Wolf Island
Ecuador · Galápagos
Wolf is Darwin's sibling and the other half of every northern Galápagos itinerary — hammerheads, Galápagos sharks, dolphins and the occasional orca patrol the points, with a hard bottom plateau that lets you hook in and watch the show. Many divers consider Wolf the more consistent of the two.
Galápagos Marine Reserve
Awarded 2020
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Surveys inside this fully protected sanctuary recorded the highest reef fish biomass yet measured on any reef, 17.5 tonnes per hectare, of which 12.4 tonnes per hectare was sharks, the greatest shark biomass on Earth (Salinas de León et al. 2016); the state shown reflects coral under recent heat stress, not the fish community that protection keeps world class.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Hot enough that coral is bleaching now.
Fishing
Quiet water, and fishing is fully banned here.
Sources · Reef survey · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 32% to 27%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 32% |
| 2024 | 27% |
Fish life over time
Fish seen per survey
Across 7 years of REEF volunteer surveys around Wolf Island (Galápagos), divers have recorded a steady amount of fish per survey. The reef card above has not scored a fish level here yet, so this effort-standardised trend is our read on fish life.
Fish seen per survey, by year
| Year | Density index | Surveys |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2.30 | 10 |
| 2002 | 2.63 | 12 |
| 2008 | 2.43 | 19 |
| 2014 | 2.34 | 23 |
| 2017 | 2.19 | 57 |
| 2021 | 2.37 | 13 |
| 2024 | 2.39 | 11 |
What you will see
23 species across the dive sites here
Creole fish
Seen 3 months ago
at El Ancla (The Anchor)
Galápagos Sea Lion
Seen 3 months ago
at Mola Point
Endangered
Galápagos shark
Seen 3 months ago
at El Ancla (The Anchor)
Least concern
Galapagos shark
Seen 3 months ago
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Least concern
Guineafowl Puffer
Seen 3 months ago
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Least concern
Scalloped hammerhead
Seen 3 months ago
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Critically endangered
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Seen 3 months ago
at Mola Point
Critically endangered
Whale shark
Seen 3 months ago
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Endangered
Fine-Spotted Moray
Seen 3 months ago
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Least concern
King Angelfish
Seen 3 months ago
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Least concern
Green sea turtle
Seen 4 months ago
at The Landslide (El Derrumbe)
Least concern
Mexican Hogfish
Seen 4 months ago
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Least concern
Silky shark
Seen Nov 2024
at The Landslide (El Derrumbe)
Vulnerable
Broomtail Grouper
Seen year round
at Mola Point
Endangered
Marine Iguana
Seen year round
at Mola Point
Vulnerable
Pompano
Seen year round
at El Ancla (The Anchor)
Spotted eagle ray
Seen year round
at The Landslide (El Derrumbe)
Endangered
Wrasse (various species)
Seen year round
at Mola Point
Blacktip reef shark
Seasonal visitor
at El Ancla (The Anchor)
Vulnerable
Bottlenose dolphin
Seasonal visitor
at Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
Near threatened
Golden cowrie ray
Seasonal visitor
at El Ancla (The Anchor)
Endangered
Mola
Seasonal visitor
at El Ancla (The Anchor)
Vulnerable
Ocean Sunfish
Seasonal visitor
at Mola Point
Vulnerable
Dive sites
Shark Bay (Wolf Island)
scalloped hammerhead · whale shark · galapagos shark · bottlenose dolphin
The Landslide (El Derrumbe)
scalloped hammerhead · whale shark · galapagos shark · silky shark
El Ancla (The Anchor)
scalloped hammerhead · whale shark · galápagos shark · golden cowrie ray
Mola Point
ocean sunfish · galápagos sea lion · silky shark · marine iguana
What divers say
If Darwin is the headline, Wolf is the album. More dives, more variety, fewer crowds in the water column.
Good to know
Combined with Darwin
There is no Wolf-only trip. Logistics, permits and fees match Darwin.
Bring a 7mm
Thermoclines drop fast. A 7mm with hooded vest is the local standard.