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Zalophus wollebaeki - The San Cristobal Island Sea Lion is very large, thick necks, a long pointy nose and males have a crest on top of their heads. The mature males weigh about 900 pounds and the females 244 pounds. They are only found in the Galapagos Islands and Isla de la Plata. They are very social, playful and the sound you will hear from them the most is similar to the barking from a dog. When they aren’t in the water they can be found on the sandy shores or rocky areas.

Zalophus wollebaeki - The San Cristobal Island Sea Lion mothers suckle their pups for two years. The pups do not hunt food during this time that results in extra time to explore and their curious playful nature. Divers are always investigated. 

Zalophus wollebaeki - The San Cristobal Island Sea Lions are very social, playful and the sound you will hear from them the most is similar to the barking from a dog. When they aren’t in the water they can be found on the sandy shores or rocky areas.

Some ornithologists consider the Galapagos American Oystercatcher to be an endemic subspecies, known as Haematopus palliatus Galapagensis. There are between 100 and 200 pairs, present all year around and nest along the coastline, has a loud shrill call and can be seen in tidal pools along Galapagos beaches.  It has a bright red bill (which is both a hammer and a knife) and uses it as an oyster shell opener. 

Amblyrhynchus cristatus - San Cristobal Island marine iguanas are the world’s only marine lizards. They resemble large lizards, though they have evolved blunt noses for grazing on seaweed, laterally flattened tails to assist swimming, and powerful limbs with strong claws to help them cling to rocks. They snort or spit salt to rid it their bodies. The subspecies venustissimus,  has red markings on its back.

The subspecies venustissimus has red markings on its back.

Only the largest five percent of individuals dive into the water for food, mostly during the hot midday hours. The waters are extremely cold, and cause the iguana to lose heat rapidly when feeding. This forces them to return to the rocks and warm up in the sun again.

The Española Island Hawk is a large raptor, dark colored with both broad wings and a broad tail. Adults have a grey tail that is barred with dark stripes and have an overall brownish-black color. Unlike most birds, female Galapagos hawks are noticeably larger than their male counterparts. They have a extremely diverse diet consisting of mostly locusts, giant centipedes, small lava lizards, snakes, an rodents.

Waved Albatrosses is the largest of the Española Island birds with a massive wingspan of 7 – 8 feet and weighing 7 – 11 pounds. They can grow to measure 86 centimeters (34 inches) in length.

Waved Albatrosses is the largest of the Galapagos birds with a massive wingspan of 7 – 8 feet and weighing 7 – 11 pounds. They can grow to measure 86 centimeters (34 inches) in length.  Albatross parents spend long times out at sea searching for food/fish. This is held in the parent’s stomach, where it is converted to an oily liquid. The parent can hold this liquid in its stomach without digesting it for a considerable amount of time, making its hunting expeditions more efficient as it does not have to return frequently.

They engage in a very lengthy, noisy and complex courtship ritual, just like other Albatrosses. They dance and fence with each other with their beaks, in which the partners bend, face each other, and rapidly slap their beaks back and forth.

In the courtship ritual, each faces the other in an upright posture, sometimes poising with beak wide open. Their beaks are then shut with a loud clap. Sometimes the birds will clatter their beaks rapidly. The dance also involves bowing, and parading around one another with the head swaying side to side in an exaggerated sway, accompanied by a nasal “anh-a-annhh” sound.

The courtship ritual dance is longer and more involved when a new pair of Albatrosses meet, or in pairs that have failed to breed in the previous season.

The female Albatross lays her eggs on the ground as opposed to making a nest for them. During the incubation period, the parents frequently roll the egg about, covering distances as much as 40 meters. The reason the Albatrosses do this is uncertain. When the eggs have hatched the chick is dark brown, and covered with curly dark brown downy feathers. Critically Endangered status in the 2007 IUCN Red List.

Parents spend long times out at sea searching for food/fish. This is held in the parent’s stomach, where it is converted to an oily liquid. The parent can hold this liquid in its stomach without digesting it for a considerable amount of time, making its hunting expeditions more efficient as it does not have to return frequently. They return, find their chicks and then pump the liquid into the chicks stomach. As much as 2 kilograms of liquid can be forced into the chick stomach at one feeding time. This volume makes the chick swell and look like an over-inflated brown bag. It can barely move until the oil is digested. This keeps them full and fed while the parents return to sea to search for more food.

It consists of the picket fence-like remains of small volcanic cone which has been eroded away by the sea, creating in its interior an ideal habitat for several types of corals and marine life, like, hammerhead sharks.

Blue-footed boobies nest on the ground by sweeping the ground clean for their nests.

The blue-footed booby is a marine bird native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean. It is one of six species of the genus Sula – known as boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. The female is slightly larger than the male and can measure up to 90 cm long with a wingspan of up to 1.5 m.  

How do you identify the different Bobby chicks? The feet of red-footed booby chicks don't turn red until they are three years old. Red-footed booby nest in trees and Nazca and blue-footed booby have ground nests. Nazca boobies make nests of twigs, rocks or coral on the ground. Blue-footed boobies sweep the ground clean for their nests.

Punta Cormorant is probably one of the best shallow water flamingo lagoons that they need to feed properly.  Greater Flamingo (phoenicopterus roseus) is one of the most widespread of the six flamingo species. This flamingo is distinctly recognizable for its long neck, light pink color and black-tipped beak with a harsh downward curve. The Greater Flamingo appears more whitish pink than the American Flamingo that is very bright. It is the largest of all of the flamingo species found in Africa, Asia and parts of Southern Europe include Italy, Greece, Turkey and Spain.

Greater Flamingo’s feed on small invertebrates that they pick up from the mud and water of the lakes and lagoons that they inhabit. These invertebrates can include small crustaceans, small fish, shrimp, plankton and algae. Sometimes Greater Flamingos digest mud to extract organic nutrients. They receive their color from their food intake. The color is specifically created when enzymes brake down the cartenoid pigments.

This common heron tends to feed at night, but can often be seen during the day in shaded areas along the coasts of each island in the Galapagos. It is a stocky, gray heron with a black and white head and yellow crown. Because of its nocturnal habits, its eyes are larger than other herons. They breed in single pairs and build nests year-round in mangroves or under rocks.

Probably the most famous of the Galapagos land birds are Darwin’s finches, so named because of their importance to Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theories. Darwin was fascinated, not only with the diversity of the thirteen species, but by how quickly they evolved from a common ancestor to adapt to the type of food supply on each island. These adaptations were mainly manifested in the shape and size of their beaks. They are not very spectacular looking. These finches are endemic to the islands.  

There is a large amount of variation in the shape and size of their shell as it depends on which island the tortoise originates and the environment it has to adapt to. Those tortoises that are found on dryer islands have a "saddle back" shell where the rim of the shell is raised above the neck allowing them to raise their head and eat from taller vegetation.

Some Galapagos Tortoises have aspects of both the "dome shaped" and the "saddle back" shell types and these are known to have "table top" shells. Regardless of the shell shape, all males have a concave undershell that facilitates mating. Galapagos Tortoises are herbivores and they feed on a variety of grasses, leaves, cactus, vines and fruit. They obtain most of their moisture through their diet and can go for long periods without drinking.

They have strong, toothless jaws which suit their herbivorous lifestyle and they spend most of the day grazing in small herds or basking in mud or pools.

Galapagos Tortoises are slow moving, averaging a long distance walking speed of 0.3 km/hr (0.18 mph), although if the tortoise has a purpose, for example moving to breeding grounds, they can move more quickly. They have a regular routine that is carried out each day and they use the same sleeping place and the same pathways to get around the island.

El Manzanillo (The Poison Tree) Farm is a giant Galápagos tortoise preserve outside Santa Cruz Galápagos.  There is a large amount of variation in the shape and size of their shell as it depends on which island the tortoise originates and the environment it has to adapt to. Those tortoises that are found on wetter islands that have an abundance of grass and vegetation near the ground have "dome shaped" shells. Those with dome shaped shells tend to be the heaviest and largest of the subspecies, but they have shorter necks and smaller legs than those with saddle back shells. 

There is little variation in the dull brown color of the shell or legs in any of the subspecies. In all subspecies, males are larger than females.

Poised on green/red succulent ground cover. The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back.

Poised on green/red succulent ground cover. The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back.

Conolophus subcristatus - This species is very large, growing to lengths of over a meter. The short head is blunt and the back legs are thick and powerful, with long sharp claws on the toes. It is yellowish in color with blotches of white, black, rust and brown and a row of spines passes along the center of the neck and back These miniature dragons roam around the Santa Cruz, sun-scorched, boulder-strewn island, nipping away contentedly at the fruits and flowers of their favorite food, the Opuntia Cacti.

It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, primarily the islands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza. Males defend territories, with displays involving head bobbing, biting and tail thrashing . During courtship, males aggressively court the females.

This species has an interesting relationship with Galapagos finches; the iguanas often raise themselves from the ground and allow the finches to remove ticks from their bodies.

Grapsus Grapsus is also known as the ‘Red Rock Crab’. The Sally Lightfoot Crab is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America. The crabs round, flat carapace is just over 8 – 12 centimeters (3 – 5 inches) in length. They are rather flat and low to the ground and have been called ‘spider-like’ or quadratic in shape. Young Sally Lightfoot Crabs are black or dark brown in color and camouflage well on the black lava coasts of the Galapagos volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in color. Some are reddish-brown, some mottled or spotted brown, pink or yellow.

Grapsus Grapsus is also known as the ‘Red Rock Crab’. The Sally Lightfoot Crab is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America.

The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back.

The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back.

Grapsus Grapsus

Grapsus Grapsus

Grapsus Grapsus

Yellow Warbler is a small songbird with a thin pointed beak. It is mostly yellow in color and the male has reddish streaks on his chest. The Yellow Warbler stands around 12 – 13 centimeters (5 – 6 inches) in height, has a wing-span of 16 – 20 centimeters (6 – 8 inches), and weighs approximately 9 – 11 grams (0.32 – 0.39 ounces).

It is not endemic and may be found anywhere from Alaska to Peru. It is common throughout the Galapagos Islands, especially found in mangroves or manzanillo trees (The Poison Tree).

Bartolomé Island Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias subspecies cognata Bangs) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. The great blue is the largest heron in the Galapagos, with its 4.5-foot length and almost 6.5-foot wingspan. Despite its name, the blue heron is a mostly gray bird, but is easily recognized by its long legs and great size. Like many members of this family, it often stands with its head hunched into its shoulders; it maintains this position when flying as well, with its long legs trailing behind.

Great blue herons are found along the rocky coasts of most of the islands in the Galapagos, often standing motionless as they wait for fish to swim by. They have also been known to eat lizards, as well as young marine iguanas and birds for food. Blue herons tend to live alone or in pairs, but occasionally form a small colony of up to six nests. They breed year-round and often nest in mangroves.

The brown pelican is instantly recognizable; with its huge pouched bill and large size (4 feet long with a 6.5-foot wingspan), it is often the first bird that visitors identify. As its name suggests, these pelicans are generally brownish in color. During the breeding season, however, the adults have bright white and chestnut markings on their heads and necks. They nest year-round in most of the islands.

The lava cactus is a species of cactus and the sole species of the genus Brachycereus. The plant is a colonizer of lava fields, hence its common name. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The smallest of the cacti species that inhabit the Galápagos, the lava cactus consists of a number of short, cylindrical stems that grow in dense clusters with sharp spines, which are yellow on the young parts of the plant, turning dark grey or black with age covering up to two meters. Found only in the volcanic archipelago of the Galápagos, on the islands of Bartolomé, Fernandina, Genovesa, Isabela, Pinta and San Salvador.

Most penguins are associated with the colder regions of the Southern Hemisphere, but the cool Humboldt Current flowing from Antarctica along the South American coast enables the Galapagos penguin, the most northerly penguin in the world, to live here. Although they normally breed on the western part of Isabela and Fernandina, a small colony is often seen by visitors at Bartolomé. They are also occasionally present on Floreana and James as well. Breeding can occur year-round; two broods a year are possible under good conditions. Colonies are small and not tightly packed with nests.

This flightless bird is one of five endemic seabirds in the islands. A penguin’s clumsiness on land belies its skill and speed underwater. 

The magnificent frigatebird is the largest species  of the frigatebird. It measures 89–114 cm (35–45 in) in length, has a wingspan of 217–244 cm (85–96 in) and weighs 1,100–1,590 grams (2.43–3.51 lb). Males are all-black with a scarlet throat pouch that is inflated like a balloon in the breeding season. Although the feathers are black, the scapular feathers produce a purple iridescence when they reflect sunlight, in contrast to the male great frigatebird’s green sheen. Females are black, but have a white breast and lower neck sides, a brown band on the wings, and a blue eye-ring that is diagnostic of the female of the species. Immature birds have a white head and under parts. This species feeds mainly on fish, and attacks other seabirds to force them to disgorge their meals. Frigatebirds never land on water, and always take their food items in flight.

The red-footed booby is the smallest of the Galapagos boobies, with a length of 2.5 feet and a 4.5-foot wingspan, and is readily distinguished by its red feet and blue bill with red base. Most adults are brown; however, about five percent are white, which is solely a different color phase and does not represent a new or hybrid species. The red-footed booby is the most numerous of the Galapagos boobies, but is also the least frequently seen. This is because it is found only on the more outlying islands, such as Genovesa, where a sizable colony estimated at 140,000 pairs exists. It feeds far out to sea, avoiding competition with the blue-footed booby, who feeds close inshore, and the Nazca booby, which feeds intermediately.

The nesting behavior of the Red-Footed booby is quite different from the others. It builds rudimentary nests in trees, as opposed to the guano-ringed scrapes on the ground of the other boobies, and lays only one egg. This usually happens when food is plentiful and can occur at any time of the year.

The Nazca booby is the largest of the Galapagos boobies—with a length of 3 feet and a 5 to 6 foot wingspan—and it is found on most of the islands. Males and females look similar, but like the blue-footed booby, their calls differ; the smaller males whistle while the females utter a trumpeting quack. Because they are large birds, they often nest near cliff tops to give themselves an advantage when taking off. Breeding, unlike other boobies, takes place on an annual cycle that varies from island to island.

On Genovesa, the birds arrive in May; courtship, mating and nest building ensue, and eggs are laid from August to November. Most of the young have fledged by February and the colony goes out at sea until May. Despite the location, the Nazca booby always lays two eggs while nesting, but even in a good year with plenty of food, the older sibling ejects the younger from the nest and only one survives.

Immature birds of both species, in addition to having white underparts, also have white heads.

They are the smallest of the Galapagos boobies, with a length of 2.5 feet and a 4.5-foot wingspan, and is readily distinguished by its red feet and blue bill with red base.

As with many Galapagos seabirds, a frigatebird’s courtship display is quite spectacular. It is the females who do the conspicuous searching out and selecting of mates. The hens take to the air above the rookery to look over the males, who cluster in groups. Whenever a female circles low overhead, the males react with a blatant display of wooing. The males have scarlet gular pouches (appropriately shaped like hearts) hanging under their necks, which are inflated to football-sized balloons. It takes about 20 minutes to fully inflate the pouch, and the male normally sits on a tree and displays it skyward in order to attract passing females. In addition, the male vibrates its wings rapidly back and forth and entices the females with loud clicking and drumming sounds.

Geospiza conirostris is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae.  It has a massive beak. The male is black, with white-tipped undertail coverts. Female and immature birds range in color from dull gray to matte black, and frequently show white edges to the feathers of their underpart .  It resembles the smaller and finer-beaked common cactus finch, but the two species do not co-inhabit any island. It is one of Darwin's finches, and is endemic to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador where three subspecies are restricted to: Española, Genovesa, Darwin and Wolf Islands.

The Galapagos mockingbird is a cooperative breeder with territorial groups generally comprising two to five adults but sometimes many more. It is not uncommon for breeders to also help raise nestlings that aren’t their own. The nests are made from twigs and located low down on cacti or higher up on taller vegetation. Instead of flying, they are often seen running along the ground. It has a varied omnivorous diet comprising arthropods, fruit, nectar from cacti and other plants, small vertebrates, sea bird eggs and nestlings, and carrion. They also remove ticks from the bodies of land iguanas.

Zenaida galapagoensis  The Galápagos Dove grows to measure between 18 and 23 centimeters long. An attractive bird, it has dark reddish-brown upperparts, a pinkish neck and breast, a buffy-colored belly, and brown wings, streaked with white and black. The dove’s legs and feet are bright red. The head is particularly striking, with a long, black beak and dark eye, contrasting with the bright blue eye ring. The long downward curved beaks on the Galápagos Dove helps it feed mostly on seeds and fruits from the ground. Very reluctant to fly in the air, it will only do so as a last resort.

Asio flammeus is only found on Genovesa Island  in the Galapagos Islands. It patiently stalks the storm petrel along the island’s eastern cliffs.. It is dark brown in color with light mottled markings, a dark facial disc, yellow eyes, and a black hooked beak.  

Most adults are brown; however, about five percent are white, which is solely a different color phase and does not represent a new or hybrid species. The red-footed booby is the most numerous of the Galapagos boobies, but is also the least frequently seen. This is because it is found only on the more outlying islands, such as Genovesa, where a sizable colony estimated at 140,000 pairs exists.

This is the smallest of the world’s seven fur seal species. There are currently about 40,000 remaining Galapagos Fur Seals. The average life span of a Galapagos Fur Seal is about 22 years. The Galapagos Fur Seal is one species that spends more time on the land than any other. They still spend about 50% of their time in the land and the other half in water. They prefer to lay on the rocks than on the sandy areas. It is believed that these rocks help them to cool down their body temperature while on the land. It isn’t uncommon for them to spend up to six days in the water and then one full day on land.

The males are extremely protective of their land territory though. They won’t leave it until they absolutely have to go in search of food. They tend to consume fish that are very close to the shorelines.