As El Niño intensifies with unprecedented speed, record-high Pacific temperatures are already pushing marine species into new territory. Scientists believe the phenomenon could explain why blue whale sightings have dramatically declined in the Galápagos Islands.

From October 2025 to July 2026, researchers dispatched by the Galápagos National Park Directorate looked for these majestic creatures in areas where they had been observed before. The team’s objective was to tag individuals with satellite transmitters that would track their migratory routes, but despite nine months of continuous searching, they did not find a single one.

Water temperatures recorded during the expedition reflected El Niño’s presence. Sea surface temperatures ranged from 77.9 to 81.6 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 to 27.6 degrees Celsius), while temperatures at a depth of 328 feet (100 meters) ranged from 66.4 to 67.4 degrees F (19.11 to 19.67 degrees C). Those readings are above average for this time of year, according to the Galapagos Science Center (GSC).

A layer of the ocean called the isotherm—which is about 68 degrees F (20 degrees C) and usually found at depths of 66 to 148 feet (20 to 45 meters) in the Galápagos—was also located much deeper during the expedition, between 256 and 315 feet (78 and 96 meters). This suggests that the temperature range in which blue whales feed may not have aligned with the depth at which their food (mainly krill) was located.

It’s possible that the whales are remaining farther south, where waters are cooler and food is more available, lead expedition scientist Daniela Alarcón, a professor and researcher at Universidad San Francisco de Quito and the Galápagos Science Center, told LiveScience.

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