Guide Jimmy Patino filmed the unusual bird at the Punta Vicente Roca site on Isabela Island while he was giving a tour to two tourists earlier this month.
The rare penguin with white plumage was seen calmly standing next to a lizard nearly twice its size as the inquisitive guide moved in for a closer look.
The bird’s species has not been officially confirmed, but it is believed to be a Galapagos penguin – or Spheniscus mendiculus – which are endemic to the archipelago.
Galapagos penguins normally have a black head and two white lines going down from their eyes towards their chin. They also have a black stripe on their neck.
This penguin’s white colour is likely brought about by a form of leucistic pigmentation, meaning its feathers are missing the black colour penguins are normally associated with.
