Wolf Island is one of the two northernmost islands in the Galapagos archipelago. Along with Darwin Island, Isla Wolf is famous for its rich undersea and seabird life. There are no land visits on the island, so the few visitors to the island are almost entirely divers or research scientists. Typical of most islands in the Galapagos, Wolf Island has a historical second name that often appears on nautical charts: Wenman Island.
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| Wolf Island, with a liveaboard tour boat below sheer seacliffs, is the largest of the islands in the distant northern island group of the Galapagos archipelago, is home to hundreds of thousands of seabirds. Vast schools of sharks and fish inhabit the waters surrounding Wolf Island. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 16629 Location: Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador  View this Image in Google Earth! |
Isla Wolf lies 100km north of the central Galapagos islands, and requires about 12-15 hours to reach by boat. The crossing can be rough, but the abundant life and spectacular diving at the island are well worth the effort. Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) are often seen at Wolf Island, typically in schools of up to hundreds at a time. Fortunate divers will also see whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), Galapagos sharks (Carcharhinus galapagensis), bottlenose dolphins, spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari) and Galapagos fur seals (Arctocephalus galapagoensis).
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| Hammerhead sharks, schooling. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 16271 Species: Sphyrna lewini Location: Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador View this Image in Google Earth! |
Above water the island is an extraordinary bird habitat. Seabirds wheel by the thousands in updrafts above the island throughout the day, with morning and evening fly-ins and fly-outs as the birds depart to forage for food or return to rest at the island. Red-footed boobies (Sula sula), nazca boobies (Sula granti, formerly known as masked boobies), frigates, pelicans and swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcata) dominate the skies above Wolf.
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| Galapagos shark. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 16240 Species: Carcharhinus galapagensis |
Coral hawkfish. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 02432 Species: Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus |
Great frigatebird, adult male, in flight, carrying twig for nest building, green iridescence of scapular feathers identifying species. Wolf Island. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 16708 Species: Fregata minor |
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| Hammerhead sharks, schooling, black and white / grainy. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 16256 Species: Sphyrna lewini |
Spotted eagle rays. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 16333 Species: Aetobatus narinari |
Striped sea chub, schooling. Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image: 16412 Species: Kyphosus analogous |
