Film backdrop image for The Galapagos Giant Tortoises (2014)

20144 minPGexplainer

Animals Biodiversity

The Galapagos Giant Tortoises

20144 minPGexplainer

The Galapagos host The Giant Galapagos Tortoises, which can survive a year without water.

Animals Biodiversity

Genres

Channel: Planet Doc Full Documentaries

The Galapagos Giant Tortoises

2014• 4 minPG

Synopsis

The Galapagos host The Giant Galapagos Tortoises, which can survive a year without water.

Synopsis

The Galapagos are volcanic islands which surfaced 5 million years ago, hosting unique wildlife that has adapted to their environment. Among these animals are The Giant Galapagos Tortoises, known for their remarkable ability to survive without water for up to a year due to their special metabolism. When water is available, they drink it eagerly. These tortoises primarily feed on the fruit of the Manzanillo tree, which is toxic to most animals but not harmful to them. This adaptation highlights the extraordinary evolutionary paths taken by species in the Galapagos.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Wild Galapagos | Part 2 | Trapped in Paradies (2022)

Wild Galapagos | Part 2 | Trapped in Paradies

The Galapagos Islands, known for their unique wildlife, are home to species like the Galapagos penguin and cormorant, which have evolved distinct adaptations for survival.

Wild Galapagos | Part 2 | Trapped in Paradies

Big Pacific - Voracious (2023)

Big Pacific - Voracious

Giants of the Pacific adapt their feeding strategies for survival in diverse environments.

Big Pacific - Voracious

Wild Galapagos | Part 1 | In the Grip of the Ocean (2022)

Wild Galapagos | Part 1 | In the Grip of the Ocean

In the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Archipelago's unique biodiversity is shaped by the alternating influences of the cold Humboldt Current and the warm Panama Current.

Wild Galapagos | Part 1 | In the Grip of the Ocean

Sea of Chaos (2025)

Sea of Chaos

In the Galapagos Islands, the garua season transforms the landscape with fog and rain, revealing both barren volcanic isles and lush tropical rainforests.

Trapped in Paradise - Incredible habitat adaptation (2022)

Trapped in Paradise - Incredible habitat adaptation

The Galapagos Islands host unique wildlife that adapts to extreme conditions in the Pacific Ocean.

Trapped in Paradise - Incredible habitat adaptation

In the Grip of the Ocean (2023)

In the Grip of the Ocean

The Galapagos Archipelago, located 1,000 km west of South America, is home to unique species such as diving iguanas and giant tortoises, highlighting its evolutionary significance.

In the Grip of the Ocean

Masters of the Wild - The incredible adaptability of animals (2021)

Masters of the Wild - The incredible adaptability of animals

A desert hedgehog can survive long periods without water by relying on juicy grubs to quench its thirst in extreme heat.

Masters of the Wild - The incredible adaptability of animals

Enchanted Isles: Exploring the Unbridled Wilderness of Galapagos (2023)

Enchanted Isles: Exploring the Unbridled Wilderness of Galapagos

Six months of no rain on Santa Cruz Island force giant tortoises to migrate in search of food, pushing them to their limits.

Enchanted Isles: Exploring the Unbridled Wilderness of Galapagos

Spectacular Wildlife in the Galapagos Islands (2022)

Spectacular Wildlife in the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands, located about 600 miles off the South American coast, are home to unique species like the marine iguana, which can hold its breath for up to 30 minutes.

Spectacular Wildlife in the Galapagos Islands

Evolution in Isolation (2024)

Evolution in Isolation

On a remote Mediterranean island, a unique species of lizard thrives by adapting its diet, highlighting the stories of survival among isolated wildlife.

Evolution in Isolation

Louis Theroux Explores America's Strangest City Full Of Dangerous Dogs (2026)

Louis Theroux Explores America's Strangest City Full Of Dangerous Dogs

In Los Angeles, Louis Theroux meets dog owners and enthusiasts whose lives are intertwined with the city's unique and often dangerous canine culture.

Louis Theroux Explores America's Strangest City Full Of Dangerous Dogs

Discover Giant Fish & Mysterious Underwater Caves (2024)

Discover Giant Fish & Mysterious Underwater Caves

Tens of thousands of Australian giant cuttlefish aggregate to spawn in the waters of South Australia between May and August.

Discover Giant Fish & Mysterious Underwater Caves

Explore The Galapagos Giant Tortoises

Where else to watch

Galapagos 3D with David Attenborough (2013)

Galapagos 3D with David Attenborough

2013•2h36m•★6.0TMDB

David Attenborough explores the unique ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, highlighting diverse species like giant tortoises and marine iguanas while addressing their environmental challenges.

Galapagos 3D with David Attenborough

Galapagos (2006)

Galapagos

2006•2h30m•★6.5TMDB

150 million years ago, volcanic activity formed the Galapagos Islands, which later became a key site for Charles Darwin's studies on evolution.

Fascination Galapagos 3D (2012)

Fascination Galapagos 3D

2012•55m•★5.4TMDB

Approximately 40 percent of species in the Galapagos Islands are endemic, thriving in a unique environment shaped by volcanic activity.

Fascination Galapagos 3D

Galapagos Realm Of Giant Sharks (2012)

Galapagos Realm Of Giant Sharks

2012•1h10m•★6.3TMDB

A team of researchers attempts to track the migration patterns of giant sharks around Darin Island while facing dangerous currents and powerful tail swipes.

Galapagos Realm Of Giant Sharks

A Quest for Meaning (2015)

A Quest for Meaning

2015•1h27m•★7.8TMDB

Two friends travel through cities in America, Europe, and Asia, engaging in conversations about life and happiness over 87 minutes.

A Quest for Meaning

Alien Crab (2012)

Alien Crab

Horseshoe crabs have existed for over 450 million years, surviving major extinction events, including the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Browse more like this

Wild Galapagos | Part 2 | Trapped in Paradies (2022)

Wild Galapagos | Part 2 | Trapped in Paradies

The Galapagos Islands, known for their unique wildlife, are home to species like the Galapagos penguin and cormorant, which have evolved distinct adaptations for survival.

Wild Galapagos | Part 2 | Trapped in Paradies

No digital watch option in your country

Big Pacific - Voracious (2023)

Big Pacific - Voracious

Giants of the Pacific adapt their feeding strategies for survival in diverse environments.

Big Pacific - Voracious

No digital watch option in your country

Wild Galapagos | Part 1 | In the Grip of the Ocean (2022)

Wild Galapagos | Part 1 | In the Grip of the Ocean

In the Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Archipelago's unique biodiversity is shaped by the alternating influences of the cold Humboldt Current and the warm Panama Current.

Wild Galapagos | Part 1 | In the Grip of the Ocean

No digital watch option in your country

Sea of Chaos (2025)

Sea of Chaos

In the Galapagos Islands, the garua season transforms the landscape with fog and rain, revealing both barren volcanic isles and lush tropical rainforests.

No digital watch option in your country

Trapped in Paradise - Incredible habitat adaptation (2022)

Trapped in Paradise - Incredible habitat adaptation

The Galapagos Islands host unique wildlife that adapts to extreme conditions in the Pacific Ocean.

Trapped in Paradise - Incredible habitat adaptation

No digital watch option in your country

In the Grip of the Ocean (2023)

In the Grip of the Ocean

The Galapagos Archipelago, located 1,000 km west of South America, is home to unique species such as diving iguanas and giant tortoises, highlighting its evolutionary significance.

In the Grip of the Ocean

No digital watch option in your country

Masters of the Wild - The incredible adaptability of animals (2021)

Masters of the Wild - The incredible adaptability of animals

A desert hedgehog can survive long periods without water by relying on juicy grubs to quench its thirst in extreme heat.

Masters of the Wild - The incredible adaptability of animals

No digital watch option in your country

Enchanted Isles: Exploring the Unbridled Wilderness of Galapagos (2023)

Enchanted Isles: Exploring the Unbridled Wilderness of Galapagos

Six months of no rain on Santa Cruz Island force giant tortoises to migrate in search of food, pushing them to their limits.

Enchanted Isles: Exploring the Unbridled Wilderness of Galapagos

No digital watch option in your country

Spectacular Wildlife in the Galapagos Islands (2022)

Spectacular Wildlife in the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands, located about 600 miles off the South American coast, are home to unique species like the marine iguana, which can hold its breath for up to 30 minutes.

Spectacular Wildlife in the Galapagos Islands

No digital watch option in your country

Louis Theroux Explores America's Strangest City Full Of Dangerous Dogs (2026)

Louis Theroux Explores America's Strangest City Full Of Dangerous Dogs

In Los Angeles, Louis Theroux meets dog owners and enthusiasts whose lives are intertwined with the city's unique and often dangerous canine culture.

Louis Theroux Explores America's Strangest City Full Of Dangerous Dogs

No digital watch option in your country

Galapagos 3D: Nature's Wonderland (2014)

Galapagos 3D: Nature's Wonderland

2014•45m•★10.0TMDB

Over millions of years, life on the Galapagos Islands has evolved in isolation, creating a unique ecosystem of wildlife including tortoises and iguanas.

Galapagos 3D: Nature's Wonderland

The Dragons of Galapagos (1998)

The Dragons of Galapagos

1998•56m•★7.2TMDB

Land Iguanas on Fernandina Island face a 1-kilometer descent down unstable walls to reach the floor of an active volcano for egg-laying.

The Dragons of Galapagos

Survival Island (1996)

Survival Island

1996•42m•★7.0TMDB

During spring and summer, South Georgia Island hosts some of the largest concentrations of wildlife on Earth, including thousands of elephant seals and king penguins.

Survival Island

Lonesome George and the Battle for Galapagos (2006)

Lonesome George and the Battle for Galapagos

2006•59m•★10.0TMDB

One tortoise, known as Lonesome George, became the last of his species, prompting conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands as extinction loomed.

Lonesome George and the Battle for Galapagos

Galapagos with David Attenborough (2013)

Galapagos with David Attenborough

2013•3h20m•★7.2TMDB

Two hundred years after Darwin's visit, David Attenborough visits the Galápagos Islands to reveal unique species found nowhere else on Earth.

Galapagos with David Attenborough

Elephants, the twilight of the giants (2010)

Elephants, the twilight of the giants

2010•52m•★8.0TMDB

Elephants have existed on Earth for 50 million years, adapting to various environments and forming strong family bonds.

Elephants, the twilight of the giants

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →