Galápagos Islands on Wildlife.blog

Blacktip Reef Shark, Galápagos Islands

Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)

One of the most recognizable reef sharks thanks to the bold black markings on its fin tips, this small, shy species rarely exceeds 1.6 m and is harmless to humans.

Common year-round in the shallow waters around the Galápagos archipelago, often spotted cruising lagoons and reef flats in small groups.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Blue-Footed Booby and Galápagos Penguin

Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)

Famous for its vivid blue feet — the brighter the color, the healthier the bird — which males show off in an elaborate high-stepping courtship dance.

Common throughout the Galápagos Islands year-round, nesting on rocky shores and plunge-diving from height to catch schooling fish.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | eBird

Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)

The world’s only penguin found north of the equator and among the rarest — fewer than 2,000 remain, all endemic to the Galápagos archipelago.

Cuddle puddle of iguanas

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The only lizard on Earth that forages in the ocean, marine iguanas lose heat rapidly after diving in cold Pacific waters and pile together on land to warm back up — a behavior called “thermoregulatory huddling.”

Endemic to the Galápagos and present on every island year-round, often gathering in dense colonies along the shore.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | IUCN Red List

Dozens of iguanas blending into the volcanic rock

📍 Isla Isabela, Galápagos Islands

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The world’s only sea-going lizard, uniquely adapted to dive into cold Pacific currents and graze algae off submerged rocks — then bask on lava to reheat its dark, salt-crusted body.

Abundant and year-round on Isla Isabela, where the island’s vast volcanic coastline provides prime basking and foraging habitat for some of the archipelago’s largest colonies.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | Galápagos Conservancy

Giant Tortoise, Galápagos Island

Galápagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis porteri)

The world’s largest living tortoise — dome-shelled adults can top 400 kg and live well past 100 years, and they love a good mud bath to cool down and shed parasites.

Giant tortoises are resident year-round across the Galápagos archipelago; the highland wallows of Santa Cruz Island are one of the easiest places to watch them soak.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Iguana, Galápagos

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The world’s only ocean-foraging lizard, this juvenile is soaking up heat on volcanic rock before its next dive into the cold Cromwell Current to graze on algae.

Endemic to the Galápagos and found on every island in the archipelago, year-round.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | IUCN Red List

Napping iguana

Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

The world’s only ocean-foraging lizard, diving up to 12 metres to scrape algae off submerged rocks — then hauling out to bask motionless for hours while its body reheats and nasal salt glands purge excess sea salt.

Abundant and year-round throughout the Galápagos archipelago, with the largest concentrations on Isabela and Fernandina.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | Galápagos Conservancy

Napping sea lions

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Gal\u00e1pagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki)

The only sea lion species endemic to the Gal\u00e1pagos, famous for treating park benches, docks, and boat decks as perfectly acceptable beds.

Year-round residents of the archipelago, they are one of the most abundant and approachable marine mammals in the islands.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | IUCN Red List

Sea Turtle

📍 Galápagos Islands

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

The largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, named not for its shell but for the green colour of its body fat — tinted by an adult diet of seagrass and algae.

Resident year-round in the Galápagos, where the archipelago’s nutrient-rich upwelling supports one of the Eastern Pacific’s most important nesting and foraging populations.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist | SWOT Map

Whitetip Reef Shark

Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)

One of the few shark species that can lie motionless on the bottom, pumping water over its gills instead of needing to swim to breathe.

A year-round resident of the Galápagos archipelago, commonly found resting in caves and on sandy patches during the day before hunting reef fish at night.

Wikipedia | iNaturalist