The Galapagos Islands

History

The Galapagos archipelago has been described as one of the most unique, scientifically important, and biologically outstanding areas on earth (UNESCO 2001). Many travelers describe their time in the islands as a life-changing experience. This section of our website will introduce many aspects of life in Galapagos, from a bit about its history, to the people who live there, to the unique animals you’ll find across the islands.

When the Charles Darwin Foundation was created in 1959, the human population in Galapagos was minimal. Tourism was essentially non-existent; fishing was at subsistence levels only; the agricultural community was small; and the Research Station was being built, board by board, by young scientists and local residents.

Fifty years later, that landscape has changed dramatically and, to continue our work to preserve the archipelago, Galapagos Conservancy has changed, too.

We remain committed to the biological research that is still needed in Galapagos and which has been at the core of the work of the Charles Darwin Foundation, our primary partner, for the last five decades. But today, Galapagos Conservancy supports a much broader research agenda, designed to ensure that decision makers have the insight, data, and context in which to make critical public policy decisions, as well as a wide range of sophisticated conservation and management programs on the ground.

Geology

Galapagos is located on the Nazca tectonic plate. This perpetually moving plate is heading eastward over the Galapagos hot spot and has formed the chain of islands. The islands were formed through the layering and lifting of repeated volcanic action. This geographic movement is correlated to the age of the islands, as the eastern islands (San Cristóbal and Española) are millions of years older than the western islands (Isabela and Fernandina).

Most of the islands have a distinctive conical shape that is often associated with volcanic action. The mountainous islands have been formed through continuing eruption, building layer upon layer. Due to this volcanic formation, the islands are characterized by many steep slopes, with heights ranging from a few meters above sea level to more than 5000 feet above sea level.

Each major island, with the exception of the largest island, Isabela, consists of a single large volcano. Isabela was formed when six volcanoes joined above sea level. Geologically, the Galapagos Islands are quite young, probably no more than five million years old. Some of the westernmost islands, which are the most volcanically active, may only be hundreds of thousands of years old and are still being formed today.

Species Arrival

Why the Galapagos Islands are Unique

Evolutionary Biologists are fascinated by island ecosystems and the clarity with which the species that inhabit them illustrate evolutionary processes. For this reason, as well as a world-changing historic visit from a man named Charles Darwin, the Galapagos Islands are quite arguably the most studied archipelago in the world.

The Galapagos Islands also have a unique set of environmental conditions that set them apart from all other island groups in the world. Their sunny equatorial position on the globe combined with their location amid the cool Humboldt and Cromwell ocean currents allows these special islands to display a strange mix of both tropical and temperate environments, which is reflected in the complex and unusual plants and animals that inhabit them.

Species Arrival

Five to ten million years ago, the tops of underwater Galapagos volcanoes appeared above water for the first time about 600 km from mainland Ecuador in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Those volcanic peaks were completely devoid of plant and animal life. All plants and animals that are now native to the islands must have arrived to the islands originally through some form of long-distance dispersal.

When considering the diversity of species that do inhabit the Galapagos Islands, it is important to note how “unbalanced,” in comparison to continental species diversity, the variety of Galapagos species are. For instance, there are many native reptile species, but no amphibians; there is an abundance of land and sea bird species, but very few mammals. When considering plants, those with large flowers and big seeds are absent while grasses and ferns abound.

There are two main ways for species to make their way to remote islands (aside from any methods involving humans). The first method is by air in the form of flying or being blown by wind, and the second method is by sea while swimming or floating, sometimes with the aid of rafts of tangled vegetation.

By Sea

It is likely that the ancestors of present-day Galapagos animals that are good swimmers (sea lions, sea turtles, penguins) actually swam their way to the islands with the help of some swift ocean currents. On the other hand, it is believed that many of the reptiles and small mammals (rice rats) were carried to the islands from the South or Central American mainland on rafts of vegetation. The vast majority of such rafts would have sunk well before they ever reached Galapagos, but it would have only taken a handful of successful rafts to wash ashore to explain the present reptile diversity in Galapagos. This “raft” theory of arrival also explains why there are no native amphibians, few mammals, and many reptiles in the Galapagos Islands – reptiles are the best adapted to deal with the harsh salty and sunny conditions of weeks at sea. Coastal plants, such as the mangroves and saltbushes of Galapagos, have seeds that are salt tolerant, and those seeds are, therefore, likely to have arrived by sea as well.

By Air

Wind is thought to have played a major role in transporting spores of the lower-form plants, such as ferns, mosses, and lichens, to the Galapagos Islands. Vascular plants with heavier seeds are quite scarce in Galapagos because those seeds would have had a more difficult time traveling by wind — with the exception of those plants with plumed seeds designed exactly for wind transport. This explains why members of the dandelion family (Compositae) are found throughout Galapagos.

Many small insects, and even tiny snails, could have easily been blown by the breeze. The weaker-flying land birds and bats (2 species) likely arrived with the help of the wind. However, land bird species in Galapagos represent only a tiny fraction of those living on the mainland, and this is because it would have been a very difficult journey for the few who did make it.

Sea birds, generally excellent fliers over long distances, simply flew their way to the islands. Birds likely brought with them hitch-hiking plant seeds or propagules that were attached to their feathers or feet, or even in their guts.

Making Roots

The mere arrival of an organism to the Galapagos Islands is just one piece of the early survival puzzle. Organisms also had to be able to establish themselves once there, and, most importantly, to go on to reproduce. Scientists can only guess that many plant seeds accidentally made their way to Galapagos, were deposited in an unfavorable area, and perished soon after arrival. Not surprisingly, those plant species that were most successful at colonizing the Galapagos Islands were those of the “weedy” variety with wide tolerances for varying environmental conditions.

One more problem facing new plant colonizers to the Galapagos Islands was pollination – many plants rely on insects or animals for pollination, and the chance of both a plant and its pollinator arriving to the islands together was unlikely. This can explain why there are so few showy flowering plants, which mostly require animal pollinators, but there are many wind-pollinated plants in the islands.

Quite simply, because animals are mobile, they have always had an advantage over plants in that they could move to more favorable areas on the islands, if such areas existed for them.

Arrival to the Islands Today

In the last few centuries, humans have taken the place of birds as the primary source of new introductions of plants and animals to the Galapagos Islands. Unfortunately, many of the human introductions have been detrimental to previously established native or endemic wildlife – for example, harmful species such as fire ants, goats, and blackberry have all caused great harm to one or more of Galapagos’ iconic long-established pioneering species.

Human Discovery

The following texts are from Galapagos: Both Sides of the Coin, by Pete Oxford and Graham Watkins (2009).

The world first heard about Galapagos more than 470 years ago. The Dominican friar, Fray Tomás de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama, was the official discoverer, arriving on March 10, 1535. Currents inadvertently drove Fray Tomás towards Galapagos, after he had set out from Panama on his way to Peru. His account is the first written record of Galapagos and describes the giant tortoises and cacti, the inhospitable terrain, and the difficulty of finding water—characteristic features of the islands. Since his visit, the arrival of humans and the decisions they have made have wrought many changes in these extraordinary islands.

Over time, many different kinds of people have influenced Galapagos. The islands have attracted pirates, whalers, fur sealers, fishermen, scientists, colonists, and tourists—all with social and economic interests that have affected the flora and fauna of the islands. The resulting ecological changes include the decimation of populations of fur seals, giant tortoises, groupers, lobsters, sea cucumbers, and whales; the arrival of more than 1,400 new species of plants and animals; and large-scale changes to the near-shore marine and highland ecosystems. People have particularly modified the ecosystems on the colonized islands, including Floreana, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Baltra, and Isabela and on the more accessible islands such as Española, Santiago, Pinta, and Pinzόn. Since their discovery, our decisions about what to do with these islands have had huge consequences.

People Today

The Ecuadorian National Census of 2010 reports the Galapagos population at 25,124. 81% of the residents describe themselves as Mestizo, 7.5% as Native Indian (from the Ecuadorian mainland), 7.3% as Caucasian and 4.2% as African-Ecuadorian. Of those living permanently in Galapagos, 74% migrated from outside of the archipelago. Nearly 50% of these individuals report economic reasons as the driving force behind their relocation to Galapagos.

The human population in Galapagos is limited to 3% (100 square miles/236.5 km2) of the land area of the islands. Approximately 85% of the inhabitants live in the coastal villages of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz (9,208), Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal (5,539), Puerto Villamil, Isabela (1,570), and Puerto Velasco Ibarra, Floreana (109), with the remainder living in the rural portions of Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana.

The population has grown rapidly since the 1970s, driven by a rapidly growing tourism industry beginning in the mid 1970s and heavy government expenditures during Ecuador’s oil boom (1972-1983). Migration was fueled further by a weak economy in mainland Ecuador during the 1980s and 1990s and a boom in the sea cucumber fishery (1993-2000). From 1999 to 2005, the population in Galapagos grew by 60%. During much of the 80s and 90s, the population was increasing at more than 6% per year, compared to about 2% on the Ecuadorian mainland. This rate would double the population in Galapagos every 11 years.

The Galapagos Special Law of 1998 laid out immigration protocols which sought to limit the size of the resident population. However, loopholes and incomplete and inconsistent implementation of the Law resulted in continued growth.

Uncontrolled immigration was among the 15 issues identified by the World Heritage Center andIUCN when it inscribed Galapagos on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger in 2007. Subsequently, the Ecuadorian government under President Correa implemented a policy known as “Zero people on irregular status in Galapagos,” which involved the implementation of a system of Transit Control Cards for visitors, a more transparent process for granting permanent and temporary residency status, and penalties (such as a one-year ban from entering Galapagos) for those whose status in Galapagos is found to be “irregular.” In 2009, 263 irregular residents were returned to the mainland, 694 were informed of their irregular status, and 257 were banned from returning to Galapagos for a period of one year.

While progress is being made in the area of population control, it is generally believed that the pressure for more illegal and temporary immigrants to help serve the tourism sector will continue until tourism is better managed and more efforts are made to build the capacity of the local workforce.

Governance

Galapagos is one of 24 provinces in Ecuador. It is managed according to the Organic Law for the Special Regimen for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of Galapagos(LOREG), commonly referred to as the Special Law for Galapagos. The Special Law was approved and became part of Ecuador’s Constitution in 1998. It lays out legal framework over which many aspects of island life are to be regulated, including regional planning, inspection and quarantine measures, fisheries management, residency and migration, tourism, agriculture, and waste management. While the law places restrictions on rights Ecuadorians would have on the mainland (restrictions on migration, import of goods, where people live, the kind of pets they have, etc.) it offers certain rights not available to non-residents (various subsidies, access to tourism and fishing rights, etc.). The Special Law has been under revision since Ecuador adopted a new Constitution in 2008.

Many institutions have decision-making powers in Galapagos that affect management and conservation efforts. According to Watkins and Martinez, in 2007 there were more than 50 central government organizations and 9 local organizations with decision-making responsibilities in Galapagos. More than 40 of these entities had a physical presence in Galapagos. The most significant of these are:

• The Consejo de Gobierno de Galapagos. (Governing Council of Galapagos) The Consejo is the organization responsible for overall management of the inhabited areas of Galapagos. It is headed by the Governor, who is appointed by the President of Ecuador. The Consejo is responsible for administration, planning, zoning, and the management of resources and organizing activities in Galapagos to assure conservation and “buen vivir” (in this contextbuen vivir refers to the indigenous concept of sumak kawsay–achieving a harmonious relationship between human beings and their surroundings—which is a key theme in Ecuador’s current constitution and public policy). The Consejo has its headquarters in the provincial capital of Puerto Baquerizo, San Cristóbal.
• The Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS) is responsible for the management of both the marine and terrestrial protected areas of Galapagos. Its Director reports to the Minister of the Environment. In addition to its work in the protected areas, the Park Service is becoming increasingly involved in planning, education, and management activities in areas bordering the Park.
• Municipal Governments in the archipelago’s three Cantons (Santa Cruz , San Cristóbal and Isabela). Each Municipality has an elected mayor and a city council of five members, who name a Vice Mayor. The parish of Floreana forms part of the Canton of San Cristóbal and has an elected Parish President.
• Two locally-elected representatives to the National Assembly.
• The Ecuadorian Agency for Quality Assurance (Agrocalidad).Agrocalidad is a service of the Ministry of Agriculture and is in charge of biosecurity issues in Galapagos and on the mainland. It manages the Quarantine and Inspection Service (SICGAL) for Galapagos.
• The Ecuadorian Navy assists in the patrolling of the Galapagos Marine Reserve.
• The Ministries of Tourism and Agriculture and a growing number of local NGOs also participate in management decisions.

Watkins and Martinez estimated that in addition to the GNPS, there are more than 20 institutions that play a direct or indirect role in tourist management. These include the President’s Office, the National Assembly and Congress, Ministries (Natural Resources, Environment, Natural and Cultural Heritage, and Tourism), the Provincial Directorate of Tourism, local tourist boards, Municipal Councils, the Inter-Institutional Management Authority, Port Captains, Merchant Marine, Civil Aviation, the Navy and the Ministry of Defense.

This complex, confusing and often conflicted decision-making framework was one of the 15 issues identified by The World Heritage Center and IUCN when it inscribed Galapagos on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. This committee connected the existing governance structure with inadequate regional planning and unsustainable tourism development, noting the need for clearer authority, more transparency and accountability—especially as related to regional planning.

Civil Society

The World Bank defines civil society as the wide array of non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) include community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labor unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations.

The number of civil society organizations has grown rapidly in Galapagos since 1990. Watkins and Martinez (2007) identified an estimated 160 groups across the islands, 75% of them built around specific interests, such as fishing, tourism, labor, and conservation. They noted few broad-spectrum organizations that seek to establish a sense of community or collaboration. In recent years, however, several local organizations, such as FUNDAR Galapagos, Fundaciόn Scalesia, Galapagos ICE, and Fundación Nuevo Era are playing a larger, more visible role in local capacity building, citizen engagement, and conservation.

Economy

Detailed information about the size and structure of the Galapagos economy has not been readily available. More up-to-date information will be made public when the Governing Council of Galapagos shares its analysis of Ecuador’s 2010 Economic Census in mid-2012.

According to Epler (2007), the following sectors of the Galapagos economy generated a total of $185.8 million from June 2005 to May 2006:

• Tourism (53%).This major component of the Galapagos economy, tourism employs an estimated 40% of local residents. It is the primary driver of immigration, infrastructure development, and overall consumption.
• Public sector (38%).As explained in the section on Governance in Galapagos, the public sector in Galapagos grew initially during Ecuador’s oil boom (1973-1983) and has continued to expand with the growth of the resident population. Higher salaries offered to public sector employees have been a source of wage distortions in the local economy.
• Conservation and science (6%).Non-profit, multi-lateral and bilateral conservation and science programs have represented a significant component of the insular economy.
• Fishing (3%).While the fishing sector has received much attention from politicians, policy makers and the national and international media, this sector plays a small and shrinking role in the overall insular economy. The sector has been driven by international demand for sea cucumbers and spiny lobsters. According to Hern et. al (2006), gross income from these two fisheries added to the white fish fisheries generated US $7 million in 2006. Since that time, revenue has decreased significantly due to the dwindling populations of these species.
• Agriculture represents a very small part of the economy, but more activity in this sector is critical to lessen the islands’ dependence on imported produce—one of the greatest sources of introduced species. Unfortunately, many farms have been abandoned, as owners have sought employment in the tourism sector. In recent years, several farmer groups and cooperatives have begun low-input greenhouse production of vegetables, which require fewer chemicals and efficient irrigation techniques.

Biodiversity

The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the highest levels of endemism (species found nowhere else on earth) anywhere on the planet. About 80% of the land birds you will see, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals, and more than 30% of the plants are endemic. More than 20% of the marine species in Galapagos are found nowhere else on earth. Favorites include the giant Galapagos tortoise, marine iguana, flightless cormorant, and the Galapagos penguin — the only penguin species to be found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Plants

Many visitors to Galapagos are surprised to be greeted by desert-like vegetation—most are expecting a continuation of the lush greenery they witnessed on mainland Ecuador. In fact, the majority of the archipelago’s land area is covered by the brown and grey vegetation often found in deserts. The Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Dry Belt, and in average years only the highest altitudes of the larger islands receive enough rainfall to support tropical plant life.

Geologically speaking, the islands are young, and much of the island’s plant life reflects this; many species seem to be in the midst of the evolutionary process, which makes classifying them a difficult task. To date, the islands are believed to be home to between 552 and 614 native species of vascular plants and approximately 825 introduced species, the majority introduced by humans. More than 100 of the introduced species have become established in the wild, with many of them extremely invasive and of major concern. Three introduced plant species have been eradicated. Mainland Ecuador, on the other hand, has about 20,000 species. The discrepancy between species number on the Islands and the mainland highlights the fact that the Galapagos Islands are separated from the continent by a hostile saltwater barrier reducing the potential for arrival and, once a plant has arrived, establishment is difficult due to the harsh environment. It is worthy of note that more than 30% of native plant species found in Galapagos are endemic (not found anywhere else on earth).

The flora of Galapagos can be grouped into three major vegetation zones: the coastal zone, the arid zone, and the humid highlands.

• Coastal plantsare found in the narrow zone near the shore and are distinctive because of their tolerance to salty conditions. Mangrove trees are one of the most common plants found in this zone, and they serve an important role as the breeding sites for many birds, such as pelicans and frigatebirds. They also provide much needed shade regions for iguanas and sea lions, as well as refuges for sea turtles.
• The dry areais the most extensive zone in Galapagos and is comprised of plant species that are highly adapted to drought-like conditions, such as succulent cacti and leafless shrubs that flower and grow leaves only in the brief rainy season.
• Located above the dry zones are the very lush and green, humid zones. In portions of this zone, Scalesia trees form a very dense forest in the humid zone, with their branches adorned with mosses, liverworts, and epiphytes—non-parasitic plants that use larger trees only for support. The humid zone is only found on the larger, higher islands. The majority of islands in the archipelago do not rise in elevation above the arid zone.

Reptiles

Giant Tortoises

The giant tortoises of Galapagos are among the most famous of the unique fauna of the Islands. While giant tortoises once thrived on most of the continents of the world, the Galapagos tortoises now represent one of the remaining two groups of giant tortoises in the entire world — the other group living on Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean. The Galapagos Islands were named for their giant tortoises; the old Spanish word galapago meant saddle, a term early explorers used for the tortoises due to the shape of their shells.

Tortoises have several ways of communicating with each other. The only known vocalization in Galapagos tortoises is the sound that males make when mating — a bellowing, periodic “groan” that sounds similar to a loudly mooing cow. Female tortoises make no vocalizations at all. The main method of tortoise communication is behavioral. Like many other species, they have ways of conveying dominance and defending themselves. Competing tortoises will stand tall, face each other with mouths agape, and stretch their necks up as high as possible. The highest head nearly always “wins,” while the loser retreats submissively into the brush.

It is quite common to see the tiny birds of Galapagos, such as Darwin’s finches and Vermillion Flycatchers, perched on top of the shells of their oversized giant tortoise companions. Some finch species have developed a mutualistic relationship with giant tortoises, feeding on the ticks that hide in the folds of the tortoise’s reptilian skin. In fact, these birds will dance around in front of the tortoise to indicate that they are ready to eat, and the tortoise then responds by standing tall and stretching out its neck to “expose the buffet.”

Iguanas and Lizads

Galapagos iguanas are thought to have had a common ancestor that floated out to the islands from the South American continent on rafts of vegetation. The divergence between land and marine iguanas has been estimated at 10.5 million years ago. Geneticists estimate that the pink iguana diverged from the other land iguanas approximately 5.7 million years ago — before most if not all of the current islands existed, while the divergence between the two yellowish iguanas is fairly recent.

Land Iguanas

Land Iguanas There are three species of land iguana found in the Galapagos Islands. The well-known yellowish land iguanas include Conolophus subcristatus, native to six islands, and Conolophus pallidus, found only on the island of Santa Fe. A third species of land iguana (Conolophus marthae), the pink or rosada iguana, was first seen in 1986 and remained unstudied until the 2000s. It is found only on Wolf Volcano at the northern end of Isabela Island. It has a pinkish head, and pinkish and black body and legs, often with black stripes. The new species is morphologically, behaviorally, and genetically distinguished from the other two.

Land iguanas are large — more than 3 feet long — with males weighing up to 30 pounds. They live in the drier areas of the Islands, and in the mornings can be found sprawled beneath the hot equatorial sun. To escape the heat of the midday sun, they seek the shade of cacti, rocks, trees or other vegetation. At night they sleep in burrows dug in the ground, to conserve their body heat. They feed mainly on low-growing plants and shrubs, as well as fallen fruits and cactus pads. These succulent plants provide them with the moisture they require during long, dry periods. Land iguanas show a fascinating symbiotic interaction with Darwin’s finches, as do giant tortoises, raising themselves off the ground and allowing the little birds to remove ticks.

Land iguanas reach maturity between 8 and 15 years of age. Males are territorial and will aggressively defend specific areas that typically include more than one female. Following the mating period, female iguanas find suitable nesting sites, dig their nesting burrow, and lay between 2 and 20 eggs. The female defends the burrow for a short time, to prevent other females from nesting in the same place. The young iguanas hatch 3-4 months later, and take about a week to dig their way out of the nest. If they survive the first difficult years of life, when food is often scarce and predators are a danger, land iguanas can live for more than 50 years.

Marine Iguanas

Just about every rocky shoreline in the Galapagos Islands is home to the marine iguana(Amblyrhynchus cristatus), the only sea-going lizard in the world. The marine iguana is an extraordinary animal that lives on land but feeds in the sea, grazing on a variety of seaweed – on exposed rocks, in subtidal areas, or by diving deeper into the cold seawater. This habit, totally unique in iguanas and in fact all lizard species of the world, provides them with an abundant food source. However, they cannot withstand the cold temperatures of the sea for too long and must pull out on land to warm up.

Marine iguanas also mate and nest on land. While they have few predators in the sea, on land, young iguanas fall prey to hawks, herons, and other birds. Predation by introduced cats has had a major impact on many populations. Found throughout the islands, concentrations of up to 4,500 individuals per mile are not uncommon in some areas. The total population has been estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000.

The short, blunt nose is well-adapted to feeding on algae growing on rocks. The flattened tail is perfect for swimming, propelling the iguana through the water while its legs hang useless at its sides. Iguanas rid themselves of excess salt, consumed along with the algae, by a special gland connected to their nostrils. Marine iguanas are an excellent example of a species well-adapted and continuing to adapt to their environment. While marine iguanas feed mainly on algae, they have also been known to consume crustaceans and grasshoppers. On one or two islands, a small percentage of marine iguanas have been observed feeding on terrestrial vegetation, perhaps an adaptation to the near complete absence of nutritional sea algae during strong El Niño events.

Marine iguanas show their color as they mature – the young are black, while adults range from red and black, to black, green, red and grey, depending on the island, with Española marine iguanas being the most colorful of all, and earning them the nickname “Christmas Iguanas.” Marine iguanas become more colorful in the breeding season, at which time males defend territories on land where they mate with the females, who then lay their eggs in burrows. Marine iguanas lay 2 to 3 large eggs, which hatch between 2 ½ and 4 months later. Marine iguanas are known to live up to 60 years.

Mammals

The variety of mammal species in the Galapagos Islands is rather limited, as is typical for most islands located far from mainland continents. In fact, there are only 6 mammal species (that can be found on land) that are considered native to the islands, plus a number of aquatic mammals that swim in and out of the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Sea Lions

With a population size of about 50,000, the Galapagos Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus, subspecies: wollebacki) is one of the first animals that visitors to the Galapagos Islands encounter. They can often be found sprawled on the docks or benches where tourists board their cruise boats, and are found lounging on beaches or low rocky shorelines throughout the islands. Their playful and inquisitive behavior makes them a tourist favorite, and lucky divers or snorkelers may be treated to underwater gymnastic displays from these graceful creatures. Despite their curiosity, sea lions are wild animals and can be unpredictable in their behavior – especially the males – and people will occasionally be bitten for not respecting their space and privacy.

Sea Lions are the largest animals found in Galapagos – full-grown males (bulls) can weigh up to 550 pounds. Besides their larger size, males differ from females in that they have a large “bump” on their foreheads and have extremely thick necks that provide protection.

Once a year, females give birth to single pups, which they rear for one to three years. For this reason, it is common to see one mother with two suckling pups of different ages. Mothers will stay with their newborn pups for about 5 days, as they get to know each other’s sounds and smells, and then she will venture out to fish and replenish her energy. Baby sea lions will gather in shallow water nurseries that are watched over by one female, while the other mothers go out fishing. Bulls will even join in defending the nurseries from sharks, who may come looking for a defenseless pup meal. At about five months old, young sea lions will begin to learn to fish on their own.

Females are sexually mature at around 5 years old, and can live to be about 20 years old – males mature a bit more quickly, but will not guard a harem until they are older, and they do not live as long as females.

Fur Seals

Many people think Galapagos Fur Seals (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) are much less abundant in Galapagos than Sea Lions, but their population numbers are similar. Fur Seals typically prefer more rugged, rockier, and shadier shores than sea lions in areas that less likely to be frequented by people. Fur seals are less tolerant of heat than sea lions, which is why they prefer cooler water and shaded areas. And despite their “seal” name, they are actually a type of sea lion.

Galapagos Fur Seals and Sea Lions are morphologically similar, but there are some key physical differences that can help people tell them apart. Fur seals are generally smaller with broader and shorter heads. Fur Seals have bulging eyes and ears that protrude more than sea lions’, and larger front flippers that aid in climbing rockier coasts. The biggest difference is probably in their fur coat, which is much thicker and appears “furrier” on fur seals than on sea lions.

Because of their remarkably insulating coats, fur seals were hunted by the tens of thousands in the 1800s, nearly to extinction. They have made an amazing comeback in their population numbers, and can be seen most easily by Galapagos tourists at James Bay on Santiago Island and in Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island.

Fur seals’ social and breeding behaviors are quite similar to that of sea lions (see above), with a few differences. With regards to bulls defending territories, a fur seal bull will defend his harem from land, rather than from the water. Pups begin to hunt at about a year old, but will suckle from their mothers for two to three years. Though females can give birth every year, they will, at most, successfully raise one pup every two years. Should a second pup be born while a yearling is still suckling, the new pup has little chance of survival, despite being defended by its mother.

Rice Rats

Unfortunately, only four of the original seven endemic Rice Rat species still exist in Galapagos; not surprisingly, these four species live on three islands that are not inhabited by humans – Santa Fé, Santiago, and Fernandina. The other three species of rice rats became extinct since humans colonized the islands and brought black rats with them. Competition with and/or a virus carried by the black rats is likely what brought about the demise of these three species.

The ancestors of the native rats of Galapagos originally arrived to the Islands via rafts of vegetation that floated from the South American mainland out to Galapagos – these rats actually hold the world record for terrestrial mammal ocean crossings.

Bats

There are two bat species present in Galapagos, but little is actually known about them.

Lasiurus cinereus, the Hoary Bat from North America, is light brown with white fur tips, eats insects, and tends to prefer roosting in Mangrove trees or scrub bushes during the day. It is quite widespread and is found on Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela, Santiago, and Floreana Islands.

Lasiurus brachyotis is found on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal in the highlands and coastal zones, and it is believe to migrate seasonally between the two zones. This bat forages near the ground while the Hoary Bat forages higher in the trees and air, which explains why they can coexist. L. brachyotis is believed to be closely related to the Red Bat of South America.

Dolphins and Whales

The aquatic mammals (cetaceans – whales, dolphins) form the last group of mammals found in the Galapagos Islands. Unlike most land mammals that are generally covered in hair or fur, these aquatic mammals have little, if any, hair. Instead, they have a fat layer of blubber which helps to maintain their body heat and to provide a reserve of energy when needed during long migrations or strenuous activity.

The blubber of whales can be used to make oil, and this is what made them so valuable to humans in the 19th century when the Galapagos Islands were central to Pacific whaling activities. Fortunately today, whaling does not take place anymore in the Islands. Whales are occasionally seen passing through Galapagos, and dolphins are likely to be seen all around the islands.

The Cetaceans fall into two major groups – those with teeth, and those with baleen (fringed whalebone that enables filter-feeding of plankton and small marine animals). Both groups of cetaceans, and several species from each group, can be found in the Galapagos Islands.Humpback whales are one of the easier baleen whales to identify because of their angled back, as well as their tendency to breach and splash dramatically back into the sea.

Many species of toothed whales show up in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, including theSperm Whale, Killer Whale, False Killer Whales, the Pilot Whale, as well as several species of dolphins. There are two dolphin species that are quite abundant and easy to spot– theBottle-nosed Dolphin and the Common White-bellied Dolphin. The Bottle-nosed Dolphins are often found racing alongside boats, and sometimes they get close enough that people on board can hear their delightful squealing. Common Dolphins are more likely to be found in large schools of 100 or more individuals.