Wild Earth

Blue-footed Booby

Of all the birds in the Galapagos, none is more famous than the Blue-footed Booby. The derivation of their name most likely comes from Spanish Sailors, who, between the birds’ silly behavior and funny coloured feet, decided that they were clowns (bobos). There are three species of booby in the Galapagos  all of which dive steeply into the water, hitting the water with tremendous force but it is the Blue-footed Booby that makes the steepest dives into the shallowest water (less than 60cm deep). Males and females are essentially identical in appearance but differ in their vocalizations with the male whistling and the female honking. The courtship dance consists of an intricate and synchronized display with heads tilted back, wings uplifted and feet lifted in sequence – the end result is very reminiscent of a human dance.
Both parents assist in the incubation of the eggs, usually two chicks are hatched but just a single chick raised, except in years of exceptional food supply when both chicks may be raised. The population of Blue-footed Boobies in the Galapagos is healthy and they are often seen throughout the islands diving into the shallows while feeding – two of the largest breeding colonies are on Espanola and North Syemour Islands with birds present throughout the year.

Waved Albatross

While most albatross species are confined to the cool and windy waters of the Southern Ocean, the endemic Waved Albatross has evolved in the unique conditions offered by the Galapagos. The largest bird in the Galapagos they can weigh 5kg and have an 8ft wingspan, it is from the distinctive wavy grey plumage on their chests that the name is derived. Almost the entire world population breeds on Espanola Island, each year in April birds return to the colony to begin breeding. A single egg is incubated for 60 days, being held on the parent’s feet and rolled each day to increase breeding success. Following hatching it is a further 170 days before the chick fledges and departs the island, it is by now December and at this time the cold rich Humbolt Current weakens and the birds leave the island moving southwards in search of food.
Unusually breeding behaviour peaks in October, this elaborate ritual is by no means a quite celebration as the birds long bills circle each other, they make loud castanet-like clicking sounds and high-pitched vocalizations. But the pair bond is not consummated till the following April when the birds will return to breed!

Marine Iguana

One of the Galapagos Islands strangest evolutionary specialties, Marine Iguana’ evolved from terrestrial ancestors (probably not dissimilar) to the Galapagos Land Iguana. The Maine Iguana spends more time in the sun than other lizards, for it is the only seafaring member of the order; it may loose as much as 10ºC during its daily feeding in the ocean, and it takes much of the day to restore its body temperature to normal.
The Marine Iguana is not a casual surface swimmer; it is a strong diver able to descend at least 10 meters beneath the surface. Dives are generally 5-10 minutes I duration but if necessary animals are able to remain submerged for an hour. Typically the individuals that dive are the larger males, the smaller members of the colony feed in the intertidal zone. Their diet consists almost exclusively of red or green algae. During the breeding season males become brightly coloured green and red and display aggressive territorial behaviour which consists of “head bobbing”. The breeding season varies between the islands but the males on Espanola are permanently brightly coloured.

Giant Tortoises

“Some grow to an immense size; the old males the largest, the females rarely growing to so great a size: the male can be readily distinguished from the female by the greater length of its tail. They frequent in preference the high damp parts, but they likewise live in lower and arid districts.” Charles Darwin 1845
Of all the wildlife, it is the Giant Tortoise that most symbolizes the Galapagos Islands. The Giant Tortoise is a vegetarian, well known for its ability to survive for long periods of time without food or water. It was this ability that allowed them to originally colonise the Galapagos, but this same attribute also saw over 200,000 taken aboard whaling ships to feed their crews.
Arriving in the Galapagos they evolved into 14 separate species, each adapting to the particular vegetation and climate of the particular island, or in the case of Isabela each major volcanic peak. At one extreme is the saddle-back tortoise with an elevated, arched front end that allows it to reach for higher vegetation on dry islands. At the other extreme is the dome-shaped tortoise, blunt on the front end for pushing through dense brush in the lush highlands. Weighing up to 250kg and probably living at least 150 years Giant Tortoises are deserving of their emblematic status.

Flightless Cormorant

The Flightless Cormorant is the only flightless cormorant species in the world and endemic to the Galapagos Islands. Their wings have shrunk to small remnants of their former self, being propelled under water exclusively by their large and well developed feet, but the birds still dry their wings after swimming. Even within the Galapagos they are limited to the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela, it is here that the cool rich upwelling’s are at their greatest.  Being flightless means that the cormorants are limited to feeding in the shallow inshore waters where they prey on small bottom fish, eels and octopus.
Not only does the flightless cormorant swim as a means of hunting  but also in courtship with males and females performing an elaborate aquatic dance. Nesting takes place just above high water in relatively large nests of flotsam and jetsam held together with seaweed. Unusually amongst seabirds after the eggs are hatched and the chicks partially raised, the female will often leave and start nesting with another male, leaving the male to continue raising the chicks alone.