Galapagos Recap II

I decided the previous post was getting too long, and given the sketchiness of the internet connection here, I didn’t want to lose everything I wrote.

The previous post showed Sea Lions and different boobies. Perhaps one of the most interesting birds in the Galapagos is the Frigate bird. They are known as the pirates because they steal food from everyone else. And, they are one of the few (maybe only) sea birds that cannot land on water.

The male has a red pouch he can inflate to an enormous size to get the attention of the female.

The chicks are cute, but when they get a bit older, they look a bit like teradactyls (sp?)

In flight, the birds still impress.

You can just make out the pouch…

One creature of the Galapagos that I just loved was the crab. So colorful they almost look fake. They too are just about everywhere.

And, I cannot forget the giant tortoise. Not everywhere, but still easy to spot. We saw them both at a breeding center (and got to see two of them actually breeding) and in the wild.

I think Spielberg was inspired by the giant tortoise when he created one of his most iconic characters. Which one am I thinking of?

Alas, I cannot leave out the iguanas, Marine and Land. The marine ones are almost as ubiquitous as sea lions. They are the only marine iguana that FEEDS in the water. Others swim, but don’t feed.

Marine Iguanas mate for life. And here’s a fun fact that will make all you guys following this wish you were a Marine Iguana…the males have two penises.

Land iguanas a bit better looking. They are known for their contant “joker” smile.

There are several other animals I saw, but I know you are now asking “what about St. Joseph and the Penguin?”. Well, they had a great time in the Galapagos.

One day they made a new friend.