GALAPAGOS TORTISE AND MARINE IGUANA

                       Giant Tortoise and Marine Iguana
    Galapagos means giant tortoise. A island province of Ecuador, it is 600 miles west of the mainland and is home to 30,000 human animals. It is an ecosystem—a fragile one—to many unusual animals, birds, flowers  and insects.

Tortoise          

 Lonesome George is the last surviving Pinta Island giant tortoise. He was discovered in 1970 when the species was thought to be extinct. He is one of 13 species of tortoises in the islands. Sailors nearly decimated the tortoise by the 1920s. The survivors were taken to Santa Cruz Island.

Lonesome George

  Espanola Island has tortoises but they live high in the mountains so are relatively safe from sailors and fishermen.

  Isabella Island had 15 tortoises—3 males and 12 females in 1920-- and are now a healthy population.

   In 1989 fishermen started harvesting sea cucumbers and nearly wiped out that population. They were marketed to Japan. Lobsters suffered a similar fate. Eventually the Government of National Parks set restrictions on fishermen. Unfortunately it is difficult to control. Now sharks are being fished for their fins, again to be exported to Japan. All such activity endangers the marine life and ecosystem.

  Goats and pigs were introduced which not only threatened the ecosystem but also threatened the tortoise. They multiplied rapidly so sharpshooters from New Zealand were hired to ride helicopters and shoot the animals that then mounted to 100,000. The goats and pigs on Isabella Island aregone!

Marine Iguanas 
  The marine iguana is the world’s only living swimming lizard and it inhabits the Galapagos Islands. They inhabit the volcanic chain of Islands that has been a great breeding ground for millions of years.

 The animal’s broader tail aids in swimming while the dorsal spines on its back help to stabilize the animal—acting similar to the dorsal fins on a fish. A gland in the nasal area removes excess salt by expelling it through the nose and can give the appearance of white frosting on the face after a swim. I was intrigued the first time I saw it.

   Being cold blooded, marine iguanas warm by sunning on the rocks and we saw many of them doing just that. Since they are black, they blend into the volcanic rock, so it is imperative to watch where you step. We tried hard not to disturb them. They reminded me of a prehistoric creature. They can grow up to four feet long from nose  
  Biologists believe millions of years ago both the land and marine iguanas evolved from a common ancestor. Land iguana look very different in both build and color. All 7 species of marine iguanas are classified under Amblyrhynchus cristatus. The color of the iguanas varies from island to island.

  In the water the iguanas are agile and swift, but on land they languish and move slowly, although I did see a couple scamper pretty quickly into the water.