My Pet and Me Galapagos Special 1 Marine Iguanas
My Pet and Me Galapagos Special 1 Marine Iguanas
My Pet and Me Galapagos Special 1 Marine Iguanas
My Pet and Me Galapagos Special 1 Marine Iguanas
My Pet and Me Galapagos Special 1 Marine Iguanas
My Pet and Me Galapagos Special 1 Marine Iguanas
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TVTranscript
00:00Hello, I'm Rory and I'm Fern and today we are in the Galapagos Islands.
00:04Yes, we've travelled all the way from the UK across the Atlantic Ocean to this group of islands off the coast of Ecuador in South America.
00:11We have come to this amazing place because it is home to some of the most incredible animals in the world.
00:16Yes, and we're going to meet some local children to tell us all about them.
00:19So Fern, where are you headed today?
00:21Well, today I'm off on an adventure to an island to see an animal that can only be found right here in the Galapagos.
00:27Sounds incredible.
00:28I know, I can't wait and you can come with me if you like.
00:31See you later.
00:31See you.
00:32Come on.
00:58Some pears, some mung beans, some squirts, some cock-a-doodle-do.
01:04My pets, my pets and me, my pets, my pets and me.
01:10My pets, my pets and me, my pets, my pets and me.
01:20I'm here at the Port in Santa Cruz to meet Kai and his dad Robbie.
01:24They're going to be getting ready for our big adventure, so let's try and find them.
01:28Hello, Kai.
01:29Hi.
01:30How are you?
01:31Good.
01:32Hi, you must be Robbie.
01:33Hello.
01:34Lovely to meet you.
01:35Are you excited?
01:36Yes, and you?
01:37I cannot wait.
01:38Where's our boat?
01:39In the bay.
01:40Shall we go?
01:41Yes.
01:42Okay.
01:43Gracias.
01:44Is that good?
01:46So Kai, where are we off to?
01:47Rio, Fernando Island.
01:48Oh, I've heard a lot about it.
01:49It's very special, isn't it?
01:50It's the youngest.
01:51In all of the islands?
01:52Yes.
01:53So, Kai, where are we off to?
02:09Here, Fernandino Island.
02:10Oh, I've heard a lot about it.
02:12It's very special, isn't it?
02:14It's the youngest.
02:15In all of the Galapagos Islands?
02:17Yes.
02:18But there's also something else special about it.
02:20What is it?
02:21It's a volcano.
02:22That's right.
02:23It is.
02:24A volcano is an open mountain, and when it's active, it spits out hot molten rock called
02:28lava.
02:29And the whole island of Fernandina is an active volcano, so it is still growing and changing
02:33every day.
02:34Isn't it, Kai?
02:35Yes.
02:36So do any people live on the island?
02:37There's no people.
02:38It's just wildlife.
02:39It's a national park.
02:40Everything is protected in here.
02:43So what are we going to see there?
02:44Marine iguanas.
02:45I cannot wait.
02:46A marine iguana is an iguana that can swim, and they are only found in the Galapagos Islands.
02:53It is thought that a long time ago, a land iguana drifted out to sea from South America
02:58and landed here on the Galapagos.
03:00And because it was on an island, it needed to learn to do what?
03:03It learned to swim.
03:04That's right.
03:05They needed to go swimming to get their food.
03:07So it looks like we're almost there, aren't we?
03:09Yes.
03:10I cannot wait to see it.
03:11Rory, while we drop anchor, will you please tell us some fun facts about marine iguanas?
03:17Of course, Fern.
03:19One.
03:20Marine iguanas can live to over 50 years old.
03:25Two.
03:27They can be mostly seen on the shore or on rocks close to the sea, and they can be found
03:31on many of the Galapagos Islands.
03:35Three.
03:38A large group of marine iguanas is known as a colony, and a group of females is known
03:42as a harene.
03:45Four.
03:48Marine iguanas might be a little scary-looking, but they are herbivores, which means they
03:52only eat plants.
03:56Five.
04:00Marine iguanas are one of the few animals that can shrink in size.
04:04If they can't find anything to eat for a long time, they don't just get thinner, they get
04:08shorter too.
04:09But once they find food again, they can regrow back to their original size.
04:13How amazing is that?
04:19Come on, catch up with me!
04:31We have arrived on Fernandina to see one of the most incredible animals that lives here,
04:37the marine iguana.
04:38And I can see why it's uninhabited, because the island is literally just pure black volcanic
04:43rock.
04:44Yes, but it's hard to find marine iguanas because they're black, like the black rocks.
04:49Let's go find some.
04:51I hope we can spot some.
04:53Do you think we will?
04:55Yes.
04:56Look, the iguana poo!
04:59Oh, wow!
05:00Yeah, it's green because iguanas eat green algae.
05:04It's really green, isn't it?
05:05And it looks pretty fresh.
05:06Yes.
05:07Does that mean we're getting close?
05:08Yes.
05:09OK, come on.
05:15Come on.
05:35Wow, look how many there are.
05:37I know, there's so many.
05:39This is incredible.
05:40Yes.
05:41How many do you think there are?
05:43500 or more.
05:44I would not be surprised.
05:45There's too many to count.
05:46Yes.
05:47What is your favourite thing about them?
05:48How they swim.
05:49What do they swim like?
05:50They move only their tail.
05:51So their arms are by their side and they just use their tails?
05:52Yes.
05:53And is that why their tails are so long?
05:54Yes.
05:55But their arms are useful for something, aren't they?
05:56Yes, they have some nails.
05:57So when they get out of the water, sometimes there are waves.
05:58So they need to get on the rocks.
05:59That is really important, because the waves here are huge.
06:00So they use their nice, long claws to grip tightly on the rocks.
06:01Yes.
06:02And they swim like this.
06:03And they swim like this.
06:04And they swim like this.
06:05And they swim like this.
06:06And they swim like this.
06:08Where do they feed?
06:09They feed underwater and they eat plants.
06:10They hold their breath and dive.
06:11They can hold their breath for a big time.
06:12So they eat underwater.
06:18Where do they feed?
06:20They feed underwater and they eat plants.
06:25They hold their breath and dive.
06:30They can hold their breath for a big time so they eat underwater.
06:39When a marine iguana is underwater its heart rate slows
06:42and this allows it to stay underwater for longer
06:45But they can't really stay underwater for too long can they? Do you know why?
06:48Because they get cold.
06:50That is exactly right.
06:52Marine iguanas are cold-blooded animals which means that they get their body heat from the sun.
06:57So after they've gone swimming they come and bask or sunbathe on a rock to help heat up.
07:02They also gather together in groups and it's like a big iguana cuddle.
07:06They help to warm each other up.
07:08So that's why they are an only group.
07:10Yes, exactly.
07:12And their dark colour helps them absorb the sun too, doesn't it?
07:17Because marine iguanas feed underwater they end up swallowing a lot of salt water.
07:22So they have a special gland right in between their eyes
07:25and this helps take the salt out of their blood and they end up sneezing it out.
07:29And it keeps them nice and healthy.
07:31And what are these on their heads?
07:33I think they're like a rock.
07:36It does, it looks like a pretty cool haircut doesn't it?
07:39These nice big crests on the top of their heads.
07:42I love them, I think they're fantastic.
07:44Me too.
07:45But they don't smell so good.
07:47No, they definitely do not smell very good.
07:50That is so right.
07:52Shall we go see if we can spot some more?
07:54Yes.
08:10Hi, this iguana here, do you think it's male or female?
08:13He's male.
08:14How do you know?
08:15Because he's bigger than the other iguanas.
08:17He is pretty big and he's got some amazing colours too, doesn't he?
08:21Yes.
08:22Do you know why they're so colourful?
08:23To tell other females that he's the big iguana.
08:26That's exactly right.
08:27So they get these beautiful kind of greens and browns along them during breeding season.
08:32But they do this head bobbing too.
08:34Why do they do that?
08:35That means that he's telling the other males that that's his territory.
08:38Exactly.
08:39They're just trying to scare all the other males off their patch of rock.
08:50There are so many marine iguanas here, aren't there Coy?
08:53Yes.
08:54Fernandina is the place with the most amount of iguanas in the whole Galapagos.
08:59That is fantastic.
09:02But even though there are lots here, marine iguanas are endangered, aren't they?
09:05Yes.
09:06Why is that?
09:07Because they have predators like snakes and hawks.
09:10And they nest with humans, cats and dogs.
09:14Okay, so our pets are actually causing their numbers to go down too.
09:18Yes.
09:19That's very sad, but there's something else as well.
09:21Yes, the weather can make them die because if it's really hot,
09:28their food disappears.
09:32So what can we do to help them?
09:38Okay, Robbie, what can we do to help these marine iguanas?
09:48Okay, that's fantastic.
09:49Well, it's really important that we help to protect these amazing animals.
09:55And Robbie and the island guides do this by making sure that only a small number of people visit Fernandina
10:01so the animals and the place that they live is undisturbed.
10:15Marine iguanas are such fascinating creatures, aren't they Coy?
10:18Yes, I like them.
10:19Me too.
10:20If they could do absolutely anything, what would they do?
10:23What would they do?
10:29If the marine iguanas could do anything, they'll have an ice cream boat.
10:36They'll make delicious ice cream.
10:41And sail around the islands in their boat to give some to all the other animals.
10:48Their favourite flavour of ice cream would be seaweed.
10:53Yum, yum.
11:08I have had an amazing time seeing marine iguanas, but Coy has brought me to a very special spot
11:13where we will be able to swim with them and see them in action underwater.
11:17I can't wait.
11:18Coy, what do you think we're going to see?
11:20I think diving and maybe even we can see them feeding.
11:23I hope so.
11:24And there's lots over there, isn't there?
11:26Yeah, they're trying to get to the rocks where they can feed.
11:36Go, straight.
11:40Amazing.
11:42Oh, look at those.
11:43There's a lot here.
11:44Yeah, there is.
11:49Should we go take a closer look?
11:51Yes.
12:14Wow.
12:44Wow.
13:15This is amazing.
13:17I can't get over how quickly they move under the water with their big tails.
13:21Yeah, they can hold their breath for pretty much time.
13:24They can.
13:25They can hold their breath for ages as well.
13:27Marine iguanas can hold their breath for up to 45 minutes.
13:30That is at least 20 times longer than us.
13:32Should we go have a look some more?
13:34Yes.
13:35Yes.
13:44Let's go.
14:14Wow.
14:45Wow.
14:55There are two huge marine iguanas just eating on these rocks right below us
15:00and they're just clinging on.
15:02There's quite a strong current here and they're just clinging on really tight
15:05and just chomping away at all of the seaweed and algae on the rocks.
15:14Wow.
15:44Wow.
16:15Did you see it feeding?
16:17Yeah.
16:18At the bottom.
16:19It's stuck there.
16:20It's just easing away.
16:24This is incredible.
16:35That swim was amazing, wasn't it?
16:37Yes.
16:38What was your favourite part?
16:39When we saw the marine iguana feeding by the algae.
16:42I know.
16:43I couldn't believe we saw that.
16:44And I think the one that we saw at the bottom feeding
16:46was the biggest one that I've seen so far.
16:48Yeah.
16:49Now they can eat and they're underwater.
16:52I know.
16:53And clinging on really, really tightly because the current was strong, wasn't it?
16:56Yeah.
16:57Kai, I have had so much fun with you
16:59and you taught me everything about these marine iguanas.
17:01Thank you so much.
17:02Thank you too.
17:04Put it there.
17:12Bye.
17:28Hi, Rory.
17:29Hi, Fer.
17:30Are you excited?
17:31How was your day?
17:32It was incredible.
17:33We went to an island and we saw these scaly sea creatures
17:35called marine iguanas and we even managed to swim with them.
17:38Wow.
17:39That sounds amazing.
17:40Oh, it was.
17:41Kai taught me so much about how the marine iguanas live
17:43and what the local people are doing to help protect them.
17:46It was fascinating.
17:47We hope you enjoyed yourselves too.
17:49We just love sharing our animal adventures with you.
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