The Galapagos penguin is a unique species which is has gone through devastating population declines due to past El Niño events. Learn more about the Galapagos penguin and how scientists are trying to protect this extraordinary species.

The species of Galapagos fit into three categories: native, introduced (often by humans) or endemic meaning that they cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Galapagos is famous for its high number of endemic species such as the Galapagos giant tortoise, marine iguana, Scalesia trees and the Galapagos penguin. Often, introduced species can present a major threat to native and endemic species.

Avian Malaria (Plasmodium relictum) is a parasite that is known to affect birds from around the world (except Antarctica). When it was introduced to Hawaii it caused extinctions across almost all of the islands, resulting in the extinction of most of Hawaii’s endemic birds. “Plasmodium [avian malaria] in Galapagos penguins is potentially disastrous for this […]

Other birds being monitored in Galapagos include the Flightless cormorant and the Waved albatross. These are also special to the Galapagos Islands and are on the IUCN Red list of threatened species like the Galapagos penguin. Flightless Cormorant  The flightless cormorant, like the Galapagos penguin, is only found in the Galapagos archipelago, and is monitored […]

With over 150,000 tourists visiting each year, the Galapagos Islands have become a very attractive holiday destination. What impacts do all these visitors have and how can they continue to visit the islands without destroying them too? History of Tourism When did visitors first start coming to the Galapagos Islands? For thousands of years, the […]