Cutleaf Daisy: Punta Cormorante, Floreana Island, Galapagos Islands

How unique is this cutleaf daisy? If you want to look it up on the net, look for Lecocarpus pinnatifidus It gets its name for the deeply and irregularly lobed margins of its leaves. It is one of the rarest plants in the Galapagos and of the entire world if you ask me.

Nothing will prepare you for the abundance of wildlife and the beautiful surroundings of these islands that is about 50000 square km in area.

You can get up close and personal with the wildlife there especially the marine creatures that view visitors with total disinterest.

There are plenty of ways to see the islands and you can embark on a cruise or a combination of land and cruise tour like I did to take in as much as you can of this incredible place.

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Snorkel with Galapagos Penguins

If you love both penguins and snorkeling, then Galapagos is the ideal place to come up and close with the Galapagos penguins. Don’t be surprised if the Galapagos penguin starts "chasing" you when snorkeling in stead you chasing him!

What makes a Galapagos Penguin standing out?

As with all penguins, they don’t fly in the air, but they use the flying movement under water, to swim around in the warm waters of Galapagos looking for fish.

But they stand out by standing, or more precisely by walking. On land, Galapagos penguins walk more upright than other birds. This is  because the legs of the Galapagos Penguin are placed more backwards. Penguins also move by hopping around with both feet, next time you visit Galapagos, have a look at the Galapagos penguins hopping outside the waves onto a rock. Quite amazing skills!

What is most unusual but understandable is the breeding of the Galapagos penguin. Unlike the penguins in colder areas that need to follow the seasons, Galapagos penguins can breed to up to 3 times a year. 2 eggs are laid and both parent Galapagos penguins share in the incubation. Yet only one of the young penguins will usually make it into an adult Galapagos penguin.

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