A video of an animal that looks a lot like the giant movie monster Godzilla has resonated on social media. The images show a lizard feeding on algae on a rock in the sea.

The animal caught the attention of the network because of the resemblance to the famous animal from the movie — Photo: Rede Social/Disclosure/ND

“Is this really Godzilla?”

Much to the dismay of big guy fans, this is not about Godzilla. In fact, this animal is the Galapagos marine iguana, the only lizard species that has adapted to marine life.

Endemic to the Galápagos Islands (which are found only in this location), these iguanas are thought by scientists to be descended from land iguanas from the mainland that arrived here floating on logs millions of years ago. Information provided by the Bioikos Institute.

The Galapagos archipelago consists of 13 main islands and several islets of volcanic origin located to the west of Ecuador. Located more than 900 km from the coast, these islands are known to be a natural laboratory for evolutionary research due to the very well adapted species living there.

Watch full video:

Galapagos marine iguana

This is a species of iguana that lives only in the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). This one extracts algae from the sea, which make up almost its entire diet.

???? pelayo salt marshes pic.twitter.com/JuttsEennU

— Scientist Girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) August 10, 2023