North Seymour

About the site

North Seymour

North Seymour, a low island just north of Baltra, is one of the best places in the Galápagos to see seabirds at close range, and often the first or last visit of a cruise. The panga lands you on black lava rocks for a dry landing, and a loop trail winds through low Palo Santo trees and saltbush.

The island holds the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds in the Galápagos, and in the courtship season the males sit on the bushes with their red throat pouches inflated like balloons, calling to the females flying overhead. Blue-footed boobies nest right beside the path and perform their famous dance, lifting their bright blue feet and pointing their bills to the sky. Swallow-tailed gulls nest along the rocky shore.

The land iguanas of North Seymour, brought here from Baltra in the 1930s, are now thriving, and you often see them resting in the shade or feeding on cactus pads. Along the coast, sea lions and marine iguanas rest on the rocks while the surf breaks on the lava ledges.

The trail is flat and easy, but the lava at the landing is uneven and there is no shade. Some itineraries add snorkeling from the boat after the walk.

Highlights

• Nesting Frigatebirds