What animals will I see in the Galapagos Islands?
Although there’s no such thing, outside of captivity, as a certainty of seeing rare animals anywhere in the world, the incredibly biodiverse Galápagos Islands come as close as anywhere to offering a guarantee. And what remarkable species you’ll see, many of them endemic to the archipelago and completely indifferent to the encroachment of humans on their little patch of paradise.
Perhaps the most iconic species from this whole menagerie of ultra-specialists is the giant tortoise.
As the Spanish word for tortoise is ‘Galapago’, a giant dollop of reptile appreciation is therefore a must on any itinerary. The only guarantee that you’ll see a giant tortoise, though, is by viewing them in captivity – the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz is the obvious place to see these aged beings haul their carapaces around.