Galapagos Islands
Galapagos mammals
There are few mammals in Galapagos because if the difficulty of surviving a long ocean corossing. Not many mammals are endemic to the Galapagos; there are just 2 species of seals, two species of bats and two species of rice rats found here. The Galapagos sea lion and the Galapagos fur seal are a treat to see, while a cruise around the islands will introduce you to schools of whales and dolphins that swim in and around the region.
Galapagos sea lions: The Galapagos sea lion is one of three subspecies of the Californian sea lion (Zalophus californianus) species. There are an stimated of 50,000 throgough the islands. Males are distinguished by a larger girth, thicker neck, and a noticeable bump on the forehead. Their large size is used to advantage in territorial defense. They are found all around the Galapagos Islands, if you venture over to South Plaza, Santa Fe, Rabida, Santiago Island, San Cristobel or Isabela Island you'll find you have the chance to do some diving and swimming with the sea lions that congregate in the rocks along the coastline
Galapagos fur seals: The fur seals seem as out of place of the equator as the penguin. Both originated in the cold waters off the southern coast of South America and made their way north along the Humbolt Current to the Galapagos. These animals have survived from the brink of extinction, are the shiest creatures in the archipelago. Their numbers now compare in numbers with the sea lions. The Galapagos fur seal voices are different from those of the Galapagos sea lions, being hoarse and more guttural, but they are less often used. The major difference is in their coat. This is much thicker and denser in the fur seal, consisting of two layers: an outer one of long hairs and an inner one of short dense fur. You need to travel to either Santiago Island or Puerto Egas if you want see the fur seals.
Whales & Dolphins: Other marine mammals you may see when cruising the islands are whales and dolphins. The seven whale species regulary recorded in the archipelago are finback, sei, humpack, minke, sperm, killer and pilot whales.
Bottle-nose dolphins are often seen surfing the bow waves of boats. At night the dolphins cause the ocean to glow around them with bioluminiscense as they stir up thousands of tiny phosphorescent creatures that light up when disturbed. continues...
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Galapagos wildlife, birds
Birds are faithbul, ever-present company during a visit to the Galapagos...
