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  • Jet window view over Quito. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America.  UNESCO honored City of Quito as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an Inca city. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. In 2008 Quito became headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. The elevation of the city's central square (Plaza de La Independencia or Plaza Grande) is 2850 meters (9350 feet), making Quito the second-highest administrative capital city in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia). The central square of Quito is located about 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude. A monument and museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as la mitad del mundo (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator.
    09EQUCIMG_4067_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • A bonded pair of Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) grooms at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5343_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3613_Galapagos.jpg
  • A llama baby stands on the rim of Quilotoa. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South.
    09EQUCIMG_3088_Ecuador.jpg
  • White orchid in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_2896_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The necks of two Llamas cross at Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America
    09ECU-2839_Ecuador.jpg
  • Bromeliads grow in cloud forest above Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 2,400 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), and terrestrial species, such as the pineapple (Ananas comosus). Many bromeliads are able to store water in a "tank" formed by their tightly-overlapping leaf bases. However, the family is diverse enough to include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphytic Tillandsia species that gather water only from leaf structures called trichomes, and a large number of desert-dwelling succulents.
    09ECU-2433_Ecuador.jpg
  • Red trumpet shaped Fuchsia flowers bloom in high cloud forest near the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants, mostly shrubs, and can grow long shoots, which were identified by Charles Plumier in the late-17th century, and named by Plumier in 1703 after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566). The English name fuchsias is frequently misspelled "fuschias".
    09ECU-2429_Ecuador.jpg
  • An agave plant grows in highlands farms in the landscape around the Black Sheep Inn (Posada Oveja Negra) sign, in Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2388_Ecuador.jpg
  • Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2306_Ecuador.jpg
  • Pasochoa (4,200 meters) is an extinct volcano in the Guayllabamba river basin in the Ecuadorean Andes, South America, home of Pasochoa Wild Life Refuge established in 1996. This view of Pasochoa is from Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Pasochoa is a collapsed crater with a semicircular shape. This structure emerged approximately 100 thousand years ago due to an eruption which destroyed the crater and occidental slope of the previous volcanic cone. Lava and ash increased the fertility of the ground in the Pasochoa region, encouraging the growth of a vibrant forest ecosystem. Despite the fertile soil, difficult accessibility and an uneven surface made the area inappropriate for extensive agriculture. The Pasochoa Wild Life Refuge, established in 1996, contains one of the few remaining original Andean forests. Fundacion Natura manages the Pasochoa and offer programs on the natural resource conservation and environmental education and sponsors scientific research. The mountain has a wonderful variety of wildlife, including pumas, foxes, skunks, a very diverse collection of birds, and a wonderful collection of plants.
    09ECU-2297_Ecuador.jpg
  • José Ribas hut (15,750 feet/4800 meters) is a climbers refuge on Cotopaxi, a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2265_Ecuador.jpg
  • Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province.
    09ECU-2255_Ecuador.jpg
  • Quito, capital city of Ecuador, wraps around the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active volcano. The mountain's two highest peaks are the Guagua (15,696 feet/4,784 m), which means "child" in Quechua and the Rucu (15,413 feet/4,698 m), which means "old person". The active caldera is in the Guagua, on the western side of the mountain. Guagua is usually accessed from the village Lloa outside of Quito. In October of 1999, the volcano erupted and covered the city with several inches of ash. Prior to that, the last major eruption was in 1660, when about a foot of ash fell on the city. On May 24, 1822, in the context of the war of independence of Latin American, Patriot forces defeated a Spanish colonial army on the slopes of the Pichincha. The encounter, known as the Battle of Pichincha, sealed the independence of the lands that constitute modern Ecuador. San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito, is the capital city of Ecuador (and of Pichincha province) in northwestern South America. This city of 1.4 million people (as of the 2001 census) is located in the Guayllabamba river basin. Panorama was stitched from 7 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2214-20pan_Quito-Ecuador_Quito...jpg
  • Large broad leaves grow in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2113_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • White fungi radiates from a tree trunk in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2079_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Booted Racket-tail (or Racquet-tail; or Racquet-tailed Hummingbird; Latin name Ocreatus underwoodii) in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, in the "Mindo Area of International Importance for Birds," Tandayapa Valley, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2063_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Buff-tailed Coronet (Boissonneaua flavescens) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
    09ECU-2055_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Tom Dempsey photographed this Violet-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus coelestis) hummingbird in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. This species is found in Colombia and Ecuador. Males average around 7 inches (18 cm), while females average around 3.8 inches (9.7 cm). The Sylph lives in areas from 300-2100 meters in elevation, though typically above 900 meters.
    09ECU-2045_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Underwater orange and green algae grows in bright patterns in Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands (formed 3 million years ago), a province of Ecuador, South America. The English named it Hood Island after Viscount Samuel Hood. Two spots are especially popular with visitors: Bahía Gardner, which has a lovely beach; and Punta Suárez, of interest because of its varied bird-life. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09EQUCIMG_3979_Galapagos.jpg
  • The day after we cruised by the eruption of La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina, our boat was covered with small glass pellets with threaded tails. On April 21, 2009, we saw La Cumbre volcano erupting with a fountain of lava creating a red river flowing into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests.
    09EQUCIMG_3515_Galapagos.jpg
  • A foot bridge with animal cut outs crosses a channel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (the capital of the Galápagos archipelago), on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island, Ecuador, South America), which is the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically. Nearby tourism sites include: the Cerro Tijeretas (Frigatebird Hill), a nesting colony for Frigate birds; and a statue of Charles Darwin, marking the original site where he first disembarked in the Galápagos Islands on 16 September 1835, during the voyage of the Beagle. The Spanish name for San Cristóbal comes from the Patron Saint of seafarers, "St. Christopher." Its older English name of Chatham is that of William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. The highest point on the island rises to 730 meters.
    09ECU-5557_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) play on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5458_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) bask and ignore people on the sandy beach of Gardner Bay, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5421_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Nazca Booby (Sula granti) chick roosts on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5389_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Nazca Booby (Sula granti) roosts on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5372_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Nazca Booby (Sula granti) roosts on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5356_Galapagos.jpg
  • A young Nazca Booby (Sula granti) fledges new wings on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5353_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Nazca Booby (Sula granti) roosts on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America. The Nazca Booby is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, namely on the Galápagos Islands and Clipperton Island. The Revillagigedo Islands off Baja California possibly constitute its northeasternmost limit of breeding range. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Masked Booby but the Nazca Booby is now recognized as a separate species differing in ecology, morphology, and DNA. The Nazca Booby co-occurs with the Masked Booby on Clipperton Island, where they may rarely hybridize.  Two eggs are laid so that one remains insurance in case the other gets destroyed or eaten, or the chick dies soon after hatching, which often occurs as one chick out-competes the other.
    09ECU-5350_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) roosts at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels). In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. Panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-5292+98_Waved-albatross.jpg
  • A Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) flaps wings at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5261_Galapagos.jpg
  • A bonded pair of Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata; or Galapagos Albatross) roosts at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, the oldest of the Galapagos Islands, which are a province of Ecuador, South America.  The Waved Albatross is the only tropical member of the Albatross family (Diomedeidae). During the non-breeding season, Waved Albatross mostly reside in the coastal areas of Ecuador and Peru. The Waved Albatross breeds primarily on Española Island in the Galápagos archipelago (and maybe some on Genovesa Island and Isla de la Plata). Waved Albatross have blue feet and distinctively yellowish-cream neck and head, which contrasts with their mostly brownish bodies. The very long, bright yellow bill looks disproportionately large in comparison to the relatively small head and long, slender neck. They have chestnut brown upper parts and underparts, except for the breast, with fine barring, a little coarser on the rump. They have brown upper-wings, back, and tail, along with a whitish breast and underwings. Their axillaries (armpit feathers) are brown. Chicks have brown fluffy feathers. Juveniles are similar to adults except for more white on their head. Their lifespan may reach 40 to 45 years. Diomedeidae (the Albatross family) come from the Procellariiformes order (along with Shearwaters, Fulmars, Storm-petrels, and Diving-petrels).
    09ECU-5221_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) basks at Suaraz Point, a wet landing on Española (Hood) Island, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands. They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island.
    09ECU-5157_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis, subspecies: urinator) walks the beach at Suaraz Point, a wet landing location on Española (Hood) Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. The Brown Pelican species lives strictly on coasts from Washington and Virginia south to northern Chile and the mouth of the Amazon River. Some immature birds may stray to inland freshwater lakes. Although large for a bird, the Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican. Adults are 106-137 cm (42-54 inches) in length, weigh from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6-12 pounds), and have a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6 to 8.2 feet). After nesting, North American birds move in flocks further north along the coasts, returning to warmer waters for winter. Their young are hatched in broods of about 3, and eat around 150 pounds of fish in the 8-10 month period they are cared for. The Brown Pelican bird differs from the American White Pelican by its brown body and its habit of diving for fish from the air, as opposed to cooperative fishing from the surface. It eats mainly herring-like fish. The nest location varies from a simple scrape on the ground on an island to a bulky stick nest in a low tree. Pelicans can live more than 30 years. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-5141_Galapagos.jpg
  • Curved metal art decorates a gate in Puerto Ayora, capitol of Santa Cruz Island and the largest town in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, Ecuador, South America. Santa Cruz Island is a large dormant volcano in the Galápagos Islands with a maximum altitude of 864 metres. The last eruptions occurred around a million and a half years ago. Santa Cruz translates from Spanish as Holy Cross. Its English name, Indefatigable, was given after a British vessel HMS Indefatigable. Situated in the centre of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Canton is the second largest island of the Galápagos archipelago after Isabela. The economy includes tourism, agriculture and cattle raising. Santa Cruz hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora.
    09ECU-5076_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galápagos giant tortoises attempt to mate (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly Geochelone elephantopus) in a pool of water at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS, operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation) in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos islands, Ecuador, South America. This species is the largest living tortoise and is native to seven islands of the Galápagos archipelago. Fully grown adults can weigh over 300 kilograms (661 lb) and measure 1.5 meters (5 feet) over the curve of the shell. They are long-lived with a life expectancy of up to 100-150 years in the wild. Populations fell dramatically because of hunting and the introduction of predators and grazers by humans since the 1600s. Only ten subspecies of the original twelve exist in the wild. Since Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation were established, hundreds of captive-bred juveniles have been released back onto their home islands.
    09ECU-5064_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra, formerly Geochelone elephantopus) regards another at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS, operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation) in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos islands, Ecuador, South America. This species is the largest living tortoise and is native to seven islands of the Galápagos archipelago. Fully grown adults can weigh over 300 kilograms (661 lb) and measure 1.5 meters (5 feet) over the curve of the shell. They are long-lived with a life expectancy of up to 100-150 years in the wild. Populations fell dramatically because of hunting and the introduction of predators and grazers by humans since the 1600s. Only ten subspecies of the original twelve exist in the wild. Since Galápagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Foundation were established, hundreds of captive-bred juveniles have been released back onto their home islands.
    09ECU-4848_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Santa Fe Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus) is exclusively native to Santa Fe Island and is one of two species of lizard in the genus Conolophus, in the Iguanidae family. The Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS, operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation) runs an iguana breeding center in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador, South America. The Santa Fe Galapagos Land Iguana is colored yellowish orange beneath a brownish-red back and tail. The Galapagos Land Iguana (genus Conolophus) is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, primarily the islands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Hood and South Plaza.
    09ECU-4823_Galapagos.jpg
  • Panchita Tunnel is an intriguing lava tube/cave on Rancho Primicias next to El Chato Tortoise Reserve, in the highlands near Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador, South America. Santa Cruz Island is a large dormant volcano in the Galápagos Islands with a maximum altitude of 864 metres. The last eruptions occurred around a million and a half years ago. Santa Cruz translates from Spanish as Holy Cross. Its English name, Indefatigable, was given after a British vessel HMS Indefatigable. Situated in the centre of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Canton is the second largest island of the Galápagos archipelago after Isabela. Its capital is Puerto Ayora, the most populated urban centre in the islands. The economy includes tourism, agriculture and cattle raising. Santa Cruz hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4643_Galapagos.jpg
  • Panchita Tunnel is an intriguing lava tube/cave on Rancho Primicias next to El Chato Tortoise Reserve, in the highlands near Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador, South America. Santa Cruz Island is a large dormant volcano in the Galápagos Islands with a maximum altitude of 864 metres. The last eruptions occurred around a million and a half years ago. Santa Cruz translates from Spanish as Holy Cross. Its English name, Indefatigable, was given after a British vessel HMS Indefatigable. Situated in the centre of the archipelago, Santa Cruz Canton is the second largest island of the Galápagos archipelago after Isabela. Its capital is Puerto Ayora, the most populated urban centre in the islands. The economy includes tourism, agriculture and cattle raising. Santa Cruz hosts the largest human population in the archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4635_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) nests on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America.  The Blue-footed Booby is a bird in the Sulidae family which comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Booby is tropical and subtropical islands off the Pacific Ocean. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4599_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) strides on North Seymour Island in April, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. The Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as Turnstone. North Seymour Island was named after English nobleman Lord Hugh Seymour and has a maximum altitude of 28 meters (92 feet), formed from geological uplift.
    09ECU-4593_Galapagos.jpg
  • Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) parents swap nesting duty on two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. A dark pigment surrounding the female's eye pupil makes it look larger than the male's. .The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4548_Galapagos.jpg
  • Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) parents swap nesting duty on two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. A dark pigment surrounding the female's eye pupil makes it look larger than the male's. .The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4546_Galapagos.jpg
  • Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) parents swap nesting duty on two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. A dark pigment surrounding the female's eye pupil makes it look larger than the male's. .The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4531_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) parent nests two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4509_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) nests on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4508_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) nests on North Seymour Island (introduced from neighboring Baltra Island) in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. The Galapagos Land Iguana is colored yellowish orange beneath and brownish-red above, and is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family, one of two species of the genus Conolophus. The Galapagos Land Iguana is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, primarily the islands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Hood and South Plaza. North Seymour Island was named after English nobleman Lord Hugh Seymour and has a maximum altitude of 28 meters (92 feet), formed from geological uplift.
    09ECU-4488_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) nests on North Seymour Island (introduced from neighboring Baltra Island) in the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador, located 972 km west of the continent of South America. The Galapagos Land Iguana is colored yellowish orange beneath and brownish-red above, and is a species of lizard in the Iguanidae family, one of two species of the genus Conolophus. The Galapagos Land Iguana is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, primarily the islands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Hood and South Plaza. North Seymour Island was named after English nobleman Lord Hugh Seymour and has a maximum altitude of 28 meters (92 feet), formed from geological uplift.
    09ECU-4486_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) nests with two eggs on North Seymour Island, part of the Galápagos archipelago, a province of Ecuador 972 km offshore west of the continent of South America. The Sulidae family comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means "stupid" or "fool/clown," which describes its clumsy nature on land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame. Blue-footed Boobies breed in tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.
    09ECU-4478_Galapagos.jpg
  • Travelers enjoy the beach via inflatable boat at Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island, an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001. For licensing options, please inquire.
    09ECU-4450_Galapagos.jpg
  • Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island is an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4409_Galapagos.jpg
  • Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island is an icon of the Galápagos archipelago. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4353_Galapagos.jpg
  • A volcanic tuff cone rises above Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island (Bartholomew Island), Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. This large black partially eroded lava formation was created when volcanic magma reached the sea and exploded into particles which fastened together into rock comprised of thin layers. Bartolomé Island (or Bartholomew Island, named after Lieutenant David Bartholomew of the British Navy) is one of the geologically younger islands in the Galápagos archipelago, just off the east coast of Santiago (James) Island. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-4315_Galapagos.jpg
  • Galapagos Marine Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) rest in a tide pool at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-4256_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) swims at Puerto Egas, which can be visited via a wet landing on Santiago (or San Salvador; or James Island), in the Galápagos Islands archipelago, a province of Ecuador, South America. The Marine Iguana is the world’s only sea-going lizard and is found only on the Galapagos Islands (spread throughout the archipelago). They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Santiago is equivalent to Saint James in English; and its alternative name San Salvador refers to the island discovered by Columbus in the Caribbean Sea.
    09ECU-4222_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-4137_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean, expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-4128_Galapagos.jpg
  • April 21, 2009: La Cumbre volcano erupts lava into the Pacific Ocean creating steam clouds and expanding Fernandina (Narborough) Island, in the Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. This eruption cycle started April 10, 2009 after 5 years of quiet. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina is the youngest and westernmost island of the Galápagos archipelago, and has a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 feet). Tourists are allowed to visit Punta Espinosa, a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas gather largely on black lava rocks. The Flightless Cormorant, Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea Lions are abundant on this island of lava flows and Mangrove Forests. The volcanic Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón, otherwise called Islas de Colón, Islas Galápagos, or Enchanted Islands) are distributed along the equator in the Pacific Ocean 972 km west of continental Ecuador, South America. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3794_Galapagos.jpg
  • Juvenile Striated Heron (Butorides striata) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Also known as Mangrove Heron or Little Heron, the Striated Heron breeds in small wetlands in the Old World tropics from west Africa to Japan and Australia, and in South America. This bird was long considered to be conspecific with the closely related North American species, the Green Heron, which is now usually separated as B. virescens, as well as the Lava Heron of the Galápagos Islands (now B. sundevalli, but often included in B. striata; collectively they were called "green-backed herons". Like other herons, they are traditionally placed in the order Ciconiiformes together with storks, but all these birds form a close-knit group with pelicans, and it is unresolved whether herons are not closer to these than to storks.
    09ECU-3677_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3623_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3559_Galapagos.jpg
  • A lava lizard mounts a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    09ECU-3557_Galapagos.jpg
  • A lava lizard mounts a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) at Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3534_Galapagos.jpg
  • The Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) thrives on Punta (Point) Espinoza, on Fernandina (Narborough) Island, Galápagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    09ECU-3509_Galapagos.jpg
  • Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor) on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America.  Frigatebirds, which are in the family Fregatidae, are related to pelicans. The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. The female is larger than the adult male and has a white throat and breast and a red eye ring. The male's scapular (shoulder) feathers have a purple-green sheen. In breeding season, the male distends a striking red gular sac. The species feeds on fish taken in flight from the ocean's surface (mostly flyingfish), and pirates food from other birds less frequently than other frigatebirds. They feed in pelagic waters within 80 km (50 mi) of their breeding colony or roosting areas. Fregata minor is known as the Iwa in Hawaii. The Great Frigatebird measures  85–105 cm (33.5–41.5 in) with long pointed wings and long forked tails. Weighing between 1–1.8 kg (2.2–4 pounds), they have the highest ratio of wing area to body mass of any bird. Juveniles are black with a rust-tinged white face, head and throat. Major nesting populations of Great Frigatebirds are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic. A single egg is laid each breeding season. The duration of parental care in frigatebirds is the longest of any bird.
    09ECU-3326_Galapagos.jpg
  • Nesting with egg. The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. Sula sula breeds in colonies and is found widely on tropical islands. The Red-footed Booby is the smallest of all boobies at 71 cm in length and with a 137 cm wingspan, and has red legs with pink and blue bill and throat pouch. They are powerful and agile fliers but clumsy in takeoffs and landings. The brown morph of this species is brown with a white belly, rump, and tail. The white morph is mostly white with black on the flight feathers. Young birds are greyish with browner wings and pink legs. The sexes appear similar. Photographed on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island, or Bird Island), a shield volcano in the Galápagos Islands, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. National Park visitors follow licensed guides up the steep path of Prince Philip’s Steps (up a cliff 25 meters vertically) to seabird colonies full of life amidst a thin palo santo forest growing in a rocky desert plain.
    09ECU-3286_Galapagos.jpg
  • A Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) barks on Isla Genovesa (or Tower Island), Ecuador, South America. This mammal in the Otariidae family breeds exclusively on the Galápagos Islands and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. Being fairly social, and one of the most numerous species in the Galápagos archipelago, they are often spotted sun-bathing on sandy shores or rock groups or gliding gracefully through the surf. They have a loud “bark”, playful nature, and graceful agility in water. Slightly smaller than their Californian relatives, Galápagos Sea Lions range from 150 to 250 cm in length and weigh between 50 to 400 kg, with the males averaging larger than females. Sea lions have external ear-like pinnae flaps which distinguish them from their close relative with whom they are often confused, the seal. When wet, sea lions are a shade of dark brown, but once dry, their color varies greatly. The females tend to be a lighter shade than the males and the pups a chestnut brown. In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3215_Galapagos.jpg
  • Fishermen in snorkel gear pull nets at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham Island), the easternmost island in the Galápagos archipelago, and one of the oldest geologically.  Its Spanish (and most commonly used) name "San Cristóbal" comes from the Patron Saint of seafarers, "St. Christopher." In 1959, Ecuador declared 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands to be Galápagos National Park, which UNESCO registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Ecuador created the Galápagos Marine Reserve in 1998, which UNESCO appended in 2001.
    09ECU-3094_Galapagos.jpg
  • Aerial overview, green Andes Highlands, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_4059_Quito-Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_3070_Ecuador.jpg
  • A crawling insect with knobby white shell eats leaves in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_3000_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • A black and yellow banded spider climbs a plant in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America. Spiders have eight legs and are not insects. Spiders (order Araneae, class Arachnida) are air-breathing arthropods that have chelicerae, grasping mouthparts with fangs that inject venom. Unlike spiders, insects have six legs and a pair of antennae.
    09EQUCIMG_2997_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • orange flower in Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, near Quito, Ecuador, South America
    09EQUCIMG_2981_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • Green plants cover the roof of the Geodesic Dome lodging in the forest canopy at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, less than 2 hours drive from Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09EQUCIMG_2913_Bellavista-Ecuador.jpg
  • The Saturday animal market bustles in Otavalo, Ecuador, South America. The culturally vibrant town of Otavalo attracts many tourists to a valley of the Imbabura Province of Ecuador, surrounded by the peaks of Imbabura 4,610m, Cotacachi 4,995m, and Mojanda volcanoes. The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous Saturday market and smaller markets during the rest of the week. The Plaza del Ponchos and many shops tantalize buyers with a wide array of handicrafts. Nearby villages and towns are also famous for particular crafts: Cotacachi, the center of Ecuador's leather industry, is known for its polished calf skins; and San Antonio specializes in wood carving of statues, picture frames and furniture. Otavaliña women traditionally wear distinctive white embroidered blouses, with flared lace sleeves, and black or dark over skirts, with cream or white under skirts. Long hair is tied back with a 3cm band of woven multi colored material, often matching the band which is wound several times around their waists. They usually have many strings of gold beads around their necks, and matching tightly wound long strings of coral beads around each wrist. Men wear white trousers, and dark blue ponchos. Otavalo is also known for its Inca-influenced traditional music (sometimes known as Andean New Age) and musicians who travel around the world.
    09EQUCIMG_2844_Otavalo-Ecuador.jpg
  • In Latacunga, Ecuador, a bus/truck proclaims political slogans, banners and pictures.
    09ECU-3014_Ecuador.jpg
  • A woman, boy, girl and dog drive sheep on the road to Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, Andes Mountains, South America.
    09ECU-3011_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop, ranch, and cactus land climbs a hill near Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-3004_Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2841_Ecuador.jpg
  • Chuquiraga is a genus of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Quilotoa, in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2840_Ecuador.jpg
  • Lupine flowers bloom above beautiful Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South. Lupinus is a genus in the pea family (also called the legume, bean, or pulse family, Latin name Fabaceae or Leguminosae). Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010. Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping images.
    09ECU-2807-09pan_Quilotoa.jpg
  • Lupine flowers bloom above beautiful Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador, South America. Quilotoa, a tourist site of growing popularity, is a scenic water-filled caldera that is the westernmost volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 3 kilometers (2 mile) wide caldera (diameter about 9km) was formed by the collapse of this dacite volcano following a catastrophic VEI-6 eruption about 800 years ago, which produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that reached the Pacific Ocean, and spread an airborne deposit of volcanic ash throughout the northern Andes. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 meter (820 foot) deep crater lake, which has a greenish color from dissolved minerals. Fumaroles are found on the lake floor and hot springs occur on the eastern flank of the volcano. The route to the "summit" (the small town of Quilotoa) is generally traveled by hired truck or bus from the town of Zumbahua 17 km to the South. Lupinus is a genus in the pea family (also called the legume, bean, or pulse family, Latin name Fabaceae or Leguminosae). Panorama stitched from 9 overlapping images.
    09ECU-2753-62pan_Quilotoa-Lake.jpg
  • A woman leads three horses on a rope at Quilotoa in the Andes Highlands, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2599_Ecuador.jpg
  • An Ecuadorian woman and baby ride a donkey at Quilotoa, near Zumbahua, in the Ecuadorian Andes.
    09ECU-2563_Ecuador.jpg
  • Green flower with yellow center grows on a tall stalk at the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop.
    09ECU-2549_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop and ranch land climbs a steep hill near the Black Sheep Inn, near the village of Chugchilan, located 1.5 hours from Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2547_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farm, crop and ranch land climbs a steep hill near the Black Sheep Inn, near the village of Chugchilan, located 1.5 hours from Lago Quilotoa, in Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2541_Ecuador.jpg
  • Yellow flowers (probably in the Calceolariaceae Family) bloom in high cloud forest near the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Calceolaria, also called Lady's purse, Slipper flower, Pocketbook flower, or Slipperwort, is a genus of plants in the Calceolariaceae family, sometimes classified in Scrophulariaceae by some authors. This genus consists of about 388 species of shrubs, lianas and herbs, and the geographic range extends from Patagonia to central Mexico, with its distribution centre in Andean region. Calceolaria in Latin means shoemaker. Calceolarias have usually yellow or orange flowers, which can have red or purple spots.
    09ECU-2487_Ecuador.jpg
  • A pink magenta flower blooms on a tree at the Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop.
    09ECU-2478_Ecuador.jpg
  • Water falls in a cloud forest in the high altitude landscape above the Black Sheep Inn, near Chugchilan, along the Lago Quilotoa driving loop, Ecuador, the Andes, South America.
    09ECU-2447_Ecuador.jpg
  • Bromeliads grow in cloud forest above Black Sheep Inn, Chugchilan, Ecuador, South America on the Lago Quilotoa driving loop. Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 2,400 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa. The family includes both epiphytes, such as Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), and terrestrial species, such as the pineapple (Ananas comosus). Many bromeliads are able to store water in a "tank" formed by their tightly-overlapping leaf bases. However, the family is diverse enough to include the tank bromeliads, grey-leaved epiphytic Tillandsia species that gather water only from leaf structures called trichomes, and a large number of desert-dwelling succulents.
    09ECU-2439_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farmland lines the driving loop around Lago Quilotoa in the highlands of Ecuador, South America. Panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2363-65pan_Ecuador.jpg
  • A checkerboard of farmland lines the driving loop around Lago Quilotoa in the highlands of Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2361_Ecuador.jpg
  • Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. Panorama was stitched from 9 overlapping photos.
    09ECU-2313-21pan_Hotel-Cotopaxi.jpg
  • Hotel Sierra Madre Cotopaxi, near the town of Machachi, adjacent to Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi). Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America.
    09ECU-2292_Ecuador.jpg
  • Wild horses graze in Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi), a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2287_Ecuador.jpg
  • Water droplets glisten on blue lupine flowers in Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi), a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2282_Ecuador.jpg
  • Graupel (snow pellets) fall on volcanic rocks in Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi), a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi has an almost symmetrical cone that rises from a highland plain of about 3,800 metres (12,500 ft), with a width at its base of about 23 kilometers (14 mi). It has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, which starts at the height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). The mountain is clearly visible on the skyline from Quito. It is part of the chain of volcanoes around the Pacific plate known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
    09ECU-2278_Ecuador.jpg
  • The Culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), sometimes known as the Andean Wolf (Spanish: Lobo), or (Common) Andean Fox, or Patagonian Fox, is a South American species of wild dog, seen here at the mountain refuge "José Ribas" on the north face of the Cotopaxi Volcano at 4800 meters (15,750 feet) of altitude in Ecuador. The Culpeo is the second largest native canid in South America after the Maned Wolf. In its appearance it bears many similarities to the widely recognized red fox. It has grey and reddish fur, a white chin, reddish legs, and a stripe on its back that may be barely visible.  Its distribution extends from Ecuador and Peru to the southern regions of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. It is most common on the western slopes of the Andes, where it inhabits open country and deciduous forests. The Culpeo's diet consists largely of rodents, rabbits, birds and lizards, and to a lesser extent, plant material and carrion. The Culpeo does attack sheep on occasion, and is therefore often hunted or poisoned. In some regions it has become rare, but overall the species is not threatened with extinction. Cotopaxi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Cotopaxi) is a protected area in Ecuador in the Cotopaxi Province, Napo Province and Pichincha Province. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located about 75 kilometers (50 miles) south of Quito, Ecuador, South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft).
    09ECU-2270_Ecuador.jpg
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