180 plant groups have been identified on Pinta Island, meaning plants classified as being in the same category based on their features and genetic matching. Pinta is a paradise for scientists studying Galapagos Flora and the symbiotic relationship between flora and certain Galapagos wildlife, particularly the Galapagos Giant Tortoises. For more about these two captivating creatures, see my post Galapagos Sea Lions They are Definitely Not Seals. It is one of the few islands in the Galapagos where both Galapagos Sea Lions and Galapagos Fur Sea Lions can be found. Pinta Island is also home to Mockingbirds, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Marine Iguanas and Sparrow Hawks. Highlights include the Flycatcher, Red-lipped Batfish, ever-present sea lions, sea turtles, pelagic fish species, and Moray Eels. Pinta, like the other Galapagos islands, is home to many birds and fish. Second, though remote and very small, this marvelous gem hosts nearly 1/3 of the native terrestrial plants in the Galapagos. It is best known for being the home of Lonesome George, the iconic Galapagos tortoise, the last of his species, who died in June 2012. It is renowned for two significant reasons. Pinta is an important island from the viewpoint of conservancy, preservation and species evolution. Not only is Pinta the most northern of the Galapagos Islands, but also it hosts no visitor sites, other than one boat landing site, used primarily by scientists, on its northern shore called Punta Neros. Pinta is a shield volcano with numerous young cones and lava flows. Its highest point is 2550 feet above sea level. Pinta Island (also known as Abington, but better known as named after Columbus' ship The Pinta) is a tiny spot representing less than 1% of the entire Galapagos land reserve (it is just 60 km in area).
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