These Double-Crested Cormorants at Point Lobos, California can fly.  But did you know that the Flightless Cormorants on the Galapagos Islands don’t fly. They have evolved so they don’t have to fly because there are no predators on the islands they inhabit. Of course, Darwin told us  about this with his Theory of Evolution. The heart of Darwin’s controversial theory lies in the idea of natural selection. It states that variation exists in any animal population and within species. The same process of natural selection that applies to individual animals also applies to entire species. A species with numerous individuals well adapted to their environment will survive and prosper.  So the Cormorants in the Galapagos don’t need to fly while these Cormorants in California do need to fly because of predators. Both species are excellent swimmers and divers with large web feet with fish being their main diet source.