Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos ecosystem’s indigenous animals include the Land and Marine Iguana, Blue Footed Booby, Frigate bird, Sea Lion, Galapagos Penguin, Striated Heron, and of course, most notably, the Galapagos Giant Tortoise. Through evolution, these animals have conserved time and energy not worrying about any predators. This, in effect, has given these animals their fearlessness and tame character. Galapagos Conservationists has preserved this diversity through regulating human inhabitants and tourists in the Galapagos Islands, with only 3% of the land colonized by man. Furthermore, each island’s unique geology help with the animals’ evolution on their respective islands.

Cliffside of Seymour Island.

Female frigatebird. Frigatebirds can fly for up to a month non-stop, sometimes even two. Known to intentionally use the updraft of cumulus clouds to stay high above the ocean. They feed by scooping up fish on the surface of the ocean during a feeding frenzy.

Young female frigates waiting for their parents to drop food.

Female frigate swoops down towards flirting male.

Male frigates puff their red sack to attract females.

Male frigate protecting hatchling.

Blue Footed Booby.

Land Iguana.

Winds blow from the South of Santa Cruz island and roll up the mountain top of the island like a ramp. The further downhill you go, the less readily the rain reaches lower the altitudes and thus produces less vegetation near the shore. The Galapagos Islands are unique in that there are winds coming in from the north, from Panama, the south, from Chile and Peru, and the east, from the Pacific. This trifecta converges on the Galapagos, created a climate like no other in the world.