Galapagos Islands, Spanish Islas Galápagos, officially Archipiélago de Colón (“Columbus Archipelago”), island group of the eastern Pacific Ocean, administratively a province of Ecuador. What country do Galápagos Islands belong to? EcuadorMarine Iguana. The Galápagos Islands are a chain of islands, or archipelago, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. They are part of the country of Ecuador, […]

1: Finches of Daphne Major: A drought on the Galápagos island of Daphne Major in 1977 reduced the number of small seeds available to finches, causing many of the small-beaked finches to die. This caused an increase in the finches’ average beak size between 1976 and 1978. What happened to Darwin’s finches? In reality, these […]

Marine iguanas are endemic to the Galapagos Islands and are the only marine lizard species in the world. 2. Marine iguanas can dive more than 65 feet (20 m) underwater. Do Galapagos marine iguanas swim in the sea? They are herbivores and eat marine algae growing along rocky shores and underwater. In the water, they […]

Just about every rocky shoreline in the Galapagos Islands is home to the marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), the only sea-going lizard in the world. What are the big lizards in the Galapagos Islands? The land iguanas more closely resemble their mainland cousins, both in appearance and diet, than the marine iguanas. As iguanas go, they […]

The best time to spot Galapagos whales is usually from June to November. As ocean nomads, whales can migrate to wherever the best feeding grounds are to be found throughout the year, and at Galapagos that means the cold water months. What is the best month to go whale watching? The Whales & Whale Watching. […]

Threats. Penguins are threatened by pollution, bycatch and climate change. Introduced species, such as dogs, carry diseases that can spread to penguins as well, and cats pose a threat as predators. What problems do penguins face? Here are four of the top threats to penguins—and steps we can take to help protect these birds.Like many […]

There were never indigenous people here, only travellers who arrived by mistake. The first recorded visitor was Tomás de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panama, who drifted off course en route to Peru in 1535. Are there human inhabitants on the Galapagos Islands? In total, only three percent (or 300km2) of the Islands have human settlements, […]

The individual Galapagos Islands are all similar to each other. Malthus argued that human populations grow faster than their resources. Lamarck was one of the first scientists to propose that species evolve by natural selection.According to Darwin, natural selection is what occurs, and evolution is how it happens. How is each Galapagos Island different? Darwin […]

Galapagos penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) are a species of penguins found north of the equator. The population of these penguins is found on the Galapagos Islands, inlcuding Isabela Island, Floreana Island, Santiago Island, Bartolome Island, Santa Cruz Island, and Fernandina Island. Where do Galapagos penguins live? Galapagos IslandsWhere to see them: They are found mainly on […]

The islands are known for their famously fearless wildlife and as a source of inspiration for Darwin’s theory of evolution. And that’s just part of the story. Born of fire: The Galápagos Archipelago is one the most volcanically active areas in the world. What is so special about the Galapagos Islands? The Galápagos Islands are […]

Komodo dragons live on several islands in Indonesia, not the Galapagos islands. They live in forests and grasslands near the beach on these islands… What lizards live in the Galapagos Islands? Reptiles Species Islands Best Viewed Class Land Iguana South Plaza, Santa Cruz, North Seymour Endemic Santa Fe Land Iguana Santa Fe Endemic Lava Lizard […]

It grows rapidly and has a massive seed bank. The dense blackberry thickets prevent recruitment of native seedlings and impact native plant communities such as the unique Scalesia forest, along with the native animal species that inhabit them. How do invasive species affect the ecosystem of the Galapagos? These aggressive species invasions cause an ecological […]

Share. The only penguin that lives north of the equator is the Galapagos penguin. This small-bodied species is restricted to the Galapagos Islands, which straddle the equator, if only by a few degrees of latitude. What Galapagos Islands have penguins? Most of the penguins in Galapagos are found on the western islands of Isabela and […]

The tectonic setting of the hotspot is complicated by the Galapagos Triple Junction of the Nazca and Cocos plates with the Pacific Plate. What surrounds the Galapagos Islands? The islands are surrounded by the Galapagos Marine Reserve which was created in 1986 (70,000 km2) and extended to its current area (133,000 km2) in 1998, making […]

Habitat. Galapagos penguins occupy coastal areas and offshore waters where the cold Cromwell Current brings food and other population-sustaining necessities into the vicinity. These birds rest on sandy shores and rocky beaches and nest on areas of sheltered coast. Do Galapagos penguins live in water? It is the only penguin found north of the equator. […]