Which animals can I see at Galapagos in April?

Is April in Galapagos a good month for wildlife? Remember, every month at the Galapagos Islands (including April) is amazing for wildlife spotting, and almost all land and marine species can in fact be found all year-round.

That said, each month does bring something different to the archipelago. Subtle changes in animal behavior such as breeding, nesting, hatching, feeding, growing, migrating. The Galapagos natural world is in constant change.

Our favorite April highlight is the entertaining courtship dance and rituals of the blue footed boobies. Keep your video camera handy as this is one of the most impressive Galapagos shows of the year. Booby males need to show off those amazing blue feet to impress a potential mate - but are his feet blue enough? The blue coloring of booby feet comes from carotenoid pigments from their favorite food of sardines, so males who are good hunters will catch more sardines and have the most impresssive feet. But how is one to demonstrate that to a picky female booby bird? Easy - perform the famous booby mating dance strut, lifting those blue feet into the air, while pointing your beak to the sky and whisteling to attract attention. If the female likes what she sees then she'll join in the dance too.

A very different courtship is taking place on Espanola island in April. The beautiful waved albatross have recently returned to Galapagos - their only nesting site in the world. Albatross mate for life so they have no need to attract a mate - courtship is more about reconnecting after months out to sea. Albatross couples tenderly clack their beaks together and circle one another in a more romantic ritual than the blue footed boobies. They are also preparing their nests ready to lay their clutch of eggs.

If you plan to visit the town of Puerto Villamil on the south-east coast of Isabela island then look out for Galapagos penguins - April is one of the best months to see them here. They are usually spotted out on the black lava rocks outside the harbor, or sometimes swimming like bullets in the clear water under the dock boardwalk. Lucky visitors might also have the opportunity to snorkel with penguins here!

Some Galapagos species are already further down the road in their breeding cycle. Green sea turtle eggs are hatching on beaches such as Bachas (Santa Cruz) and Cormorant Point (Floreana). It is not an easy battle for survival as predators wait for them on land and at sea - only around 1% of these cute baby turtles are likely to make it to adulthood. Look out for Frigate birds and Galapagos Hawks circling overhead on the lookout for an easy meal. Elsewhere land iguana eggs are also hatching across the arcipelago.

Divers should catch a liveaboard scuba cruise up to Darwins Arch by Wolf and Darwin islands - April is often a good month to observe large schools of Scalloped Hammerhead sharks. This areaa has the largest shark biomass on the planet, so is not to be missed!

Check out the infographic below for some of the special wildlife highlights to expect at Galapagos in April.