Isabela Island
Ecuador · Eastern Pacific
The largest island in the Galapagos archipelago, Isabela offers some of the most dramatic underwater encounters in the world — from whale sharks at Tortuga Negra Bay to Mola mola at Vicente Roca Point and marine iguanas feeding on algae at Cape Marshall.
Galápagos Marine Reserve
Awarded 2020
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is busy.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
20 species across the dive sites here
GaláPagos Penguin
Seen 1 month ago
at Tortuga Negra Bay
Endangered
Sally Lightfoot Crab
Seen 1 month ago
at Tortuga Negra Bay
Green Sea Turtle
Seen 1 month ago
at Cape Marshall
Least concern
Isabela Lava Lizard
Seen 1 month ago
at Tortuga Negra Bay
Least concern
Galapagos Sea Lion
Seen 1 month ago
at Vicente Roca Point
Endangered
Brown Noddy
Seen 1 month ago
at Vicente Roca Point
Least concern
Marine Iguana
Seen 1 month ago
at Cape Marshall
Vulnerable
King Angelfish
Seen 1 month ago
at Cape Marshall
Least concern
Bump-Head Mola
Seen 3 months ago
at Vicente Roca Point
Ocean Sunfish
Seen 3 months ago
at Vicente Roca Point
Vulnerable
Galapagos Sheephead Wrasse
Seen 8 months ago
at Punta Vicente Roca North
Spiny Lobster
Seen 10 months ago
at Punta Vicente Roca North
Least concern
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Seen Jul 2025
at Cape Marshall
Critically endangered
White-tipped Reef Shark
Seen Apr 2025
at Tortuga Negra Bay
Vulnerable
Galapagos Nudibranch
Seen Jul 2024
at Punta Vicente Roca North
Frogfish
Seen year round
at Punta Vicente Roca North
Galapagos Eagle Ray
Seen year round
at Cape Marshall
Pacific Seahorse
Seen year round
at Vicente Roca Point
Vulnerable
Pacific Spotted Eagle Ray
Seen year round
at Tortuga Negra Bay
Vulnerable
Whale Shark
Seasonal visitor
at Tortuga Negra Bay
Endangered
Dive sites
Cape Marshall
marine iguana · scalloped hammerhead shark · galapagos eagle ray · green sea turtle
Vicente Roca Point
ocean sunfish · pacific seahorse · galapagos sea lion · brown noddy
Tortuga Negra Bay
green sea turtle · whale shark · white-tipped reef shark · pacific spotted eagle ray
Punta Vicente Roca North
galapagos nudibranch · galapagos sheephead wrasse · frogfish · spiny lobster