The must-see wildlife of the Galapagos Islands

Famously, these little birds helped Darwin develop his theory of evolution, as each has adapted to its different island environment with different sized and shaped beaks. You’ll find the various subspecies across the Galapagos, including the unexpectedly named vampire finch, various cactus finches, the smallest warbler finches and the largest vegetarian finch. One of the highlights to look out for is spotting the finches riding on giant tortoises, where they pick ticks from folds of skin.

Galapagos giant tortoise

One of the best-known species on the islands, they’re responsible for the archipelago’s name – galapago means tortoise in old Spanish. There are still thought to be 12 living species scattered across 10 islands (the last Pinta island tortoise, Lonesome George, died in 2012) but the Santa Cruz highlands and Alcedo Volcano on Isabela are among the best places to spot them. They can live for over 100 years, longer in captivity, so it’s possible that you’ll spot the direct offspring of hatchlings seen by Darwin himself.

Blue footed boobies

Their bright blue feet and ungainly walk on land earned them their name, which comes from the Spanish ‘bobo’, meaning fool or clown, along with a fearlessness of humans which allowed them to be caught easily. Easily spotted, thanks to those colourful feet, they’re a sight to behold in the air, with large groups hunting small fish together before diving into the water to catch their prey.

The birds plummet from as much as 20m up, hitting the water at up to 60mph, with special air sacs in their skulls to protect their brains from the impact. The biggest population is in North Seymour, but you’ll also find them on islands including Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Isabela, Pinzon, and Santa Cruz. The best time to spot them on land is from June to August.

Sally Lightfoot crab

These brightly coloured crabs are rumoured to have been named after a dancer, thanks to their own ability to jump between rocks and run in four different directions. With vibrant blues and reds on their shell and a paler belly once they grow to adult size, these eye-catching crustaceans play a vital role as scavengers, cleaning ticks off marine iguanas and feeding on all manner of other creatures and organic leftovers on the sea shore. You’ll find them in large groups all around the islands, usually on beaches or in shallow water.

Galapagos sea lions

These inquisitive creatures live around the coastlines of all the Galapagos Islands, where they’ll often be found resting or playing on the beaches. But you may also spy these sleek predators slicing through the water in search of prey, mainly sardines.

Galapagos seal lions can dive to depths of around 600m, staying underwater for 10 minutes or more at a time. The males are significantly larger than females, and have a noticeable bump on their foreheads, plus slightly darker shades of brown or grey fur than females. Pups are easily spotted thanks to their chestnut brown fur.

Galapagos penguins

The second smallest penguin in the world, it’s the only penguin species found north of the equator, with the vast majority living on Isabela and Fernandina islands, although some are also to be found on Floreana, Santiago and Bartolome. Living in caves in the coast, they feed on the schools of sardines, anchovies and mullet swimming in the cooler Humboldt current off the islands. With climate change affecting the population here, there are only around 1,500-2,000 penguins in the islands, making them one of the rarest penguin species in the world too.

Flamingos

One of six species of flamingo across the world, the American flamingos found in the Galapagos tend to be smaller than those living in the Caribbean, but otherwise have the same eye-catching pink plumage, as well as black-tipped wings. With only a small population in the islands, they can be trickier to spot; the best time is during the nesting period from March to July when they flock to some of the lagoons close to beaches. Floreana and Isabela are the top two islands for flamingo spotting, although you may also see them on Santa Cruz and Santiago.

Marine iguanas

The only lizard in the world which can live underwater, marine iguanas are another of the best-known highlights of the Galapagos islands, not least for their energetic salty sneezes – an evolutionary tactic to reduce the amount of salt from their diets in their systems.

There are 11 separate sub-species, although they’re generally similar to look at except for during the mating season from January to March, when the males change colour from their usual black; becoming anything from bright green and red, to red and black, or a deeper red and dark green. Living mostly on Isabela, Fernandina, Española, Floreana and Santa Cruz, you can also see battles between males during these months, but otherwise, expect to spot them basking together on sunny rocks before swimming out to find food.

Land iguana

You’ll find three species of land iguana in the Galapagos, including the rare Galapagos pink land iguana, the Santa Fe land iguana, and the large yellow Galapagos land iguana, the biggest of the three species. The latter can often be spotted feeding on prickly pear leaves and fruit; despite its sharp claws and somewhat aggressive appearance, they’re primarily herbivores, and you may spot finches sitting comfortably on their backs to eat ticks from between their scales.

The Santa Fe land iguana can only be found on the island of Santa Fe, as you might expect, while the Galapagos pink land iguana is so endangered, it’s confined to a small area on the slopes of Wolf Volcano in the north of Isabela. The Galapagos land iguana lives across Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, South Plaza, Baltra, Santiago and North Seymour islands.

Sea turtle

The only species of sea turtle to nest in the archipelago, the Galapagos green turtle is also one of the largest, growing up to around 1.5m in length, and weighing as much as 410lbs. While you can spot them swimming at speeds of up to 35mph through the waters around the islands throughout the year, the months from December to March are when pregnant females lay their eggs, so they can often be spotted near the shores as they wait for darkness to create their nest.

Brown pelicans

The smallest of all pelican species, the brown pelican can still grow up to 1.5m in size with a wingspan of as much as 2.28m, and you can spot them gliding over the waves before diving into the sea for food. Making their nests in mangrove lagoons, the birds are a common sight across all the islands, including around the fisherman’s dock on Santa Cruz.

The birds can breed year-round and their plumage changes colour as they do, with bright golden yellow feathers on their heads and a darker reddish-brown on their necks.

More than 200,000 travellers visit the Galapagos Islands every year, with the number growing, so it’s more important than ever to follow the rules protecting the national park and its unique animal inhabitants.

Stick to designated paths – always pay attention to signs and only explore with guides, to avoid disturbing the animals and their nests.

Keep your distance – follow the two-metre rule, and stay at least six feet from the wildlife. They may try to approach you, but never touch or feed the animals, as any contact can be harmful to their health.

Photograph with care – leave selfie sticks behind, as stretching these close to the animals can still agitate them, even if you are 2m away. It’s best to avoid using tablets to take photos, as these can obscure your vision too. Phones and cameras are fine but always make sure the flash is off.

Take nothing with you – while there might seem no harm in picking up a shell or piece of lava rock, it can have a significant impact on the environment, especially if every visitor did likewise. Avoid buying souvenirs containing anything made with local animal, plant or rock species, such as coral and shell, too; it’s illegal.

Leave nothing behind – even the smallest fragment of rubbish can affect the islands’ wildlife and the ecosystem. Fines for deliberate littering are (unsurprisingly) high, but ensure you hang on to snack wrappers and bring a reusable water bottle rather than disposable plastic ones. You’ll also find that you can’t bring food into some areas, or that there are restrictions on any seeds, fruits and vegetables if you are planning to pack snacks.

No smoking – smoking is not allowed anywhere within the Galapagos National Park.

Choose your insect repellent wisely – spray repellents aren’t allowed in the Galapagos, although cream and solid repellents are fine. Natural repellents and eco-friendly versions are best where possible.

Discover the wonderful wildlife of the Galapagos Islands for yourself on one of our escorted tours to Ecuador, or explore our range of wildlife holidays