Santa Fé Land Iguana: Facts and Where to See It

Next to the Galápagos land iguana, the Santa Fé species is paler, with a longer, more tapered snout and more pronounced spines along the back. Like its relatives it is mainly a plant eater: 80 percent of its diet is Opuntia cactus, topped up with insects and carrion.

• Territories. In the mating season males defend territories of up to 20 square metres by bobbing their heads and fighting intruders.
• Many mates. A successful male may mate with up to seven females.
• Long incubation. Each female lays up to 20 eggs, which take nearly four months to hatch.

Santa Fé is uninhabited by people and free of invasive predators, which has kept the iguana safe so far. But because the whole species lives on one small island, a drought or the arrival of an introduced animal could hit all of it at once. The island is protected as part of the Galápagos National Park. For the iguanas, the Opuntia cactus is the key plant: it supplies most of their food.

Guide sighting records list it at 1 site: Santa Fé Bay on Santa Fé, rated Likely. The visit combines a landing and trail with snorkelling in the bay. A route that includes Santa Fé is the only way to see this species.

Santa Fé land iguanas can be seen all year round. In the next twelve months, 327 departures stop at Santa Fé Bay.

It is listed as Vulnerable, mainly because of its tiny range. Since 2025, all Galápagos iguanas are on CITES Appendix I, which bans international commercial trade. Park rules keep visitors on the trail and at least 2 metres (6 feet) from wildlife, and make each visitor responsible for not bringing food, plants or animals into the islands, which matters most on an island without invasive species.

1. Expecting it elsewhere. It lives on Santa Fé only.
2. Confusing it with the Galápagos land iguana. Look for the paler colour and longer snout.
3. Leaving food on the beach. Nothing brought ashore should stay on the island.