Wildlife in Galapagos | Eclipse Cruise

The Galapagos Archipelago is full of incredible land and marine animals, and life in the ocean is as varied as that above it.

You will be able to see a wide variety of species on a Galapagos cruise, but here is a selection of some of the key wildlife you may encounter from the Eclipse.

blue-footed boobie

Blue Footed Boobies are tropical seabirds and are amongst the most famous birds in the Galapagos Islands. They are the most commonly seen booby bird in the Archipelago as thet nest near the coast and feed close to shore. The name booby comes from the Spanish term 'bobo', which means fool. The Blue Footed Boobie is graceful in the air but rather clumsy and cumbersome on land. Compared to other seabirds it is very tame allowing for some great photo opportunities.

land iguana

The Land Iguanas are another of the endemic species that can be found on Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz and the North Seymour Islands. Its beautiful colours can vary from a golden yellow to deep orange and dark red. In the last census of this species, it concluded that there are around 5,000 to 10,000 land iguanas left in the Galapagos Islands and for this reason, they are currently in danger of extinction.

galapagos cormorant

Also known as the non-flying cormorant, the Galapagos Cormorant is an endemic species and is the only cormorant in the world that has lost its ability to fly, much to the interest of a young Charles Darwin. This was because they had no natural predators and so no need to fly. However, with the arrival of man and other foreign animals there are 1,500 estimated to be left. This unique cormorant can be found only on Fernandina and Isabela Island, both stops on an Eclipse cruise.

galapagos sea lion

The Galapagos Sea Lion lives on the rocky coasts of the islands in the west of the Archipelago. These sea lions don't migrate and they stay near the islands all their lives, which is about 20 years. The Galapagos Sea Lion feeds mainly on fish and mollusks near the coast and the water surface, but they have been spotted in depths of up to 170 meters. They reproduce in the oriental Pacific off the Galapagos Islands and they are endemic to the islands.

galapagos sea turtle

The Galapagos Sea Turtle is frequently found in large numbers in the Galapagos Islands. This kind of sea turtle belongs to a group of endemic species from the islands. The Galapagos Archipelago provides the sea turtle with the best places to reproduce and feed during the year. This is why the Galapagos has one of the largest colonies of sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean.