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Galapagos red-footed boobies are unusual-looking birds, distinguished by their vivid blue beaks and bright red feet. Even stranger is that a bird with webbed feet makes its nests among bushes and trees. Strong digits enable these birds to cling to branches, much like eagles, sparrows, crows, and most other birds that spend considerable time in trees.
Marine iguanas in Galapagos – they amass in massive groups of greyish-black clusters atop the lava rocks that are ubiquitous throughout the islands. Atop this smorgasbord of scales come little spritzes and streams of water, ejecting themselves out of the noses of these dinosaur-like creatures.
The Enchanted Isles, officially known as the Galapagos [plural] Islands are a group of islands that have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the plethora of iconic wildlife and otherworldly landscapes that they are home to. The Islands were presumably named after the giant tortoises that still inhabit the islands to this day. I
Before you begin your Galapagos vacation, you can get acquainted with the animals that you must see in the Islands. While most people might think that you can’t miss the Giant Tortoise or the Marine Iguana, there are a few birds that you might consider adding to the list, specifically, those that you can only find in the Galapagos Islands, like boobies.
Of all the wonders in the Galapagos Islands, one of the most spectacular is that this equatorial archipelago, with its tropical forests, barren deserts, and temperatures reaching up to 38°C (100°F), is able to support a species of Equatorial tropical penguin. Penguins can be found in several locations, but the Galapagos penguin is the only species that lives so far north- and even more miraculously, right on the equator. The story seems like a natural history fairy tale.
Much like sea lions, Galapagos Lava Lizards are another species that visitors to the islands are likely to encounter, though they are far less conspicuous. A significant population of these lizards can be found on all the main Galapagos Islands, except for Darwin, Wolf, and Genovesa islands.
On the Santa Cruz II Galapagos cruise, we landed on Bartolome Island on a gorgeous afternoon, eager to observe the dolphins in Galapagos. This day’s sky was clear, so as soon as we arrived at Bartolome, we set out to find the highly sought-after Galapagos penguin, a well-known resident of the archipelago and a significant member of our BIG15 group of iconic species that just so happens to live right here on this stunning island.
One of the tiniest and “newest” geologically speaking islands in the archipelago is Fernandina. There is still an active volcano there that erupted about four months ago, and due to its tremendous activity, it is constantly changing. When we got to the island this time, we were pleasantly pleased to see a Galapagos Hawk on Fernandina Island. This encounter remarkably set the tone for the remainder of our journey.
Some of the rarest and most unusual species on the planet, including the Christmas iguana, may be found on the Galapagos Islands. Since they are native to the archipelago, seeing them enhances the already enchanted atmosphere of an already wonderful location.
It’s rare to snorkel alongside fur seals in the Galapagos. The Galapagos sea lion is a more common species than fur seals, the second most frequent pinniped in the archipelago, and belongs to the famous BIG15 group of iconic species.
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