Snorkelling alongside the world’s only marine lizard—Galápagos’ marine iguanas—is like swimming in your own Jurassic Park film. These exceptional creatures feed underwater on algae, and often bask in the sunshine in huge numbers.
They’re found on many islands, with Fernandina, Isabela, Santiago, and Santa Cruz among the top destinations.
Land iguanas are just as intriguing. Ten million years of isolated evolution have made the Santa Fe land iguana a paler colour than other species in the archipelago, which display more vibrant yellow, black, and orange colours.
Wolf Island, which cannot be visited, is home to a striking pink land iguana. This species is distinct from other Galápagos land iguanas. Only around 200-300 survive, living in a small patch around the high slopes and caldera of the active Wolf Volcano, another threat to the pink iguana’s existence.
Elsewhere, on South Plaza, marine and land iguanas occasionally interbreed. The offspring are an infertile, land-based hybrid that mostly looks like a land iguana but uses its marine iguana sharp talons to climb trees and has a taste for seaweed.
