A Galápagos tortoise appeared on the side of the long driveway to the Royal Palm Galapagos, Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton in the Miconia Highland Forests on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.
Galápagos Tortoise in Ecuador. Sunday Morning Photograph.
This Galápagos tortoise was initially shy and literally did not stick his neck out so that it can be clearly seen…
…but I wonder if he was welcoming us to the Galápagos Islands, as we were arriving from the airport when we saw him.
At least this Galápagos tortoise knows where to cross the road: near the tortoise crossing area sign, of course.
Final Boarding Call
Trivia time: The Galápagos tortoise — which is also known as the Galápagos giant tortoise or Chelonoidis niger — is a very large species of tortoise in the genus Chelonoidis and is both the largest living species of tortoise and the largest extant terrestrial cold-blooded animals or ectotherms. A Galápagos tortoise can weigh as much as 919 pounds or 417 kilograms and can live up to 177 years of age.
The purpose of the weekly series of Sunday Morning Photograph articles is to feature photographs from my travels around the world which you can view while enjoying your morning coffee.
Please click here for a complete list of the Sunday Morning Photograph series of articles at The Gate With Brian Cohen, which include photographs taken of nature and sights of interest in many countries and territories around the world — including but not limited to:
Albania • Andorra • Argentina • Australia • Austria • Bahamas • Bahrain • Belgium • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • China • Chile • Colombia • Côte d’Ivoire or Ivory Coast • Croatia • Cyprus — including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus • Czechia or Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominican Republic • Ecuador • Egypt • England in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Estonia • Fiji • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Greenland • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Jamaica • Kenya • Kosovo • Latvia • Lebanon • Lesotho • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malaysia • Mexico • Montenegro • Morocco • Mozambique • Netherlands • New Zealand • North Macedonia • Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom • Norway • Oman • Panama • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Scotland in Great Britain in the United Kingdom • Singapore • Slovenia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Swaziland or Eswatini • Sweden • Switzerland • Thailand • Turkey or the Republic of Türkiye • United Arab Emirates • United States of America • Uruguay • Vanuatu • Wales in Great Britain in the United Kingdom
All photographs ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
