scubaseason

Flightless Cormorant

Nannopterum harrisi

Sighting evidence at Cape Marshall, Isabela Island

Found only in the Galapagos, the flightless cormorant is the heaviest cormorant in the world and hunts by pursuit-diving along rocky reefs at depth. Divers at Cape Marshall regularly encounter them torpedoing through the water column in pursuit of fish, their vestigial wings folded tight and powerful feet driving them forward. Nesting colonies exist immediately above the waterline, so interactions between terrestrial nesting behavior and underwater foraging are easily observed on a single dive.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Flightless Cormorant 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