Posted by Greg Estes on April 28, 2017
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The Galápagos Islands have been experiencing high sea surface temperatures at most islands over the last couple of months. Sea surface temperatures in the islands (apart from Fernandina and Isabela) are currently (April, 2017) in the high 70s° to low 80s° (26 -28°C). Sea surface temperatures are likely to decrease into the low to mid 70s°F (22-24°C) by the end of May. It is therefore likely that sea surface temperatures at most of the snorkel sites will be in the mid 70s°F (22-24°C). For the next two months I will be wearing a full length 1 mm wetsuit under a 2-3 mm wetsuit in the central and eastern islands. For the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela I will be also wearing a hooded vest where temperatures are likely to get down to the mid to high 60’s°F (18-21°C). In general I would recommend the following for May and June:
For those very sensitive to the cold, a full-length 1 mm wetsuit under a 2-3-mm wetsuit with a neoprene hood or a 5 mm full-length wetsuit is recommended. It should always be remembered that differences in water temperatures between islands can vary as much as 10° F (5.5° C) due to local upwelling. During a cruise in May or June you could have a range in temperature from 68° to 77° F (20° to 25° C). Note: Although 2-3 and 5 mm wetsuits can be rented in the islands 1 mm wetsuits are not available in Galapagos.
Those who are NOT sensitive to the cold should be fine with a full-length 2-3 mm wetsuit.
Air temperatures should be between the mid 70’s°F (23-25°C) at night to about 90°F (32°C) in the middle of the day with little or no rain.
For current updates on sea surface temperatures go to
http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ocean/sst/contour/index.html
For current updates on sea surface temperature anomalies go to
http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ocean/sst/anomaly/index.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/