Through the Looking Glass, A Look at the Galapagos Islands

Total wonder live in this 20 named island group.  

The beauty of this region is comparable to nothing else in the world.  The wildlife this area sustains and the ways they survive are amazing.   

Many people tour this chain of islands but probably do not have time while there to understand the teeming of life in the ocean, the strange animals who live there year round, nor the currents which control life there....

And in knowing the earth is changing so much in such a short period of time, wondering how this will soon affect the lives this island supports.

The Galapagos Turtle.....That huge lumbering turtle which is the largest of it’s species alive today.....How did it get this big??   What does it eat?  How does it move around as large as it is?   

They reach a weight of over 882 pounds and a length of over 6 foot long.    With a life expectancy of over 100 years, the oldest known to be estimated at 170 years old.   There have been several subspecies of this tortise, which are now extinct.  

When discovered in the 16th century by Spanish Explorers, they were named as Galapagos as the explorers notices how the turtles’ large shell resembled the saddle of the same name.    Interestingly enough, this lumbering turtle has actually been ridden by human beings.  

 Of course, all in sport, and most likely for snapshot purposes, I do not think anyone would get very far or in a modicum amount of time if one had to use them for travel....

It has several different shell shapes, Saddlebacked, Intermediate and Domed.  All in all are still very large...and is thought to have originated from somewhere on the mainland of South America, arriving at the Galapagos Islands via the Humbolt Current; as they are rather poor swimmers.   

As far as it’s eating habits....well, what would keep something alive for over 100 years?

They exist on a diet of berries, cactus, leaves, lichen; also water fern, guava and at times a fruit called Hippomane mancinella or poison apple.....and eat about 70-80 pounds of food per day.
A number of animals have what I like to call “helpers” - the world of science has a name which I do not like, it is called mutalism.  This simply means that one creature feed off of another creature ....in the case of the Galapagos Turtle, the Galapagos Finch.rids it of bugs and things which reside under the shell of the giant tortise.  Also mockingbirds get in on the act.  The interesting part of all of this, is the turtle knows the birds are helping it, so when the avian creatures land on the ground and face the turtle, the enormous tortise actually rises up on it’s legs and allows the birds to dine on all the irritating ecto parasites bothering it.   Of course many a bird has met its demise as sometimes the tortises eat them as well by simply dropping on top of them and adding additional protein to their diets.   Ah, the food chain....

are a species of iguana called the Marine Iguana.   It lives and forages in the sea. 

As with most of the other species in this region, it is very large.  It likes to bask on the rocks until it is warm enough, and then goes swimming in the ocean for it’s food, which is comprised mostly of lichens, seaweed and algaes.  

It is capable of spending 20 minutes to a half an hour underneath the ocean and is an avid swimmer.   It has a rounded “snout” for getting close to the rocks and sharp teeth for scraping it’s meal from the ocean floor.   

They are capable of diving over 30' deep.   To me they resemble something which would come out of one of the Jurassic Park Movies and/or the dinosaur age.   It is further strange to me that all my life, I thought iguanas and lizards lived on the ground in desert areas and had no comprehension there was a species of Galapagos Marine Iguana that looked out of the cave man age.   LOL   

As there are many islands in the Galapagos Chain, there are also many different sizes of marine iguana.  There size actually depends on which island they live.....

The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. On the other end of the spectrum, the smallest iguanas are found on the island on Genovesa.

Adult males can reach up to 6 foot long, and weighing up to three pounds while the females attain a length of only 2 to three feet.  

These giant iguanas are a protected species under the laws of Ecuador. 

Humbolt Penguin.....It’s name was given to it by the early European explorer who first discovered them.   

A beautiful creature now severely endangered which has been exploited much as bats for it’s droppings to make fertilizer.  Imagine this...Using penguin droppings to fertilize our gardens?  (And called guano same as bat droppings)

They stand about 24 inches high and reach a weight of 6 ½ to 11 pounds.    They nest on the islands and rocky coasts and depend on the Humbolt Current for their survival.  As the temperature changes in El Nino Years, this also affects a lot of life living on the islands.  

They exist on fishing for their meals, but often become prey to large seals and sharks as in other parts of the world.   

Before the eploitation of this species for fertilizer, the penguins were large in number.   I have learned while researching this that several zoos in the US have successfully bred them, one of which is the St Louis Zoo in Missouri.   How far from home they are.

in this neck of the ocean.   And is called the Man of War bird.   These are also extremely large and have a wingspan of almost six feet.    

Accompanying their brightly colored bodies is a long hooked beak which they use to snatch fish out of the sea and also out of other birds mouths.....imagine eating your dinner only to have something literally fly down and snatch it right out of your mouth!!

a pair of birds of the same species, but with different colored feet.

Surely you have heard the expression “you boob” before....well take a look at the blue footed boobie and the red footed boobie.

The blue footed boobie is resident in other parts of the world, but it’s nesting areas are hard to find. They love to eat fish, swim in the sea and have an amazing dance they do while courting their mate.

Their lives also depend on the amount of fish in the seas around where they live. The mated pair is very protective of it’s nest and will send a type of “attack call” to anything nearing the area of it. Imagine being attacked by a blue footed boobie......


The red footed boobie is also a resident of Galapagos, but is not only found in these islands.

Interestingly enough, it is the smallest boobie, at only 28 inches with a 3 foot wingspan. Once it gets in the air, it is a graceful and agile bird, but getting there is another story as it is clumsy in attaining flight.

A beautiful bird of red, white and blue....sound familiar? But this red white and blue does not hang on a flag pole. (my thought)

Red footed boobies dive from the sky to gather their meals of fish and squid, and spend quite a lot of time at sea foraging for food.

which inhabit the beautiful Galapagos Islands.  Along with a “flightless bird” which I may discuss at a later time.  

Of course as in all wildlife, many are becoming extinct.  This to me is a grave shame as in the wild they are graceful and beautiful to behold.   

The waters of the Humboldt Current give life to all of these creatures, but as I stated before, when the weather pattern changes to an El Nino year, the current also changes it’s pattern and many of these wonderful animals have a hard time existing and many die on the beaches and are eaten by other predators.    Such is life ....and the food chain....

I hope by stopping here this will give you a reason to do more research on these islands....Darwin did quite a bit here....of course, these creatures did not evolve, but were created by our God....whom I see has a real sense of humor, such is exhibited by the coloring of the red footed boobie.   

Aloha