One of the most emblematic birds of the Galapagos Islands is the Blue Footed Booby.

Blue Footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii) are seabirds that are endemic to the Galapagos Islands. They can be easily recognized by their blue feet.

So where can you spot them on Isabela Island?

There are some free spots and some places where you have to go on a tour.

1. Free Spots to see them up close

The dock.

When you arrive by boat to Isabela Island you will see the dock’s beach next to it. This spot has many boobies fishing near midday or late afternoon.

It is a great place to also see them floating next to penguins or pelicans.

El Estero.

This spot on the wetlands trail has a small colony of Blue Footed Boobies and when you swim towards the end of El Estero beach you will reach the open ocean where they can be seen fishing or floating.

The rocks marked with bird poop in this area show their presence.

Observation Tower.

In the Malecon area there is a wooden view point where in season you can spot hundreds of Blue Footed Boobies just resting or fishing on the main beach. Specially during the winter season as this brings more fish to the area.

2. Tours to see the Blue Footed Boobies

a. Los Tuneles

One of the most famous and popular tours of the island is Los Tuneles (the tunnels).

This spot consists of lava formations in the shore of Isabela Island where lava created underwater tunnels which have lots of cactus on top and are one of the natural areas for Blue Footed boobies to live.

This spot has Blue Footed Boobies in all the stages of their lives from mating season (the famous dance), to the nests and eggs, to baby blue footed boobies with their fluffy feathers until the become adults.

The Tunnels is also a rich area to find lots of other animals such as marine turtles, schools of fish, rays, sea horses, penguins, lobsters sometimes and many more!

If you are lucky enough you might see some mantarays or orcas along the way to get to Los Tuneles!

You can book this tour with our travel agency «Coral Skies Ecotravel»

b. Tintoreras

The famous islet is located in front of the bay of Puerto Villamil and it obtains its name after the Tintorera shark also known as the white tip shark.

Although this spot is mainly to see sharks and penguins, you can spot many blue footed boobies in this area where you will see them up close during their feeding hour.

You can book this tour with our travel agency «Coral Skies Ecotravel»