Bartolomé is a group of sites in the central Galapagos, accessible by boat from Puerto Ayora, spanning a wide range of topographies including reef, wall, pinnacle, drop-off, cave, and drift. The depth range runs from very shallow to ninety metres, with sites suited to beginners through advanced divers. Water temperatures vary markedly across the year, warmest from February to April and coldest from August to November when thermoclines are common. Whitetip reef sharks, silvertip sharks, green and ridley turtles, whale sharks, Pacific cownose rays, and bumphead parrotfish are among the recorded species.
Monthly water temperature across Bartolomé's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
The warm season from February to April brings the highest water temperatures and generally calmer conditions. From August through November temperatures drop noticeably and thermoclines are frequent, requiring an appropriate wetsuit and rewarding divers with nutrient-driven marine life activity.
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Water temperature around Bartolomé ranges from about 20°C in July to 24°C in February, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 24°C) a 3mm full suit is comfortable in Bartolomé; in the coldest months (about 20°C) step up to a 5mm suit.
Fin maps 8 sites in Bartolomé (8 scuba diving sites and 3 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both).
3 more sites to explore
