Pictures from our eleventh day on the Galápagos islands.
Early morning in Punta Morena
Flightless cormorant
There are only about 700–800 breeding pairs
Flightless cormorant jumping up and diving down
The cormorants here are heavier than elsewhere because they no longer fly and more weight helps them to dive deeper
Marine iguana coming ashore
Marine iguanas have strong claws and they need a good grip when climbing out of the water
The sea is cold
The cold sea makes it hard for mammals to keep their temperature up, but it also limits the time marine iguanas have
Another marine iguana coming ashore
The bigger the iguana, the longer it can stay in the water. Big ones can stay up to 20 min
Sea lion and flightless cormorant
The bird's body shape is well suited for flying and swimming; it hunts for octopus and eels on the sea bed
Bored sea lion, busy cormorant
The short wings are no longer suitable for flying
Penguin
The Galápagos penguins are the northernmost penguins in the world
Marine iguanas hanging out
Spreading out and lying flat in order to heat up, standing tall and facing the sun when they've reached optimum temperature, 35°C to 37°C
Brown feathers means younger penguin
The equator is warm and the penguins like it cold; the small body size helps them cope
The white stuff in their faces is salt
In order to get rid of the excess salt, they sneeze. If they sneeze into the wind, the salt settles on their faces…
Isabela is the largest island of the Galápagos
The marine iguanas here are the largest of the entire archipelago
Marine iguanas
The have sharp, flat teeth to graze on the sea grass and algae
Marine iguana, swimming
In the water, their heartbeat slows from about 40/min down to 10/min, which prevents cooling too fast
Marine iguanas warming up
Pelican
The dive for fish from a height of about 20m
Some are bigger than others
Marine iguanas and penguins
Penguin
Hard to believe that they can reach up to 40km/h under water
Marine iguana and retreating crabs
Their long and strong tail is used for propulsion when swimming
Galápagos penguins
Algae growing on the salt
This is the excess salt they take in via all the sea weed they eat
Bigger iguanas can stay in the water for longer
Penguins
The cold equatorial sea current makes the heat bearable for the penguins
Penguins mate for life
The spend the hot days in the cold water and come back ashore in the late afternoon
Marine iguanas
The neck spines can stand up if they're excited, ready to defend their territory
Marine iguana overview
Brown pelican
The Galápagos pelican is a subspecies of the brown pelican; they nest in mangrove forests
Lava
Who can spot the lava cactus?
Small ponds in the lava
Green on black
Brackish water in the lava
Bigger ponds in the lava
We were promised flamingos but they are nowhere to be found
Cactus in bloom
Notice the flowers
More lava
Claudia & Alex & lava
Mangroves, lava and the ocean
Flightless cormorant
Doesn't need big wings, but needs big and strong feet for propulsion underwater
Pelican stares back
Pelicans like to glide over the water
Panga ride in Elizabeth Bay
Lava herons in the mangrove forest
Some biologists think the lava heron is a subspecies of the mangrove heron…
Great blue heron in mangroves
Ardea herodias
Penguin hunting in the lagoon
Lava heron, watching the tourists
Quiet afternoon, with penguins
The penguins kept hunting until we left
Sunset
