Ecuador & Galapagos Blog – The perfect travel guide

Islands Animals The Galapagos Islands are the perfect destination for all animal lovers. Many visitors to the islands are pleasantly surprised to discover that not only is there an abundance of wildlife, but they are also very tolerant of human presence and even quite friendly. This makes visiting the island such a treat for those who love to see exotic creatures. Photographers and tourists are particularly pleased at how close they can approach the animals as they have no natural fear towards visitors. If you are an animal lover who looks forward to knowing more about the plentiful wildlife you can expect to see when you visit the Galapagos Islands, here is a guide to some of the wildlife that can be found here in Galapagos.   The Diverse Species of the Galapagos Islands A fascinating fact about most of the life forms found on the islands is that they likely got there by accident; from a long sea voyage and survived the trip despite the lack of fresh water and food and exposure to saltwater. As a result, the species now found on the Galapagos Islands are the ancestors of those that could survive harsh conditions. Today, here are the recorded number of species for the Galapagos Islands. Mammals: 32 species recorded Reptiles: 28 species recorded Darwin Finches: 13 sub-species recorded Sea Birds: 42 species recorded Shore Birds: 34 species recorded Water Birds: 21 species recorded Land Birds: 49 species recorded   The 6 Most Unique Animals of the Galapagos Islands The Galapagos Islands is a bucket list destination for any animal lover and amateur naturalist because of its unique wildlife. Here are the 6 most unique creatures of the Galapagos Islands: The iconic Galapagos Tortoises are the largest tortoises in the world with potential lifespans that exceed 170 years.

Galapagos Marine Sanctuary: 6 facts about Wolf & Darwin Islands in Galapagos and the astounding wildlife and flora that inhabits the area. An unbelievable array of colors; trumpetfish, trevally barracuda, parrotfish, angelfish, surgeonfish and the delightful racoon butterflyfish inhabit the area. Not to mention the vast schools of hammerheads or close encounters with individuals plus eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and turtles. It is truly a high point in any hard-core diver’s career. Well, the good news is that on 2016, the Ecuadorian state announced the creation of the Galapagos marine sanctuary, together with 21 smaller conservation areas scattered through the volcanic archipelago, protecting over 18,000 square miles (47,000 square kilometers), or about one third of the water around the Galápagos Islands. The new sanctuary alone encompasses 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers) and extends around the northern Galapagos Islands of Darwin and Wolf. Just in case, National Marine Sanctuaries are protected waters that include habitats such as rocky reefs, kelp forests, deep-sea canyons, and underwater archaeological sites. Both, Darwin and Wolf are some of the highlights in any Galapagos Live-aboard Cruise trip. Here are some quick and interesting 6 facts about Wolf & Darwin Galapagos Marine Sanctuary you might like to know;   1. The whole area around Darwin and Wolf, now a protected marine reserve, is about the ssame size of Belgium  -  15,000 square miles (38,000 sq km)     2. It holds the greatest concentration of marine sharks in the world.     3. The Galapagos Marine reserve includes more than 34 different species of shark, including the largest shark species, the filter-feeding whale shark, the migratory hammerhead shark and the Galapagos shark.     4. Shark populations around the world come here to rest and breed the new reserve will guarantee complete sanctuary for them.   5. It