by Chris Pine

Created on: March 20, 2010

The Galapagos Islands are largely famous because of the observations Charles Darwin made there in the 19th century. These observations helped him to formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection. It was a great place to make such observations because the variety of wildlife there is astonishing. Here are some of the animals you might expect to see if you ever visit the Galapagos Islands.

 1. Galapagos Tortoises

These creatures look like they came directly out of the dinosaur age. There are 14 distinct subspecies of the Galapagos tortoise, mainly differentiated by their neck length and shell shape. Unfortunately, 3 of them have recently become extinct.

2. Pacific Green Sea Turtle

This is the only species of sea turtle that calls the Galapagos Islands its home. During the first half of the year, they waddle onto the beach to lay their eggs. If you volunteer at the Charles Darwin Research Station, you can help track and mark all the eggs that are laid. You can also go snorkeling to see them gliding gracefully through the water.

3. Lizards

The Galapagos is home to a few very different types of lizards. One of them lives in the ocean, which is the only type of lizard in the world to spend its whole life in the sea. The other type lives on land and can eat cactus plants without even removing the spines.  Also on land are the Lava lizards, which are brilliantly colored orange and red.

4. Cormorant

These birds are found all over the world, but the Galapagos cormorant is the only one with the inability to fly! Instead, it has been adapted to be a highly efficient swimmer, and it can dive deeply into the water to catch fish.

5. Penguins

Perhaps you thought penguins are mostly found in cold areas. Usually that’s true, but this is the Galapagos. This is the only penguin found in an equatorial region, and it is the northernmost penguin species in the world.

6. Boobies

There are a wide variety of boobies on the Galapagos, including red-footed, blue-footed, and masked boobies. You can watch them dive more than 25 feet underwater just to catch a fish.

7. Frigatebird

This is the scavenger of the Galapagos. Instead of catching food for himself, he watches the other birds catch a fish and then tries to steal it from them.

8. Finches

It would be a shame to visit the Galapagos and miss out on the world famous finches. There are 13 distinct species which, as Charles Darwin extensively documented, can be distinguished by their beak size.

9. Mammals

You can also see many furry friends on the Galapagos. There are bats, sea lions, seals, and even rats.

10. Underwater

Besides the island itself, there is a whole world to discover under the water. There are dolphins, sharks, eels, octopi, coral, and a myriad of tropical fish.

It’s tough to find a better place on earth than the Galapagos if you have any interest in biology and wildlife. With the most colorful representatives from every animal kingdom, the Galapagos is a one of a kind place.

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