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Cormorants are aquatic diving birds found in many parts of the world. In the Galapagos Islands, these birds have evolved to become flightless. They are believed to be one of the world's rarest birds found only on the coast of Fernandina Island and Isabela Island. In 1999, researchers estimated that there were only 900 in existence. The birds had no predators and lost their ability to fly when a flight was not needed to escape other animals. Since humans have introduced dogs, rats, pigs, and other species, the flightless cormorant's numbers declined sharply. This cormorant has no fear of humans, which is typical of this species. It must have been believed that the divers represented a food source as it followed them and repeatedly dove, pecking at them and their equipment. The divers were amused by the behavior and felt no fear of the bird as it could not easily injure them.