Cruising along in our panga (a motorised dinghy), we scour the Pacific Ocean, looking for life. To our right, way in the distance, we glimpse the dorsal fin of a 15-m-long Bryde’s whale, while only metres away a pelican dives spectacularly into the sea to catch a fish. An inquisitive sea lion pops its head out of the water to size us up, then darts playfully back into the ocean, vanishing from sight. Our panguero (driver) cuts the engine and we drift slowly to shore

“Marine iguanas,” Carlos whispers, as one of the prehistoric-looking reptiles turns, stares at us and sneezes. An explosion of white salty snot splats on the ground near our feet. The lizard returns its attention to the mass of black and dark-grey bodies surrounding it, huddles up, closes its eyes and nods off.

Cold-loving penguins on the Equator? Yup! The second-smallest penguins in the world are also the only species found this far north. They survive here because of the mix of cool and warm currents that provide food. But these little fellas have still had to adapt to life in the Galápagos’ heat. They pant to keep cool, have really short feathers to avoid overheating, and stick to islands that have chillier water – 95% live on Isabela and Fernandina.

Blue-footed boobies are aptly named, and males take great pride in their fabulous feet. During mating rituals, male birds show off their feet to prospective mates with a high-stepping strut. The bluer the feet, the more attractive the mate.