Marine Iguana

Galápagos Islands · ocean reptile · unique adaptation

Ocean diving lizard. Marine iguanas are the only modern lizards in the world that swim in the ocean and hunt for food underwater. They dive down to find algae to eat, which makes up almost their entire diet.

Deep divers. Large male marine iguanas can dive deeper than females and smaller males to find more algae on the ocean floor. Females and smaller males prefer to eat during low tide in the shallow intertidal zone instead.

Bask on rocks. After spending time in the cold ocean water, marine iguanas climb out onto rocky shores to bask in the sun and warm up their bodies. They live in colonies where many iguanas rest together on the same rocks.

Found only here. Marine iguanas live nowhere on Earth except the Galápagos Islands, which belong to Ecuador. You won't find them in any other ocean or on any other island in the world.

Mothers dig nests. Female marine iguanas dig holes in the soil to lay their eggs, then leave them to hatch all on their own a few months later. The babies must survive without their mother's help.