Galapagos

Evolution in the raw.  Timeless, yet ever-changing. 

No place on Earth fills travellers with such a strong sense of the planet’s immense creative forces than the “Enchanted Islands” of the Galapagos Archipelago

Long-famous for its place in Charles Darwin’s seminal work, the Galapagos continues to surpass all expectations, leaving visitors with feelings of having stepped onto another planet.  All around are dramatic landscapes of lava tunnels, spatter cones, pit craters and cinder slopes.  Hissing columns of steam add mystery to the other-worldly atmosphere of this volcanic melting pot.

And then there are the animals and birds! Experience a form of “culture shock”, as you encounter creatures that challenge and defy your natural instincts.  Their behaviour underlines that this is their realm and that visitors should recognise their own place in the evolutionary scheme of things.  Immense tortoises – some weighing up to a quarter of a ton – trundle around as they have for centuries.  Imperious iguanas regard passers-by from the top of ash cones and crater rims.  Exotic birds, free from predator anxiety, return the curious gaze of photographers who in turn can’t believe their luck. 

History

The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago made up of 13 main volcanic islands, 6 smaller islands, and 107 rocks and islets. The very first island is thought to have formed between 5 and 10 million years ago, as a result of tectonic activity. The youngest islands, Isabela and Fernandina, are still being formed, with the most recent volcanic eruption in 2005.
The islands are distributed around the equator, 965 kilometres (about 600 miles) west of Ecuador (recently found to have 3 volcanoes in the centre island, all of them active)
They are famed for their vast number of endemic species and the studies by Charles Darwin that led to his theory of evolution by natural selection.
In 1959, the centenary year of Darwin's publication of The Origin of Species, the Ecuadorean government declared 97.5% of the archipelago's land area a national park, except areas already colonised. The Charles Darwin Foundation was founded the same year, with its international headquarters in Brussels. Its primary objectives are to ensure the conservation of unique Galápagos ecosystems and promote the scientific studies necessary to fulfil its conservation functions. Conservation work began with the establishment of the Charles Darwin Research Station in 1964. During the early years, conservation programs, such as eradication of introduced species and protection of native species, were carried out by station personnel. Currently, most resident scientists pursue conservation goals; most visiting scientists' work is oriented towards pure research.
When the national park was established, approximately 1,000 to 2,000 people called the islands their home. In 1972 a census was done in the archipelago and a population of 3,488 was recorded. By the 1980s, this number had dramatically risen to more than 15,000 people, and 2006 estimates place the population around 30,000 people.
In 1986 the surrounding ocean was declared a marine reserve. UNESCO recognised the islands as a World Heritage Site in 1978, which was extended in December 2001 to include the marine reserve.

Noteworthy species include:

• Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus)
• Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) (only iguana feeding from the sea)
• Galapagos tortoise (Galápagos Giant tortoise), Geochelone elephantopus, known as Galápago in Spanish, it gave the name to the islands.
• Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii)
• Galápagos Green Turtle, thought to be a subspecies of the Pacific Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas agassisi)
• Sea cucumber, the cause of environmental battles with fishermen over quotas of this expensive Asian delicacy (Holothuria spp).
• 13 endemic species of finch, popularly called Darwin's finches
• Woodpecker Finch (Camarhynchus pallidus)
• Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)
• Flightless Cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi)
• Galápagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis)
• Sea lions, which belong to glacier seas, are present on the Galápagos islands because of the Humboldt cold current. They are found mainly on the Plaza Sur, Santiago and Fernandina islands.

Galapagos Islands ©