Daphne Islet

Daphne Islet lies in the Galapagos archipelago north of Santa Cruz Island, a small volcanic islet rising from open water in the channel between Santa Cruz and Baltra. It is best known above water as a research site for finch studies, and the surrounding waters are visited by boats operating out of the central Galapagos islands. The dive here follows a wall down to a maximum depth of about 18.3 metres and is rated a beginner site, though divers should be aware of currents and surge that have been reported around the islet. Manta rays are a regular sighting along the wall, and divers have also reported eagle rays and hammerhead sharks passing through.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Manta rayManta rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed
• Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Galápagos Sea LionZalophus wollebaekiReported here · unconfirmed
• Sally Lightfoot CrabGrapsus grapsusReported here · unconfirmed
• Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydasReported here · unconfirmed
• Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkReported here · unconfirmed