Marine Iguana

Photo: Shawn O'Donnell · CC BY

The world's only seafaring lizard, marine iguanas dive to graze on subtidal algae along the lava shelves here, sometimes holding their breath for up to 30 minutes. At Cape Marshall they reach exceptional sizes and are remarkably approachable, giving divers unrivaled close encounters with this Galapagos endemic. Their underwater movements are surprisingly graceful, using undulating body motion rather than their legs to navigate the current.