds are known for their pouches that seem like red hearts coming out of their chest. They stay inflated for several weeks until they mate.
Why is North Seymour Famous
One of the highlights of a visit to North Seymour Island is watching the fascinating courtship dance of the blue-footed boobies. During mating season, the male birds show off their blue feet to attract females. This spectacle is a must-see for anyone visiting the Galapagos Islands, and North Seymour is one of the best places to observe this behavior.
Tips&Tricks: Because blue-footed boobies have the whole body covered with feathers, they can not feel the temperature of the eggs. To maintain it constant until the chicks hatch, they need to measure it all the time with their feet.
What to Expect on North Seymour Island
Visiting North Seymour is an unforgettable experience for wildlife enthusiasts. The terrain is flat and rocky, with plenty of opportunities to observe wildlife up close while walking along the well-maintained trails.
Access to the island requires a dry-landing near a sharp rock, followed by climbing a few slippery steps. Once we arrived, we were amazed by the number of birds with wingspans of up to 2 meters flying above us. The visitor area follows a circular trail of nearly 2 km, running from the coast to the interior. The island is relatively flat (its highest point reaches 28 meters), so the path is easy to walk and shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. Near the rocky shores, the trail passes by a beautiful beach that is home to a colony of curious sea lions. The pups, in particular, are especially friendly with visitors, making it easy to forget that they are wild animals.
Best Time to Visit
While North Seymour Island is accessible year-round, the best time to visit is during the blue-footed boobies’ mating season, typically from June to August. During this time, you’ll have the best chance to witness their unique dance and other interesting behaviors. The dry season, from June to December, also offers pleasant weather conditions for hiking and wildlife observation.
How to Get to the Island
Most tours to North Seymour depart from Baltra Island or Santa Cruz Island and typically include a guided walking tour to observe the wildlife. The price for a one-day tour is around USD300, but it might vary depending on the season, and usually includes a few snorkeling stops, as well as lunch on the boat.
Being home to many sea lions, reef sharks, eels, rays, or tropical fish, North Seymour is also among the most popular places to snorkel in Galapagos. For us, spending an entire morning in the ocean was a great adventure, since we could swim with so many playful sea lions, watch pelicans dive for fish into the water right next to us, and even saw a shark up close for the first time.
Why You Shouldn't Miss North Seymour
North Seymour offers one of the best opportunities in the Galapagos Islands to observe wildlife up close and in its natural environment. Its proximity to major islands makes it a convenient day trip, and the chance to see blue-footed boobies, along with other iconic species, makes it a must-visit destination for nature lovers.
What to pack for a tour on North Seymour
Because we booked a full-day guided tour that includes hiking on a trail that has almost no shade (that can be challenging on a hot day) and snorkeling, we had to be prepared for both activities. Two medium-sized waterproof backpacks were really important to keep our items safe, in case of bad weather. In them, we took our water bottles, underwater camera, binoculars (because we love bird watching), sunglasses, SPF sunscreen (necessary throughout the day, even if it’s rainy or cloudy), towels, trekking clothes, wide-brimmed hats, and our snorkeling equipment consisting of 22mm thick neoprene wetsuits, snorkeling shoes and full-face masks.
Where to stay on Santa Cruz Island (our favorite choices)
