Darwin Bay
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Darwin Bay, also known as Frigate Hill or Cerro Tijeretas, is a shallow bay dive site located just five minutes by boat from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos. The site is noted for its accessibility and calm conditions, and takes its alternative name from the large numbers of Frigatebirds that fly and rest around the area.
The bottom depth reaches a maximum of 4 metres (13 ft), making this one of the shallowest dive sites in the area. The bay is calm and the terrain is straightforward, though the site does present a surge current that divers need to be prepared for.
Marine life at Darwin Bay is docile and approachable, with sea lions, sea turtles, stingrays, and large numbers of tropical fish regularly encountered during dives and snorkelling.
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Access is by boat, with a short five-minute journey from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Despite the shallow and generally calm nature of the bay, the surge current means the site is not recommended for first-time open-water divers or those unfamiliar with current diving; a certification and some experience with Galápagos-style conditions is expected before diving here.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
StingrayStingrayReported here · unconfirmed
Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
Cortez Rainbow WrasseThalassoma lucasanumReported here · unconfirmed
Galápagos Sea LionZalophus wollebaekiReported here · unconfirmed
Razor SurgeonfishPrionurus laticlaviusReported here · unconfirmed
Blue-barred ParrotfishScarus ghobbanReported here · unconfirmed
King AngelfishHolacanthus passerReported here · unconfirmed
Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Mola mola (ocean sunfish)Reported here · unconfirmed
TunaTunaReported here · unconfirmed
Hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Whale SharkRhincodon typusConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
WrasseWrasseReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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