So, you’ve bought your ticket to the Galapagos Islands, blocked out the dates on your calendar and now it’s time to discover what is truly behind this world-renowned archipelago. With some of the highest rates of endemism in the world, there’s no scarcity of unusual life to be found on the islands; however, not all of these species are as regularly seen as others. Here is a list of some of the most commonly seen animals in the Galapagos Archipelago.

Galapagos Giant Tortoises

Galapagos Giant Tortoises are unashamedly one of the most iconic animals to inhabit this archipelago, even giving the islands their name. Fortunately, extremely fruitful conservation efforts have brought most of the Galapagos Tortoise populations back to healthy numbers, but this was not always the case. Galapagos Tortoises are able to survive for up to one year without any food or water, making them an excellent fresh meal for tired sailors back in the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries. These days, park visitors are able to observe the tortoises in their natural habitat, as well as through the ongoing breeding and repatriation programs at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Marine Iguanas

The Galapagos Archipelago is the only place in the world that is home to sea-going lizards, known as marine iguanas. While these salt-encrusted creatures with their smashed-in faces are not much to look at, they hold some extraordinarily unique features. For example, marine iguanas have evolved with special glands that collect excess salt from their blood stream, which they ingest from the ocean algae. You will likely see them sneezing it out as they bathe along the shore under the equatorial sun.