The bottom of the ocean seems an unlikely place for a lizard to find itself.
In fact, marine iguanas of the Galápagos Islands are the only lizards to venture beneath the waves—and they make a habit of it.
With food options scarce along the islands’ volcanic coastlines, marine iguanas have evolved to forage at sea.
Diving to depths of up to 25 meters on a single breath, they graze on algae that grow in the cold, nutrient-rich waters here.
A carpet of healthy green and red algae like that seen in this image by Pier Mané makes the dive itself and the time spent sunbathing on the shore to regain body heat worthwhile.
Image Credit: Photograph by Pier Mané / BigPicture Photography Competition
