Basically, there are two categories: those that feed directly or indirectly off the rich ocean life (e.g., birds, turtles, penguins, and seals), or hardy animals that can withstand long stretches of drought or food shortages (e.g., tortoises, iguanas, and other reptiles).

The stark vegetation on the islands (they're on the equator, but rarely get rain except in El Nino years) is probably one of the reasons for the strange mix of animals you'll find there. Only a few places are left where a photographer can take pictures of wild birds with a 14mm lens the Galapagos is one of them. Thus, the island natives are enormously tolerant of tourists walking around and don't spook easily, as do most wild animals. The islands themselves are pretty well scattered, so even between islands there is little species interaction.ĭespite man's best attempts to introduce predation, guidelines enforced at the Galapagos Islands National Park have kept most of the visitation sites free of outside influence. Yet they reside at a confluence of warm and cold waters that makes for a rich underwater ecosystem, which in turn serves as the engine that drives the above-water ecosystem.īecause of the isolation, most of the animals that did make it to the islands have no natural predators. They are so far off South America (500+ miles) that they are isolated ecologically (except for man's influence).

The Galapagos Islands are a freak of nature.

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