Lava gulls are endemic to Galapagos and are one of the rarest gulls in the world. The Charles Darwin Research Station is, at present, unsure of the total population size of lava gulls but estimates their numbers in the hundreds. Although they are not numerous, they are frequently seen (often at very close range) by those visiting the Galapagos on our Expeditions because they are noisy and obvious and, like the rest of the birds and animals that inhabit these marvelous islands, unafraid.