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Some charge admission and are a bit more relaxed, while public beaches are livelier and more fun. White coral sand beaches fringe the island. Still, they look gorgeous – particularly the males, with their bright-red chin sac.As if the good people of Jamaica needed any more reasons to throw a party or three, this year the Caribbean island is celebrating its 60th anniversary of independence.įor a week in August the streets come alive with parades and a host of lively events to commemorate the momentous day in 1962 – now known as Jamaica Day – with visitors more than welcome to join in. But while festivities for the anniversary reached their peak last night (or, more likely, in the early hours this morning), there are always plenty of reasons to head to this sun-drenched paradise.ġ. Whilst they hunt fish on the oceans surface, they also force their winged brethren to regurgitate their food, which then they eat - a process known as kleptoparasitism. But they don't have such a swell reputation amongst other birds. With its striking wingspan and deeply-forked tail, the magnificent frigate bird is easily one of the most impressive birds in the skies of the Galapagos archipelago. But wait until you don your snorkel gear and spot one weaving elegantly through the water - the flightless cormorant will likely become one of your favourite discoveries in the Galapagos Islands for this reason alone. Granted, a flightless cormorant spotted on land isn't one of the most invigorating sights you'll see during your time here. They usually let out a shrill whistle before letting rip, which means you'll usually have warning enough to get your camera out too. Diving from heights of up to 100ft, groups of boobies hit the water at speeds up around 60km per hour. Blue-Footed Boobiesĭespite essentially looking like handsome seagulls with painted toenails, blue-footed boobies, when caught hunting, serve up one of the Galapagos' most thrilling spectacles. Keep your eyes peeled on the beaches for turtle nests too - the Galapagos is a hotbed of activity for these critters. Snorkelling alongside these majestic creatures of the deep (or more accurately, the shallows) is one of those rare, life-affirming moments that makes a trip to the Galapagos immediately worthwhile. Weighing up to 400 kg, regularly living for more than 100 years, and able to go for up to 1 year without food, these gentle and slow-moving monsters are an intriguing and humbling spectacle to observe. No trip to the islands is complete without a visit to its most famous residents. By studying the differences between finches from different islands, Darwin hypothesised that the birds’ adaptations to their habitats resulted in their mutation into different species: his Theory of Evolution. Finchesĭarwin finches gave rise to one of the most game-changing theories of all time. And with no known human fatalities and a wealth of choice natural prey on offer, diving amongst them isn’t as scary or dangerous as one might think. Unlike most sharks, they will often merge into schools of over 100 during the day - making for some incredible and surreal photo opportunities. Hammerhead Sharksīoasting one of the animal kingdom’s most puzzling physiologies, hammerhead sharks are found in abundance off Wolf, Bartolome, Santa Cruz and Darwin islands. And with lung capacities permitting up to half an hour of underwater foraging, you’re just as likely find them gorging on the islands’ surrounding seabeds as scampering about the craggy rocks they inhabit. Fierce and ferocious though these Godzilla-like reptiles may appear (Darwin called them ‘Imps of Darkness’), it’s all bluff – they only feed on algae. The only lizards in the world that can live and forage in the ocean, the marine iguana is found solely in the Galapagos.
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Playful, plentiful, and pretty much fearless, you’re supposed to keep a 2-metre distance from these guys at all times - though their insatiable curiosity can make this hard. Whether you're loafing about on the beach or snorkelling offshore, you’ll be hard-pressed not to come face-to-face with these frolicsome critters at some stage.