Midriff Islands
rendering of Midriff Island exhibit
Splendid Isolation

In the Gulf of California, anchovies and sea lions cut through the cool soup of green plankton. Emerge atop an island of volcanic rock where gulls and terns flap and pose, court, mate, and raise young. Surrounded by a sea of food and safe from most predators, their success is almost guaranteed. Strange forms inhabit these islands. In isolation, plants and animals have changed through the generations. Many are found on these islands and nowhere else in the world.

In the Future Exhibits

  • Investigate the effects of El Niño's warm water on breeding success.
  • Explore the process of natural selection and how the islands became populated with unusual species.
  • Play "survival of the fittest" and see how a little change can make a big difference.

Continue your journey

Habitat Journey | Ocean | Coast | Shrublands | Mountains | Mine Tunnel | Rainshadow Desert | Colorado River Delta | Midriff Islands | Gulf of California | Central Desert | Cape Region

Future Permanent Exhibits | Exhibits
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