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Sea lions and Fur Seals are likely to be the only native mammals you will see on land on the Galapagos. There are some native rats - rice rats - of which there are only three species remaining from an original eight, the other five being extinct and two species of bats. At sea you may see two the two native species of dolphins.

Other than these, any other mammals will have been imported by man, whether deliberately or accidentally.

Like many other Galapagos species, the sea lion is a distinct form found only there although rather than being a distinct species in its own right, it is a sub-species of the Californian Sea Lion.

There are estimated to be around 50,000 Galapagos Sea Lions in the islands.

Picture courtesy NOAA

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