Co-Founded by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett, Green Global Travel is an ecotourism, nature / wildlife conservation & cultural preservation magazine. More about us.
Published April 1, 2012 | 
Christmas Iguanas of the Galapagos Islands
There’s no denying the fact that marine iguanas are SERIOUSLY freaky. They look like little miniature Godzillas, hissing and sneezing (in order to expel excess salt from their nasal glands) and tending to clutter en masse like kittens. Marine Iguanas can be found pretty much everywhere in the Galapagos Islands, but they seem to love congregating on the lava-strewn shores, where they can rapidly absorb heat from the sun to warm their bodies after a swim. They vary greatly from island to island in terms of size and color, from the Christmas Iguanas on Española to the brick red colors of the subspecies on Fernandina, where there were so many marine iguanas that you had to watch where you walked for fear of stepping on one. On land they appear graceless and clumsy, but their flattened tails and spiky dorsal fins make them a wonder to behold in the water. It’s extremely bizarre to be snorkeling and see a 3- to 5-foot long lizard feeding on algae 25 feet below you, then shimmying their prehistoric-looking bodies like snakes to swim to the surface for air. But, after a few encounters with this rare and remarkable species, we grew to love them, treasuring their crusty cuteness and their puppy-like penchant for being constantly underfoot. –by Bret Love; photo by Mary Gabbett
If you liked Marine Iguanas, you might also like:
Wildlife of the Galapagos video series: Part I, Sea Lions
Wildlife of the Galapagos video series: Part 2, Flightless Cormorants
Wildlife of the Galapagos video series: Part 3, Tortoises
DAY 1- Photo Gallery: San Cristobal, Kicker Rock & Genovesa
DAY 2- Photo Gallery: Genovesa & Fernandina
DAY 3- Photo Gallery: Isabela & Santiago
DAY 4- Photo Gallery: North Seymour & Bartolome
DAY 5- Photo Gallery: Santa Cruz & Espanola
9 Responses to VIDEO: Marine Iguanas of The Galapagos Islands
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Co-Founded by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett, Green Global Travel is an ecotourism, nature / wildlife conservation & cultural preservation magazine. More about us.Help Support Green Global Travel!
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Seriously, while these things look amazing and are pretty unique creatures to watch on the screen I have come across them in person and they are pretty scary to be near to!
I personally didn’t find them scary at all, but then again I tend to love sharks, snakes, spiders and other critters that creep some people out. I actually found them adorable in a crusty, scaly, curmudgeonly old man sorta way. They’re like the reptilian equivalent of Ed Asner’s character in the film UP!
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i would like to send the video to my 2 yr. old gran daughter. i’m 66 and just learning how to operate my
my laptop. is it possible to send the video to her? thank you. david winn
Hey David, you should be able to click on the video and follow the link to YouTube, then email the video directly from there. If you have problems, let us know and we can help!