Animals spotted on the Islands:
| Blue-Footed Boobie | Sula nebouxi |
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This specimen was photographed in Puerto Ayora on the Island of Santa Cruz, while he was hanging around the fishermen cleaning their catch. These birds like to fish close to the shore and nest in rocks near the shore. They got their common name from the Spaniards who considered them silly looking and stupid calling them "bobos". |
| Brown Pelican and Blue Footed Boobie | Pelicanus occidentalis |
| These specimens were on Seymour Island. Pelicans dive from the air for their fish food. An adult will eat about 4 pounds a day. Their bills are as long or longer than their heads. They scoop up the fish and then let the water drip out of their bills before swallowing. They have a totipalmate foot which is one in which all four toes are united by a web of skin |  |
| Frigate Bird | Fregata magnificens |
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This Frigate was photographed while following our boat to Bartolomew Island. The male frigate bird has an inflatable red balloon under his neck which he blows up to attract females. |
| Frigate young in nest | |
| Seymour Island is a nesting place for hundreds of birds. The young baby frigates perch on nests in the hot sun and await the return of their mothers. Some nests were guarded by the male bird who helped shade the babies who are all white when hatched. Some nests, unfortunately, contained dead birds who had not survived the heat. |  |
| Land Iguana | Conolophus subcristus |
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This specimen was photographed on Santa Cruz Island, near the Darwin Research Station. The lizards live in land burrows. The land iguana is mostly vegetarian; it eats a lot of cactus fruits. It is listed as a threatened species by the World Conservation Union. |
| Marine Iguana | Amblyrhynchus cristatus |
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Marine iguanas were spotted almost anywhere there was rocks and water. The marine iguana in contrast to the land iguana is usually very dark, brownish black. Males may have some brighter colors. |
| Here is a marine iguana swimming in the surf in Tortuga Bay |  |
| Sally Light Foot Crabs | Percnon gibbesi |
 | Sally light foot crabs were on every pile of rocks we saw, whether it was close to town or out on the more remote islands. |
| Lava Lizard | Tropidurus delanonis |
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Lava lizards are tiny creatures compared to the iguanas. They hang out on land in all the crevices of the lava rocks. The females have the orange coloring not the males. This was taken on the path leading up to the Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz Island. |
| Sea Lion | Zalophus californianus |
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The specimen was on the beach on Bartolomew Island, near Pinnacle Rock. The animals found on the Islands are a subspecies of Zalophus californianus.They are capable of diving to depths of near 750 feet and can reach speeds of 15 to 20 miles per hour while swimming. |
| The sea lions were very tolerant of humans and this one was even a little curious as he waddled up to our group to look us over. |  |
| Pink Flamingos | Phoenicopterus ruber ruber |
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These flamingos are the brightest colored and largest of all flamingoes. The red color comes from the carotenid pigments in food they eat, which is largely algae and mollusks. Flamingoes like to live around shallow, saltwater lagoons. They have webbed feet which is good for wadding. |
| Penguin | Spheniscus mendiculus |
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This lone specimen was photographed on Bartolomew Island. Most of the penguins inhabit Ferinandina and Isabella Islands. These penguins are the northern most of all penguins. They are also the smallest of their type, averaging around 20 inches in height and 5 lb. in weight. Their diet is small fish. They breed in the crevices of the lava rock. Usually only one egg is hatched. Both parents tend the egg and care for the baby penguin. They are classified as endangered, with perhaps 2000 breeding pairs in existence. Their population seems to be greatly influenced by El Niño. |
| Giant Tortoise | Geochelone Elephantopes |
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Tortoises enoying themselves in the water at the reserve. These giant tortoises can be around 3 feet in length and weigh up to 440 pounds. They can live to around 100 years. There are 13 subspecies, with Lonesome George, being the last of his kind. Researchers at the Darwin Station have tried to tempt him with several females of different types, but so far he has expressed no interest, unlike the male in this clip Tortoises Mating (big file, may take a while to come up) |
| In order to appreciate the size of these creatures you need to have a human in the photo to give some perspective. So there I am, marvelling at his size. |  |