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Visitors to the Galápagos do not come for the pristine beaches, gourmet food, or lavish accommodations: they come to see an active, ample, and cage-less zoo. People visiting the Galápagos have the special opportunity to observe up-close the unique and often unusual features and behavior of species endemic to the archipelago, or found nowhere else on earth.
Reptiles—not mammals—dominate the animal scene in the Galápagos, due to their ability to cross long distances—like the Ecuadorian mainland to the archipelago—without food or water. There are 22 species of Galápagos reptiles, 20 of which are endemic to the archipelago. Large mammals, in turn, are either non-existent or marine-dependent, the most prevalent (and entertaining) examples of which are the endemic sea lions.
•  The Galápagos Giant Tortoise is most well-known for its immense size, weighing up to 250 kg, and incredible life span of at least 150 years. The most famous Galápagos giant tortoise is Lonesome George, the last of the Pinto island subspecies and a charismatic representative of the plight of the tortoises due to human activity and introduced predators.
• The only marine turtle to breed in the Galápagos is the Green Sea Turtle , which can lay as many as 500 eggs in large, “body-pit” nests throughout the nesting season. Only about one percent of the delectable hatchlings will survive predation by crabs, birds, sharks, or introduced cats, dogs, or donkeys.
• There are seven endemic species of Lava Lizard in the Galápagos, easily recognizable by their tiny size and interesting, variable coloring. Lava lizards can be seen darting about on most islands of the archipelago or performing their characteristic “push-up” behavior to show territorial aggression or courting behavior.
• There are two endemic species of Land Iguana in the Galápagos archipelago, both of which have pale to dark yellow coloring. Land iguanas have a fairly limited home range, which means that they rely on a small area to find their favorite opuntia cactus meals, thus making them susceptible to localized climatic changes.
• The endemic Marine Iguana is the only sea-faring lizard in the world. Adult marine iguanas are usually black, but some races have a red and green lichen-like covering on their backs, the result of dies in the algae they eat. Marine iguanas are one of the most entertaining creatures to watch: they propel themselves through the surf with their elongated tails, huddle together on-land for warmth, and perform a primordial snort (often all over an unsuspecting visitor) to remove the salt water from their nostrils.
• The endemic Galápagos Sea Lions are the archipelago's most persistent attention-grabbers. Males jealously guard and protect their territory with physical and verbal threats, retreating to “bachelor pads” to heal and rest when they lose a battle; females and juveniles conglomerate in harems; and pups swim and play together in shallow water “kindergartens.” Since sea lions are also absolutely fearless of humans, visitors are likely to encounter them as curious underwater playmates, beach partners, or hilarious adornments to dinghies and landing points.
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