The Galapagos Islands have many species of marine life that exist only within this beautiful archipelago. The location of the Galapagos Archipelago in the equatorial Pacific has brought plants and animals from various habitats, resulting in the development of endemic marine species of the Galapagos Islands. These ocean currents have resulted in a wildlife mix where approximately 20 percent of the marine life is unique to this location. Let’s take a look at just five of these species.
Marine Iguana
The Galapagos marine iguana, a reptile, is one of the endemic marine species of the Galapagos Islands. It is the world’s only iguana that lives and hunts for food in the ocean. It lives on most of the islands and can be seen on the pebbly shores, in the marshes, and on the beaches of mangroves where it lies in the sun to restore its energy.
Flightless Cormorant
The flightless cormorant is the only cormorant that is unable to fly. It has grown larger over time and is vulnerable to hunting animals including cats, dogs, pigs, and rats. It has become an endangered species as just 1,600 exist in the world.
Waved Albatross
The waved albatross breeds on Espanola Ialand. They arrive at the colonies during the later part of March and lay eggs for several months. The pairs mate for their entire lifetime, traveling to Peru during the non-breeding season.
Galapagos Penguin
The Galapagos penguin is endemic to the Galapagos archipelago. The distinctive quality of this penguin is that it is the sole penguin to inhabit an area north of the Equator. The combination of the cold waters from the ocean depths carried up by the Cromwell current and cool temperatures from the Humboldt Current permit this species to flourish in these hot surroundings.
Galapagos Fur Seal
Various marine mammals dwell in the Galapagos island waters, but the one that is endemic is the Galapagos fur seal. The fur seals are not actual seals, but are closely linked to sea lions. Galapagos fur seals are smaller than sea lions, but have a larger head and more pointed snout. They also have a denser coat with more fur than that of sea lions.
