The snapshots from four days in the Galapagos cannot begin to convey the diversity and uniqueness of the creatures that live on these islands. That said, we encountered more animals by the end of our second day than I had expected to see during the entire trip.
The indifference on the part of the animals about being approached means that a telephoto lens isn’t required equipment, but also presents a problem for your guide. Every shore visit brings a new reminder to please keep your distance from the wildlife.
A Canon PowerShot camera with a 3x zoom is more than sufficient to get full-frame photos of most of the animals you will see while in the Galapagos Islands, although birders, who will be in heaven here, may still want to pack along more sophisticated equipment with longer lenses.
As for opportunities to photograph wildlife, even photos where the landscape is the intended subject will often capture a bonus critter, and a photo of a particular animal will often include another species whether intended or not. The casual intermixing of species, including humans, is explained by the guides as the result of a peculiar selection of breeds in which none are the natural enemies (or meal) of the others, at least not on land.
The first set of photos below, along the beautiful coast of Isla Isabela, may be amazing rock formations with animals on them, or wildlife photos in a spectacular setting, your choice.
The endemic subspecies of Brown Pelican found in the Galapagos Islands is described as having a white head and brown body, so the pelican above may have been a different member of the family who was just passing through – naturalists invited to comment.
The Galapagos Sea Lions deserve more attention than the long distance shots above, which we provide in the photos below from Isla Santiago (formerly San Salvador or James Island). Sleeping and sunning are favorite pastimes, and in the photo on the right a good backscratch is added to the agenda. The group of Marine Iguanas apparently doesn’t see this writhing sea lion as a threat.
The next page continues with More Galapagos Wildlife.
Galápagos Islands Cruise – Page 1
Page 2 – Galapagos Giant Tortoise
Page 3 – Galapagos Environments
Page 4 – You Are Here
Page 5 – More Galapagos Wildlife
Page 6 – A Glimpse of Ecuador
If you would like to comment on this page, please use the form directly below.
To post a new topic, or submit your own photos, use the “Click here for Comments” link at the bottom of the page, and read the first post.