3K Shares In a rugged archipelago situated 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, there are more than 200 recorded species of Galapagos Islands animals. From a historical perspective, the islands’ remote location and harsh volcanic terrain played a huge role in their current status as a world-renowned nature sanctuary. The islands were a favorite spot among pirates (who pillaged the Galapagos tortoise population for meat) and whalers (who plundered its waters for their ample bounty) in the 17 th and 18 th centuries. But all efforts to colonize the area ended badly, and by the late 1800s the were widely considered cursed.
Most of the 13 major and 7 smaller islands remain uninhabited today, with over 97% of the archipelago preserved as a national park. As a result of these conservation efforts, the Galapagos Islands remains one of the world’s most pristine and unspoiled, with a remarkable array of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and bird species to be seen. Here are some of our favorite Galapagos wildlife we saw during our trip with International Expeditions. They include animals only found in the Galapagos Islands such as the Flightless Cormorant, Galapagos Flamingo, Galapagos Penguins, Darwin’s Finches, Marine Iguanas, and more. Perhaps this is due to over-fishing and poaching for their fins, which– when combined with their slow reproductive rate– has landed the species on the IUCN’s Near Threatened list. READ MORE: Red-Lipped Galapagos Batfish, photographed by Rein Ketelaars via Creative Commons Galapagos Batfish Also known as the Red-Lipped Batfish, this freaky-faced fish can be found only in the Galapagos Islands, usually at depths of anywhere from 10 to 250 feet.
In addition to its red lips, the fish (a terrible swimmer) is distinguished by its ability to “walk” on the ocean floor using its pectoral fins. Once they reach maturity, their dorsal fin evolves into a single spine-like projection that they primarily use to lure prey, including crustaceans and other small fish. The illicium on its head is used for the same purpose. READ MORE: Sally Lightfoot Crab One of the most common crabs found along the western coast of the Americas, this “Red Rock Crab” is more commonly known as the Sally Lightfoot Crab. They’re a constant presence on the rocky volcanic shores of the Galapagos, skittering amongst the Sea Lions and Marine Iguanas to feed on algae. They also eat feed on dead animals: These two were apparently fighting over what looked like an Octopus tentacle on the rocks of Fernandina Island.
–by Bret Love; photos by Allie Love, Bret Love & Mary Gabbett unless otherwise noted READ MORE. Our Galapagos Islands trip was sponsored.
But our opinions always remain our own, and we will never compromise our obligation of integrity to our readers. The co-founder of Green Global Travel and, Bret Love is a journalist/editor with 21 years of experience. He’s been published in over 100 publications, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, National Geographic, Rolling Stone and Yahoo Travel.
In March 2017 two reknowed travel vloggers, Kara and Nate, travelled to the Galapagos Islands aboard the Natural Paradise as part of their goal of visiting 100. The Galapagos Islands consist of 18 islands and 107 rocks and islets; this protected wildlife. This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser.
He’s an in-demand speaker at travel conferences, covering topics ranging from branding and content marketing to responsible travel and how DMOs can work with bloggers. He’s also made a name for himself as a content and influencer marketing strategist, advising companies such as International Expeditions and Zegrahm Expeditions. Green Global Travel is an ecotourism, nature/wildlife conservation & cultural preservation website focused on encouraging people to travel more adventurously, consciously and sustainably. Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), the site has been named Best Specialist Travel Blog by TBU and was highlighted among the best travel writing on the web by National Geographic's Intelligent Travel. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast.
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