A volcano on the equator in the Pacific Ocean; and on its very rim, among the lava boulders life; a giant tortoise. Inside another, in its very throat, an iguana climbs down the walls to lay its eggs on the floor of the crater. Yet this is one of the most active volcanoes on earth. Closer to the coast, molten lava spouts from yet another vent. And here, alongside a lava flow, lives another iguana. Like creatures from some creation myth these reptiles manage, astonishingly, to live among the fires that build the earth. The Galapagos Islands are home to the only sea-going lizard in the world the marine iguana. In spite of the crashing surf, the iguanas manage to graze on lush growths of marine algae that flourish around the coasts. After an hour or so in the sea, these lizards have to come to land to warm up again in the sun.