The swimming lizard
The Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is an iguana that has the unique ability among modern lizards to live and forage in the sea. It is found only on the Galapagos Islands, but has spread to all the islands in the archipelago, and is sometimes called the "Galapagos marine iguana". It mainly lives on the rocky Galapagos shore, but can also be spotted in marshes and mangrove beaches.
On his visit to the islands, Charles Darwin was revolted by the animals' appearance, writing:
The black Lava rocks on the beach are frequented by large (2-3 ft) most disgusting clumsy Lizards. They are as black as the porous rocks over which they crawl & seek their prey from the Sea. I call them 'imps of darkness'. They assuredly well become the land they inhabit.
Plus d'info sur / More info on Wikipedia
Comments and faves
Ojisanjake, Jan Teekens, antiguan, magzie, and 51 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Lolo_ (77 months ago | reply)
Very amazing picture, love the colours !
mix's (77 months ago | reply)
The World Through My Eyes
Fantastic image and thank you for the info.
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Ojisanjake (77 months ago | reply)
Great color work.
Jan Teekens (77 months ago | reply)
Great shot; fantastic animal!
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cafeine09 [deleted] (77 months ago | reply)
Belle photo!!! Belle capture! On dirait un peintre en bâtiment qui aurait oublié de mettre sa casquette! Et "splash" sur la tête! :-))
williewonker (77 months ago | reply)
Fascinating orange and yellow, and such long claws.
Your KARMA Group
antiguan (77 months ago | reply)
interesting. we had lizards arrive on our two islands just after a huge hurricane washed trees into the sea on Guadeloupe. The lizzards clung to the trees and washed up on our shores and now live here. crazy stuff eh?
nice shot.
Jo Ann 315 (77 months ago | reply)
Wow fantastic shot. Scary but fantastic.
You are my winner!
Please add this photo to
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Webgrrl.Biz (77 months ago | reply)
very cool find..
You are my winner as well!
You deserve another one.
Found in www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
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magzie (77 months ago | reply)
great shot
You are my winner as well!
You deserve another one.
Found in www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
Bea Jay (77 months ago | reply)
You are my winner as well!
You deserve another one.
Found in www.flickr.com/groups/mywinners/
dreamscapepics (77 months ago | reply)
This is truely and outstanding shot!
Outstanding Shot! This is my favourite of
the pool!
(Join Outstanding Shot group and give awards!)
Please add "Outstanding Shots" tag to your photo
jay_kilifi (77 months ago | reply)
amazing monoochrome punctuated by yellow and red, well shot!
Jono__ (77 months ago | reply)
that is a fantastic shot! very very good, nice work.
snowy4052002 (77 months ago | reply)
Absolutely fantastic photo!
Please add your
Beautiful photo to--
Beauty is in the *Eye* of the Beholder!
jhary (77 months ago | reply)
Fat.
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méndez (77 months ago | reply)
Your fantastic color picture is my winner!
Please add this photo to
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mion.nl (77 months ago | reply)
He looks so prehistoric.
chatallot (77 months ago | reply)
Fantastic shot. Thanks for sharing.
Steven House Photography (77 months ago | reply)
fab
shutterberry (77 months ago | reply)
Wow. This is amazing.
pierre pouliquin (77 months ago | reply)
Very nice; other "modern" lizards do swimm and sometimes eat under (fresh) water, example:
www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/reptiles/dragon.html
Ruud! (77 months ago | reply)
Wow, the colors almost look artificial!
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wana2b (77 months ago | reply)
Excellent shot... sssss...
lifefreezer (77 months ago | reply)
Darwin was just plain wrong...fabulous image
quique_k (77 months ago | reply)
nice one
A+++ Grade Photo
HarryBo73 (77 months ago | reply)
Cool Pic
A+++ Grade Photo
FirstMichael (77 months ago | reply)
A+++ Grade Photo
The Black Bull. (77 months ago | reply)
This is amazing creature. Fantastic picture !!!
Thank you visiting my photos.
The Black Bull. (77 months ago | reply)
added as an favorite
christing-O- (77 months ago | reply)
A+++ Grade Photo
pintavelloso (77 months ago | reply)
Interesting, I have never seen or heard of these, thanks for the added info. Wonderful capture!!
A+++ Grade Photo
Kim Aubrey (77 months ago | reply)
Very well captured indeed.
Kim
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*bratan* (77 months ago | reply)
wow!! great capture my friend!
scottintheway (75 months ago | reply)
He's smiling!
Jumbo22 (73 months ago | reply)
Born Free, Living Free
Your animal is truly FREE!
Please add this beautiful image to Born Free, Living Free , a group dedicated to the photography of wildlife in their natural habitat.
Please also check out our discussions on the wilderness areas in the world.
worldwidewandering (72 months ago | reply)
You are invited to post this and any other photos you have of Ecuador to worldwidewandering - a travel atlas. Post comments
and thumbnail photos to the Ecuador discussion thread.
elmanabita (68 months ago | reply)
hermosa fotografia de una iguana de galapagos
Reflexe (67 months ago | reply)
Wow, inspiring! :)
azok@s (67 months ago | reply)
Hola, soy el administrador de un grupo llamado Naturaleza viva y nos encantaría agregar tu foto al grupo.
lololark (65 months ago | reply)
neat!
. Mark (Leaving Flickr) [deleted] (65 months ago | reply)
I love this set you took at the Galapagos. Thank you for sharing.
CELL0 (61 months ago | reply)
Beautiful!
Jonne Seijdel (60 months ago | reply)
awesome shot!!
mafunyane_pics (59 months ago | reply)
Great shot! I'm an admin for a group called The HMS Beagle Project, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group. Thanks!
www.flickr.com/groups/hmsbeagleproject/
LeszekZadlo (58 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves (photo guide), and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Romulo fotos (54 months ago | reply)
fantástica perspectiva, muy bella foto
Romulo fotos (54 months ago | reply)
Hola, soy el administrador de un grupo llamado Ecuador, pais del sol y nos encantaría agregar esto al grupo.
Musphay (53 months ago | reply)
Muy bella foto, hermosos colores!!
islandsdave (52 months ago | reply)
Beautiful capture. Have you ever read Darwin's account of picking one up and throwing it into the ocean only to have them return to his feet to be thrown again?
"Perhaps this singular piece of apparent stupidity may be accounted for by the circumstance..."
Wonder of he meant himself or the iguana?
Tony Carlos Br (47 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Flickr Hive Mind, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Search Tag ... Galapagos
melcir.meri (41 months ago | reply)
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sofarsocute 'Pierrot' Ça ira ! (5 months ago | reply)
Jacques Cousteau aurrai été fier de tel photo