Posted by Greg Estes on September 21, 2011
Anyone interested in booking a tour with us please click on Greg’s trips Page or contact us at galapagos@gnhtours.com.

October/November

This year the islands have gone through a dramatic change from unusually cool conditions in January to unusually warm conditions from February to May. As a consequence of the high temperatures we have had one of the wettest years I have experienced since coming to Galapagos in 1982. For the past few months the sea surface temperatures have dropped and it has been relatively dry.

The forecast is for the cool waters (mid-high 60°s F/18-21° C) to continue to at least November and could last until January. As a result of the relatively cool waters and cool air most of the visiting sites in Galapagos will be dry in October and November with alternating spells of sun and Garua (a fine mist). The relatively few visiting sites in the highlands will be damper receiving more Garua than the coastal areas. Air temperatures during the day will reach the high 80°s F (about 32°s C) during the day and drop to the mid 60°s F (about 17°s C) at night.

For those who will be snorkeling during October and November, the sea surface temperatures at most snorkeling sites should be between 65° and 75°F (18-24°C)

In terms of wetsuits, I will be wearing a 5 mm full-length wetsuit. For those who are sensitive to the cold I recommend a 5 mm full-length wetsuit with a neoprene hood. It should always be remembered that differences in water temperatures between islands can vary as much as 14°F (7.5°C). During a cruise, you could experience a range in temperatures from 63° to 77°F (17.5° to 25°C).

Those who are NOT sensitive to the cold should be fine with a 3mm wetsuit. If you are using a shorty or if you are not going to use a wetsuit, a full-length skin suit is recommended as it offers protection from sunburn. The skin suit can be worn under the shorty. Similarly a swim/bathing cap offers protection from the sun for the head.

For current updates on sea surface temperatures go to

http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/data/sst/contour/equatpac.REM.fc.gif

For current updates on sea surface temperature anomalies go to

http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/ocean/sst/anomaly.html

And for predictions concerning El Niño/La Niña for the next three months go to

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/