Animals of the Galapagos

Wildlife enthusiasts should make the Galapagos a bucket list destination, purely due to the many species exclusive to the islands. That’s about 80 percent of the land birds, 97 percent of the reptiles and land mammals and 20 percent of the marine life. If you’re planning a visit to the Galapagos, keep an eye out for these unique animals.

A photo posted by Quinn Miller-Bedell (@quinnmb) on Dec 11, 2015 at 9:05am PST

Sea Lions

Galapagos sea lions are known to be friendly, spending 70 percent of their time on the beach or close to shore — you can even snorkel with them.

A photo posted by Galapagos Conservancy (@galapagosconservancy) on Dec 24, 2015 at 8:23am PST

Locust

The local species are called large painted locusts, named for their eight-centimeter-long bodies and the bright yellow stripes on their exoskeletons.

A photo posted by Anne Marie and Rasmus (@twodanesontour) on Oct 13, 2016 at 10:59am PDT

Penguins

Galapagos penguins are the only penguins found on and above the equator. They can be found on many of the islands, but the population has dwindled down to only 2,000, making them endangered.

A photo posted by danbyrne. (@danbyrne__) on Aug 18, 2016 at 11:37am PDT

Tortoise

These majestic creatures regularly surpass 100 years in age. They were also instrumental in Darwin’s theory of natural selection, with the different populations on each island having a unique size and shape of shell.

A photo posted by Dreda Darling (@dreda238) on Sep 16, 2015 at 12:09pm PDT

Boobies

Funny name aside, Galapagos boobies come in three varieties: red-footed, blue-footed and Nazca. Blue-footed boobies are the most commonly spotted on the shore.

A photo posted by Soph Marsh (@soph.marsh.20) on Jul 20, 2016 at 12:18pm PDT

Iguana

Darwin wasn’t a fan of iguanas, saying the land species “have a singularly stupid appearance,” and calling their marine cousins “clumsy lizards … imps of darkness.”

A photo posted by @ianspencerphotography on Oct 15, 2016 at 10:43pm PDT

Finches

Like tortoises, the 15 species of Darwin’s finches inspired the scientist’s theory of evolution.