Top 15 Animals to See in Galapagos Islands

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The Galapagos Islands are a wildlife lover’s paradise. This stunning archipelago has one of the highest percentages of endemic species on the planet. This means you’ll find many species in the Galapagos Islands that aren’t found anywhere else in the world.

Here are the top wildlife species you can see during your Galapagos Islands vacation.

Galapagos Giant Tortoises

The giant tortoise is an iconic symbol of the Galapagos Islands. Giant tortoises are the largest tortoise species in the world, and they can live to be more than 100 years old. These enormous creatures live in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Visit the highlands to see tortoises in the wild and the nursery at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Blue-Footed Boobies

The blue-footed boobies are one of the most famous animals of the Galapagos Islands due to their funny name and comical appearance. Their uniquely colored feet play an essential part in their entertaining mating ritual. The males with more intense hues of blue attract more females. During courtship, male blue-footed boobies gift a small stick or stone and lift their colorful feet up and down in a strutting display for the female.

You will usually see large populations of blue-footed boobies in North Seymour Island, Española, Floreana, Isabela, Pinzon, and Santa Cruz.

Galapagos Sea Lions

With over 20,000 of them in the island chain, the sea lion is one of the first animals you are likely to encounter during your Galapagos Islands vacation. The Galapagos sea lions adapted over time to the islands’ warmer environment. They are often seen lounging on rocks, socializing on land with other sea lions, and playing with snorkelers in the water.

You might even spot adorable baby sea lions in the wild. These pups are usually seen under the care of their mothers or learning how to swim in shallower areas.

Frigate Birds

There are five species of frigate birds in the world. Two of them are in the Galapagos: the Magnificent Frigate Bird and the Great Frigate Bird. They have large black wings and hooked beaks. You will easily spot male frigate birds by their bright red throat pouches. The brighter their pouch, the more attractive they are to females. If you’re visiting the Galapagos Islands during their mating season, you’ll see the male species courting for female attention by inflating their chests.

Sally Lightfoot Crabs

The brightly colored exterior of Sally Lightfoot Crabs makes them easy to spot from afar. You will typically find them on the rocky coast of the islands. Sally Lightfoot Crabs play an important role in the Galapagos ecosystem by eating debris on the shore and ticks found on marine iguanas.

Darwin’s Finches

There are 13 different species of this small land bird named after biologist Charles Darwin. While all species of Darwin’s finches are around the same size and color, they vary by diet and beak size. Since these Galapagos birds developed different beak sizes and shapes in order to adapt to different environments and food sources, they were subjects of Darwin’s evolutionary theories. For example, the woodpecker finch uses cacti spine and twigs to hunt for prey, while the vampire ground finch feeds mainly on the blood of seabirds.

Green Sea Turtles

Snorkeling is one of the best activities in the Galapagos Islands, where you are likely to spot a few green sea turtles. You will frequently see these beautiful creatures gliding gracefully through the calm waters. They can remain underwater for up to five hours and swim up to 35 miles an hour.

The green sea turtle is the only sea turtle species that nest on the islands. You can visit the turtle nesting grounds of Tortuga Bay on Santa Cruz Island.

Waved Albatross

The mating ritual of the waved albatross is one of the most incredible sights in the Galapagos Islands. They meet up with their lifetime partners on Española Island, which is the only breeding site for the waved albatross in the world. These monogamous birds begin a courting dance, where they will bow to each other, open their bills, honk, and even clack their bills.

After mating, the female lays one egg then both the male and female albatross take turns incubating their offspring until it hatches. If you’re lucky, you might see a baby waved albatross trying to fly for the first time.

Galapagos Penguin

Galapagos penguins are unique because they are the only penguin species found north of the equator. You typically find these small animals in the colder areas of the Galapagos, mainly on Fernandina Island and Isabela Island, and they tend to live in crevices or caves. Be on the lookout while snorkeling as they bop up beside you.

Marine Iguanas

As one of the endemic species of the Galapagos, marine iguanas are the only iguanas on earth capable of living at sea. You will spot them sunbathing on the rocks. Marine iguanas feed on algae and seaweed that grow near the shore. You will see them sneezing out salt water.

Young marine iguanas are typically black, while the adult marine iguanas are combinations of black, green, red, and gray. The largest marine iguanas live on Fernandina and Isabela Islands. The most colorful ones, nicknamed Christmas iguanas, are found on Española and Floreana Islands.  

Flightless Cormorants

As the name suggests, the flightless cormorant is the only species of cormorants in the world that cannot fly. This endemic species to the Galapagos lost its ability to fly after adapting to the islands’ ample food supply and lack of competition. As a result, today’s species evolved having mutated wings that are much smaller than the wingspan size they would need to fly.

Lava Lizards

While visiting the Galapagos Islands, you will likely see lava lizards sunbathing on top of the lava rocks. They are the most abundant reptile species on the islands. They have the unique ability to self-amputate their tails if they get caught by a predator.

Galapagos Hawks

The Galapagos hawk is the only bird of prey found on these islands. It is a rare raptor species that is endemic to the Galapagos. They are aggressive predators who feed primarily on invertebrates but will also hunt rodents, reptiles, turtle hatchlings, and small birds.

Galapagos Sharks

The Galapagos shark resembles the reef shark. But they differ in their inner skeletons, as the Galapagos sharks have significantly fewer vertebrae. These underwater predators feed on bottom-dwelling fish, octopus, and squid. Galapagos sharks hang out in reefs and shallow waters. While they are found throughout the Galapagos, they congregate mostly around Wolf and Darwin islands.

Galapagos Mockingbirds

The Galapagos mockingbird is another species that played a role in Charles Darwin’s evolutionary studies. Darwin noticed that the Galapagos mockingbirds from different islands varied in size, distinctive markings, and beak shape. This discovery led Darwin to his theory of natural selection and how animals adapt to thrive within their environment.

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