A sealion swimming near the shore.
OK, so now let’s have a look at some of the islands’ mammals. In case you’d forgotten, mammals are animals which give birth to their young (unlike birds which lay eggs) and suckle them with milk. Like penguins, some mammals have evolved to live in the sea. They breathe air like penguins do, but not like fish which get their ‘air’ from the water they swim through.
Which mammals live in the sea? You probably know of them: seals, sealions, dolphins, porpoises and the whales. I’m a little scared of those sealions. They have big teeth and sometimes eat penguins if they can catch them. But penguins can swim fast. So can dolphins which often like to play in the bow wave of moving boats.
Here’s my third slideshow: the sea mammals of the Galapagos
Sealions have learned to live with people. These two find this fishing boat makes a great sleeping place.
giant tortoise
Did you like that?
Sealions have learned to live with people. These two find this fishing boat makes a great sleeping place.
The sea mammals of the Galápagos aren’t in danger because you can find them all around the world. They are not ‘endemic’ like the Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants. Like many seabirds, these animals often learn how to make a good living for themselves from the stuff that people throw away like the leftovers from filleted fish. And the fishing boats make good places to sleep for sealions and seabirds.
Finally, what about the actual Galápagos islands? What are they like?
In my final slideshow, I’ve got some pictures of the islands themselves. Click to go there.
