Pinta Island

Pinta Island is one of the islands of the Galápagos archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, administered by Ecuador. It is sparsely vegetated volcanic terrain and has played an important role in Galápagos natural history.

The island is known for its populations of marine and terrestrial wildlife that form part of the Galápagos ecosystem and for its role in conservation studies. Human presence on the island has been limited and visits are controlled under Galápagos National Park regulations.

Pinta and the other Galápagos islands have been the focus of scientific study since the 19th century and have been protected under Ecuadorian national park status since the 20th century. Ongoing conservation work in the archipelago addresses invasive species and habitat protection.

Pinta lies in the northern part of the Galápagos archipelago in the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of mainland Ecuador.

• Biodiversity: The island is part of the Galápagos archipelago and is home to endemic species; it gained global attention as the home island of the last known Pinta giant tortoise.
• Lonesome George: Lonesome George, the last known individual of his subspecies, was brought from the island and died in 2012, marking the subspecies' extinction in the wild.