To be honest, apart from their enormous significance in the history of science, the little drab-coloured birds aren't very exciting. I must admit I didn't pay much attention to them during the trip, except for some of the more remarkable: Large Ground Finch with its oversized, seed-cracking bill, and Sharp-beaked Ground Finch, which feeds on parasites found on birds and reptiles, and also their blood.

A similar example of isolated evolution is provided by the four species of Mockingbird found in the archipelago. They would be difficult to tell apart if it weren't for the fact that they all inhabit different islands, and don't overlap.
Galápagos Mockingbird is the most widespread, occurring on 11 islands. The other three are much more restricted: Hood Mockingbird lives only on Española, Charles Mockingbird is restricted to the small islet of Charles, and Chatham Mockingbird to the island of San Cristóbal. To Birdseeker's (and our guides') credit, our group saw all four species very well, although I skipped the last one in order to stay in Santa Cruz and spend more time seeing wild tortoises (see below).

Both Galápagos and, especially, Hood Mockingbirds provide a classic example of fearlessness in the face of humans, to the point of blatant impertinence. They are particularly attracted to bottles of fresh water, so scarce in their habitat.

Galápagos Sea Lion(Zalophuws californianus wollebacki) is a subspecies of the widespread California Sea Lion, and the largest animal seen in the islands. They are literally everywhere, from beaches and landing docks to boats and coffee shops. As with many other animals, they are totally fearless of people. However, large males can become aggressive during the mating season, and on a couple of occasions I was chased by an overzealous bull guarding "his" beach.
Despite their bulk (up to 250 kg), they can be surprisingly fast on land, and best left alone when there are females around.

Sea Lion pups

However, if after my visit I had to choose a creature that symbolizes the islands, it would be the Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). They are practically everywhere in coastal areas, and although all belong to the same species their appearance varies a lot from island to island, giving place to different subspecies.

The first ones we saw were in Isla Santa Cruz, where they are rather small and slim in build, and almost solid black in colour. It was on the white sands of Tortuga Negra Beach, lying on my stomach and placing my camera's lens three inches from an iguana's face, when I fully realised the truth in the fame of the Galápagos as a place where animals aren't afraid of humans.

Depending on water temperature and food availability, marine iguanas can grow much larger. The biggest ones we saw (around 1,30 m.) were in Isla Isabela, particularly around Playa Negra, a black sand beach where we landed to search for the rare and localized Mangrove Finch; it was hard to believe that these bulky, long-crested beasts belonged to the same species as the slim, black ones in Santa Cruz. Some of the males were truly imposing, and relatively colourful. They were, however, more cautious and less easy to approach, probably due to less exposure to tourists.


Amblyrinchus cristatus cristatus, Punta Espinosa, Isla Fernandina

We saw the largest concentration of marine iguanas in Punta Espinosa, a mangrove-dominated coastal area in Isla Fernandina. On the lava rocks by the sea there were hundreds of iguanas, together with Sea Lions, Flightless Cormorants - looking very much like the victims of an oil spill - Galápagos Penguins, American Oystercatcher, Lava Heron and the ubiquitous Sally Lightfoot Crabs, in which must be one of the most spectacular gatherings of fauna in the archipelago. The iguanas here are mostly blackish in colour, although some of the biggest specimens show various shades of green and reddish.

The most spectacular examples of Marine Iguana are found in Isla Española, with intense red-coloured flanks that become even more striking in the breeding season. Apparently this bright coloration has to do with the kind of algae growing in the waters around this island.

Wild Land Iguanas, Isla Isabela

Young Marine Iguanas are vulnerable to a number of predators, especially Galápagos Hawk. They tend to seek safety by concentrating in areas with human presence like ports and beach villages, where predators are scarce. Especially large were the numbers around Puerto Villamil, Isabela.

Land Iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus) are much less numerous and only likely to be seen in a few places in the islands of Isabela, Seymour, and Santa Cruz. We landed in Urbina Bay, Isabela, together with a host of tourists, and had to wait in line as group after group marched through a narrow trail through spiny bushes that made visibility difficult. This is the one place where we experienced the tourist jam I had so anticipated: the area was so small that it was inevitable. However, we managed to see four strikingly yellow iguanas sunning themselves, always at a certain distance. They didn't seem as oblivious and confiding as their marine relatives.

Captive Land Iguana, CDRS