What Animals Are In The Galapagos Islands

Written past: Donnie Sexton

With my first visit to the Galapagos Islands, I was anxious to experience first-hand what and then many of my photographer friends rave virtually this unique destination off the coast of Republic of ecuador. The Galapagos can be explored in 2 ways. Land-based trips beginning on i of four islands that offer accommodations, then you tin can hook up with local tour companies for mean solar day tripping to unlike islands.

Animals of the Galapagos Islands

Or yous can accept a multi-day Galapagos cruise in the body of water. I was fortunate to explore this extraordinary place with Ecoventura, a high-cease visitor that focuses solely on experiences in the Galapagos Archipelago with their luxury yacht cruises. This makes for a great way to notice the animals of the Galapagos Islands.

Photo Past: Cacinda Maloney of PointsandTravel

Galapagos – An "Out of This World" Experience

In the bridge of our 7-twenty-four hours cruise, I would witness 7 islands – San Cristobal, Española, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Bartolome, Due south Plaza, and North Seymour. Each of these volcanic islands has unique landscapes and features, all abundant with wild animals. To be able to walk or hike near a diverseness of creatures without endangering them, was indeed an out of this world experience.

Galapagos National Park

Preservation and protection of this Archipelago is a serious business with the Galapagos National Park, various conservation groups, and the local guides and tour companies who make their living off this Archipelago. The Galapagos National Park sets the schedules for whatsoever group that visits its parkland, and they require each group to be accompanied by a guide, which prevents overcrowding. Similar all places on earth, the islands take their challenges with pollution, climate change, and invasive species.

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Animals In the Galapagos Islands:

Sea Lions & Fur Seals

Galapagos Sea Lions

My first encounter with wildlife happened shortly after landing at the airport at San Cristobal Island. Information technology was a short bus ride down to the pier, where nosotros would footstep into a panga for the curt trip out to T •H •E •O •R •Y, our luxury ship. Sea lions were everywhere – a few waddling on the boardwalks, others draped over the rocks along the shore, actualization to be napping. They appeared oblivious to our presence. Sea lions are the about abundant of the marine mammals in the Galapagos. Each cease we made to explore an island, we could count on seeing these delightful creatures.

Marine Iguanas

Marine Iguana

I'one thousand feeling very mettlesome as I pick my path carefully through a field of marine iguanas on Española Island. Thankfully, they aren't moving, so I go along my distance. I have e'er had an farthermost case of ophiophobia -the fear of snakes. So whatever creepy-crawly creature with scaly peel gives me cause to tense upwardly. I'm keeping my anxiety in check equally I'g surrounded by swain travelers and accept a guide within inches of me.

Also, I'm patting myself on the back for having purchased a long telephone lens for this trip (200-400), so I go along my altitude and let the camera do the piece of work of getting in close for shots.

The marine iguanas are typically black, but during mating season, the males change colors to brilliant cherry-red and green. I concur with Charles Darwin's clarification of this reptilian beast. "It is a hideous-looking animate being, of a muddied black color, stupid, and sluggish in its movements." This is the only cadger that can swim in the ocean.

Land Iguanas

On the island of Northward Seymour, I witnessed the yellow-colored land iguana. Both species of iguana are endemic to the Islands.

Land Iguana

Behemothic Tortoises

Giant Tortoise

Santa Cruz, the second largest of the islands in the Galapagos, is home to the behemothic tortoises which are native to the Galapagos. A short jitney ride from the main boondocks of Playa Ayora took united states into the interior highlands where we wandered through natural reserves of grasslands, ponds, and trees to encounter these creatures. They can weigh up to 900 lbs., with an average lifespan of 100 years or more. On the outskirts of Playa Ayora, nosotros stopped at the Charles Darwin Research Station, which serves as a breeding center for the behemothic tortoises and is an excellent resources for telling the story of the islands and their history.

Sally Lightfoot Crab

On the n shore of Santa Cruz, nosotros spent time at Bachas Beach, where some chose to swim, but I became fascinated with trying to photograph the colorful Sally Lightfoot venereal.

Read here a consummate commodity about Galapagos Islands Birds – Birds of a Feather

Galapagos Birds

Galapagos Penguins

Panga rides along the shores of Bartolome Island enabled u.s.a. to run across the adorable Galapagos penguins, the smallest of all the penguin family unit, they weight most 5 lbs. five oz., but they are about 19 inches tall.

American Flamingos

A walk on Floreana Island provided an opportunity to observe the American flamingos that hang out in the lagoons.

Nazca Boobies

Nazca boobies, many with their young shut at mitt, were seen in affluence on San Cristobal.

Galapagos Mockingbird

North Seymour Isle – An Abundance of Wild fauna

Blue-Footed Boobie

Bluish-footed Boobie

My favorite island was North Seymour. First to greet us was the yellow-colored country iguana, munching on prickly pear cactus. The trail led us by Blueish-footed boobies and lava lizards.

Lava Cadger

Lava Lizard

Brown pelicans and Swallowtail Gulls were hanging out.

Dark-brown pelicans

Brown Pelican

Swallowtail Gulls

Swallowtail Gull

Magnificent Frigatebirds

Magnificent Frigatebird

There was an abundance of Magnificent frigatebirds, some in courtship rituals. The males inflate their throat pouches to huge red balloons during the mating flavor. With their huge wingspan, frigatebirds can glide on thermal air currents for days at a time. Darwin called them 'the condor of the oceans.'

Galapagos' Diversity of Animals

By week'southward terminate, I clearly understood why photographers love the Galapagos. The abundance and multifariousness of wildlife in this volcanic Archipelago is like nowhere on earth. I applaud all of those carefully guarding this treasured place and give thanks my lucky stars that I was able to experience several of the islands. I have over ii,000 photos to commemorate my visit, now lies the piece of work of sorting and editing.

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Writer Donnie Sexton is at present retired but had been with the Montana Role of Tourism for 26 years, splitting her time every bit a staff photographer and working closely with the media. She is a self-taught photographer. She has an insatiable appetite for travel that she has been documented primarily through her photos. She tells a story behind her images that ascertain a destination or an experience.

Disclosure:As is mutual in the travel industry, I was provided with accommodations, meals, and other bounty for the purposes of review by Ecoventura . While it has not influenced my review, PointsandTravel.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of involvement. All Photos were taken by the author/or were given permission from the photographer. Affiliate links may be located in this article.

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