Pinzón Dive Site
The Pinzón dive site is in the waters of Pinzón, a small island west of Santa Cruz named after the Pinzón brothers, captains of the Pinta and the Niña on Columbus's…
More about Pinzón Dive SiteGalápagos islands · 1 visitor site
Pinzón Island, Galápagos: closed to visitors to protect its giant tortoises, hatching in the wild again since 2014, with snorkeling and diving offshore.
Book with Dana Tours and enjoy complimentary nights in Mindo Cloud Forest at our own Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa.
About the island
Pinzón is a small island in the center of the Galápagos, west of Santa Cruz: about 18 square kilometers (7 square miles), rising to 458 meters (1,502 feet). It is named after the brothers Martín Alonso and Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, captains of the Pinta and the Niña on Columbus's first voyage, and its old English name is Duncan.
Pinzón is closed to visitors: it is a sanctuary for its own species of giant tortoise and one of the great conservation stories of the islands. Black rats, brought by ships long ago, ate every egg and hatchling for more than a century, so only old adults were left. From the 1960s the Charles Darwin Research Station and the national park collected the eggs and raised the young tortoises in captivity until they were big enough to survive, and in 2012 the rats were eradicated with bait spread by helicopter. In 2014 the first tortoises hatched in the wild in more than a century were found on the island.
The waters around Pinzón are open to visitors and are a favorite for snorkeling and diving, mostly on day trips from Puerto Ayora. In the sheltered bay and the channel between the island and a small islet, the water is often clear, and playful sea lions swim with visitors, along with green sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, rays and large schools of reef fish.
Visitor sites
Each site is visited with a certified naturalist guide of the Galápagos National Park.
The Pinzón dive site is in the waters of Pinzón, a small island west of Santa Cruz named after the Pinzón brothers, captains of the Pinta and the Niña on Columbus's…
More about Pinzón Dive SiteLive dates & prices
No cruise on our current schedules includes Pinzón. Tell us what you would like to see and we will suggest the routes that come closest.
Good to know
Pinzón Dive Site (no landing). Every visit is led by a certified naturalist guide of the Galápagos National Park.
Blue-Footed Booby, Galapagos Frigatebirds, Galapagos Green Turtle, Galapagos Petrel, Galapagos Sea Lion, Galapagos Shearwater, Galapagos Sting Rays, Nazca Booby.
Yes. Every cruise booked with Dana Tours comes with complimentary nights at our own Las Terrazas de Dana Boutique Lodge & Spa in Mindo Cloud Forest (usually 2–3, more on request), with all meals and private transfers from Quito. Departures with a fare of US$3,500 or more per person include Mindo Plus, with tickets for Mindo’s top experiences, and those of US$5,000 or more are marked ★ and include our Mindo All-Inclusive program, with your own private guide throughout.
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