Because the long journey to the islands was not well suited to mammals, there are very few indigenous to the Galapagos. Of those, only two are land mammals, both of which are rice rats.

The marine mammals are a true joy for tourists and locals, however. The rare sight of a sperm whale rising out of the ocean is breath-taking, as is the spectacle of a bottlenose dolphin leaping out of the water beside a boat, even doing flips in the air for the entertainment of the sailors. And of course, sea lions, famously comical and playful creatures, never tire of amusing snorkeling and scuba diving visitors.