scubaseason

Marine Iguana

Amblyrhynchus cristatus

Sighting evidence at Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island

Fernandina supports the largest marine iguana colony in the Galapagos, with tens of thousands of individuals using Punta Espinoza's lava fields as basking territory before diving to forage. The Fernandina subspecies is among the largest, with adult males exceeding 1.5 meters, and their underwater movements attract curious sea lions that occasionally follow and playfully harass them. Divers can observe iguanas actively scraping green algae from submerged lava shelves in water as shallow as 2 meters, their darkened skin warming rapidly when they return to the surface sun.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Marine Iguana is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Also seen at other sites