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Brendan was a bit obsessed with taking photos of the many endemic iguanas in the Galapagos, so it seemed wrong to not have a blog dedicated to them. You have no idea how many hundreds of pictures I had to filter through to pick these photos. Enjoy.
The Galapagos Islands are famous for their giant tortoises - in fact they were named for them. Here you can see 200 kg tortoises measuring over 1 metre in length. Humans have not been kind to the tortoises over the centuries however (apparently they make good eatin´), and of the 14 species originally found on the islands, 4 are extinct in the wild.
Lonesome George is the last remaining tortoise from the island of Pinta. Thought to have been extinct in the early 1900´s, George was discovered during an expedition in 1971 and brought to the Charles Darwin Research Station. The survival of his species depends on finding George a mate, and for the past 37 years, researchers have been trying (unsuccessfully) to do just that. George can live to 200 years old, so there´s still hope for the survival of the Pinta Tortoise. Advances in science (specifically DNA) are providing new hope.
At about 85 years old, George has led a solitary life - he tends to withdraw from other tortoises and people. He´s even been the target of a kidnapping plot a few years ago, when sea cucumber fishermen were protesting government quotas.
We were lucky to see Lonesome George during our visit to the Darwin Research Station - he doesn´t often come out from under the bushes. The Darwin Centre does fantastic conservation work with other tortoises as well, and is the recipient of our Brel Drop in the Ocean donation this month.
Loneone George is a conservation icon - a constant reminder of the consequences of our actions.
There are all sorts of endemic birds in the Galapagos Islands. Some highlights for your reading and viewing pleasure:
Snorkeling opportunities abound in the Galapagos Islands - there are multi-colored fish, sharks, octopus, sea horses, turtles, starfish... The most exciting thing to spot however, is the Galapagos Penguin. Endemic to this area, the penguins ... [Continue reading this entry] 
With memories of our sailing trip in Brazil still fresh in our minds (16 bunk-beds in one room, no showers, crazy toilet ritual, etc.), we were pleasantly ... [Continue reading this entry] 
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Galapagos Islands is spotting the blue-footed boobie. (insert boobie joke here). About the size of sea gulls, the blue-footed boobies have, well, blue feet. The mating ritual involve ... [Continue reading this entry] 
Lounge in the sun. Take a few steps. Flop down. Swim in the sea. Repeat.
Such is the life of the Galapagos sea lion. Sound familiar?
Hundreds of sea lions line the rocky shores of most of the ... [Continue reading this entry] 
I remember as an 11 year-old, waking early every Saturday morning to watch Jack Hanna´s Animal Adventures. For a few years, Jack focused exclusively on the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands. With every tortoise, ... [Continue reading this entry] 
As predicted back in Costa Rica, the thrill of seeing monkeys has yet to wear off.
(Jack is Mel´s 4 year-old nephew)
Hi Jack!
You would have loved the Amazon! We saw all sorts of frogs: poison-dart frogs, tree frogs, glass frogs and a bunch I don´t remember the names of. We thought you might enjoy ... [Continue reading this entry] 
