Galapagos is full of strange and fantastic animals. In this post, we’ll cover 14 of our favorite animals from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.

14 Fascinating Galapagos Animals

Here are some of the animals you need to see on your trip to the Galapagos Islands.

1. Galapagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebacki)

Galapagos sea lions are some of the cutest animals in the Galapagos (in my opinion). They don’t mind people and you are almost guaranteed to see them lounging on a park bench or in someone’s boat.

One of the best things about sea lions is how funny they are. They love to hang around and stare at you. They will shuffle along on their flippers like they own the town. These were definitely one of my favorite animals when I visited the Galapagos Islands!

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2. Galapagos Sea Turtles (Chelonia agassizii)

Galapagos sea turtles are some of the Galapagos Island’s most chill inhabitants. They just float around and look gorgeous! Like most animals in the Galapagos, these sea turtles don’t seem to be bothered by people at all.

If you have the opportunity to snorkel with these beauties on your trip, do it! You will never forget it, these animals are so calm and beautiful that you will find yourself both ecstatic and oddly relaxed while you follow them at a respectful distance. Make sure to bring a waterproof camera!

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3. Blue Footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)

Blue-footed boobies have definitely become the unofficial mascots of the Galapagos. These goofy birds are so fun to watch. They may be beautiful, but they certainly live up to their name: booby (or clown).

With their wide eyes and bright blue feet, they are quite an entertaining spectacle. The blue-footed booby’s mating dance is a must-see while on your trip!

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4. Giant Galapagos Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)

These gentle giants are another one of the amazing animals that make the Islands so famous. And rightly so! The Galapagos Islands are named after the tortoises.

These massive animals can weigh more than 500 pounds! Their shell-shape varies depending on their environment. And they can live to be over 100 years old.

Read more about giant Galapagos tortoises

5. Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis)

Brown pelicans may not be the most exotic animal you will see on your trip, but they are still pretty cool! They are amazing divers, they even have a built-in airbag to protect them from extra high dives of up to 65 ft.

Brown pelicans are also quite the thieves; and a constant irritation to the local fishermen.

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6. Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis)

Galapagos hawks are endemic to the islands and are at the top of the food chain. Their main diet consists of locusts, centipedes, rats, lava lizards, snakes, young sea turtles and tortoises, and young marine and land iguanas.

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7. Galapagos Fur Seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis)

Galapagos fur seals and Galapagos sea lions are often confused, but you can easily tell them apart when you know what to look for. Galapagos fur seals have a small button nose on the end of a short pointy muzzle, and big eyes that help them find food at night.

Image copyright owner Dger. Original image location.[/caption]

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8. Galapagos Lava Heron (Butorides sundevalli)

Galapagos lava herons are masters of disguise, they blend into the lava so well. They are fast hunters and can catch around 2-3 crabs a minute. Like most other animals in the Galapagos, lava herons don’t mind people and love to pose for a photo.

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9. Sally Lightfoot Crabs (Graspus graspus)

Sally Lightfoot crabs are some pretty cool critters. They are bright and colorful, boasting orange, red, yellow, blue, and brown. Young sallys, however, are black with small yellow or white spots to help them blend into the lava.

These are some very fast crabs, they can even scuttle along the top of the water.

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10. Galapagos Shark (Carchhinus galapagensis)

Galapagos sharks certainly don’t come swimming straight from JAWS, there have only been 6 recorded bites on the Islands (and no serious injuries or fatalities) since 1900 – that’s over 118 years! Even so, you want to give these sharks due respect. They have 14 rows of teeth and are expert hunters.

Photo by NOAA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]Read more about Galapagos sharks

11. Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus, subcristatus, and marthae)

Galapagos land iguanas are a less common sight than marine iguanas, but they are amazing in their own right. They eat cactuses, spines and all. There are even some bright pink iguanas on Wolf volcano on Isabela Island, this is the only place they can be found in the world.

While the pink is amazing, Galapagos land iguanas are typically sunset colored – with yellow-orange tones as well as browns and black.

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12. Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)

Galapagos marine iguanas are the only iguanas that feed in the ocean, and they can hold their breath for up to 60 minutes to do so. These cool iguanas are nearly everywhere in the Galapagos witch almost guarantees that you’ll see at least ten.

If you catch them in mating season, you will see these normally black iguanas decked out in bright rainbow colors to attract a mate.

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13. Galapagos Lava Gull (Leucophaeus fuliginosus)

Galapagos lava gulls are the rarest gulls in the world, with estimates of current population around 600-800 birds. These cool birds are only found on the Galapagos islands. They practice kleptoparasitism (stealing food from other birds and/or people).

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14. Galapagos Flightless Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi)

Galapagos flightless cormorants are some funny little birds. They may not be able to fly with their limp little wings, but they use them for balance as they hop around on the lava rocks.

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Your Turn

Which Galapagos animal are you most excited to see? Have you already seen some of these? DISCOVER OUR TOURS to the enchanted islands.