ecuador – Matt Tilghman Photography

Best of Buds – Galapagos Marine Iguanas

Matt Tilg — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 03:38:00 +0000

Two cozy Marine Iguanas share body heat while basking in the sunlight on the rocky shores of the Galapagos Islands.

Marine Iguanas are incredibly common throughout the Galapagos Islands. Despite being commonplace, they are still one of everyone’s favorites. It’s so captivating, almost funny, the first time you see them swimming around the rocky coast, trying to eat the algae while the waves keep trying to pull them away. It doesn’t seem like the most peaceful way to eat a meal, but they are so close to the jagged rocks that it’s probably pretty safe from predators. The beach, however, is a different story. Wide open spaces and high visibility don’t exactly make for a safe refuge. So the iguanas rely on safety in numbers. And in addition to the beach providing ample sunlight for these cold-blooded reptiles, they are more than happy to recycle each other’s body heat, too.

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Orange on Green – Sally Lightfoot Crab

Matt Tilg — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 16:08:32 +0000

The bright orange Sally Lightfoot crab contrasts against the rock’s green algae, in the Galapagos Islands.

These Sally Lightfoot crabs are everywhere in the Galapagos Islands! They’re not found only on these islands — they are pretty much ubiquitous across the New World tropics. However, whenever I’d see them in the past, it was a cool and noteworthy sighting. In the Galapagos, you quickly tire of them, because they are literally everywhere you look. I took this photo when I was still intrigued by the crabs, before I got bored of them. But nevertheless, the photo has had staying power for me. It’s not so much about the crab as a neat wildlife finding, but rather as a beautiful color contrast against the green algae on the rocks. Not so much a study in zoology, but rather a study in color.

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You’re So Vain – Blue-Footed Booby

Matt Tilg — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 14:13:41 +0000

The famous Blue-footed booby of the Galapagos Islands checks out his cool feet. Yep, still blue!

The Blue-footed booby is one of the most unique-looking birds around, and one of the most iconic bits of wildlife in the Galapagos Islands. However, while often associated with the Galapagos, they are by no means endemic. They live all over the Pacific coast, from Baja California to South America. The blue feet are actually a “sexually selected trait,” which means that bluer feet increases their chances of finding a mate. So it’s possible that this guy’s comical pose is more than just falsely anthropomorphized vanity. Maybe he really is excited about how blue his feet are after all! (They were some of the bluest I saw on the island).

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Graspus Graspus – Sally Lightfoot Crab

Matt Tilg — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 13:22:13 +0000

The Galapagos Islands’ nearly iconic orange Sally Lightfoot crab has a fitting scientific name: Graspus graspus

The Galapagos Islands are overrun with wildlife in general, but especially one creature in particular: the Sally Lightfoot crab. These crabs are everywhere. And they are very pretty, too — a bright vibrant orange. When keywording a photograph of wildlife, I always look up the scientific name, if I don’t already know it. When I found out the scientific name of the Sally-Lightfoot crab, I chuckled a bit. Graspus graspus. What a fitting name for a crab, grasping at everything with its claws. Especially these crabs, that constantly walk around picking at algae on the rocks. It seems like an almost comical scientific name to me!

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Waved Albatross Courtship Ritual – Galapagos Islands

Matt Tilg — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 12:58:28 +0000

In the Galapagos Islands, two male albatrosses dance with one another, vying for the heart of an onlooking female.

Magical worlds of unspoiled nature exist around every turn in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. But of all the wonders I witnessed, the Waved Albatross courtship ritual was definitely the most memorable. During the courtship dance, the males create different combinations using certain set moves. All the males (they usually congregate) are doing the same moves, but in different orders. It’s quite an odd sight to behold. The moves include things like bobbing their heads back and forth, or sword-fighting each other with their beaks. My personal favorite is when one starts to chatter his beak rapidly, as if he was shivering. Then, the other usually responds by lowering his head, then shooting his beak vertically skyward with a loud clicking noise. It’s downright hilarious, and almost no one can stifle their laughter the first time they see it, especially if its unexpected. I highly recommend you search for a video online!

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