Javier Aznar
Jurassic World
Marine iguana resting on volcanic rocks, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, 2022
Category - Ocean Worlds
During the hottest hours of the day in the Galapagos Islands, you can see marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) resting and warming themselves on volcanic rocks. This vulnerable species is endemic to the Galapagos and feeds on marine algae, diving to find food and then spending many hours digesting. The rise in sea temperatures is causing some algae to disappear, and many of the iguanas are dying of starvation. I could observe how their body shape varied depending on the island they were living on. In the most populated areas, they tended to be thinner and appeared to be in poor physical condition. This photo was taken respecting the minimum distance of two metres specified by the local regulations in the Galapagos.
HONOURABLE MENTION
35 mm f/1.4 Lens - 15 sec at f/16 ISO 50