GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS BELONGS TO ECUADOR AND THEY ARE VOLCANIC IN ORIGIN.  IT IS A BIOLOGICAL MARINE RESERVE AND NATIONAL PARK.  THEIR MAIN LANGUAGE IS SPANISH WITH A  A POPULATION OF 25,000.

THEY HAVE BEEN A TOURIST DESTINATION AS THEY WERE STUDIED BY CHARLES DARWIN BY NATIONAL SELECTION. BEFORE 1500'S.  A NAVIGATION CHART WAS MADE BY PIRATE, AMBROSE COUNTY IN 1684.  THE ISLANDS HAVE SPANISH  AND THE LARGEST IS ISABELLA.  THERE ARE 107 ISLETS, AND 18 MAIN ISLANDS.

THE ISLANDS FORMED 8 - 90 MILLION.YEARS AGO.  SOME ARE STILL BEING FORMED.  IN 2009 A VOLCANIC ERUPTION FORMED ON FERNANDINA.   THE ISLANDS ARE VERY ARID WITH SALT BRUSH, PRICKLY CACTUS  AND SANTO TREES.  THE ISLAND'S HAVE 2 AIRPORTS.  THEY HAVE A CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH CENTER HERE.  AS OF 1997 SCIENTISTS FOUND 97 IGUANAS THAT HAD BECOME EXTINCT BECAUSE OF A  BREADING PROJECT.

BARTOLOMA ISLAND HAS A SPECIAL  PENGUIN AND A GREEN TURTLE THAT LIVES ON THE EQUATOR. AT DARWIN ISLAND THERE ARE SEALS, FRIGATES, IGUANAS, GULLS, SEA LIONS, WHALES AND MARINE MAMMALS.

THE OLDEST ISLAND IS ESPANOLA  THAT IS 3.5 MILLION YEARS OLD AND HAS MANY ENDEMIC SPECIES FOUND HERE- ALBATROSSES, LAVA LIZARD, TORTOISE, AND MOCKINGBIRD.  IT IS A REMOTE ISLAND.  IT HAS A GOOD SNORKELING SPOT.

ISABELLA ISLAND HAS PELICANS, CORMORANTS, CRABS AND IGUANAS AND GALAPAGOS DOVES.  THEY HAVE  A HUMAN TOWN HERE ON THE SOUTH TIP.
ON NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND THIS ONE HAS THE LARGEST POPULATION OF FRIGATE BIRDS.  THE WATERS ARE SOMEWHAT COLD WITH DRIZZLES.  IN JUNE  TO NOVEMBER THE TEMPERATURE IS 72 DEGREES WITH DENSE FOG.  DURING DECEMBER TO MAY NO WIND IS HERE.  PRECIPITATION VARIES FROM 5 TO 9 INCHES.  SPANIARDS DISCOVERED THE ISLANDS AS THEY SAILED TO PERU AS HIS VESSEL DRIFTED HERE IN 1535.  THOR HEYERDAHL STUDIED POT SHERDS AND ARTIFACTS HERE PRIOR TO ARRIVAL BY SPANISH.  THEY FOUND NO PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS.

IN1793 SPANISH  AND ENGLISH EXPLORERS DESCRIBED THE FLORA  AND FAUNA.  WHALERS AND FUR TRADERS AT THAT TIME KILLED 1000'S OF TORTOISES ON THEIR TO EAT ON THEIR SHIPS AS WELL.

DARWIN CAME IN 1835 AS A GEOLOGIST AND LIKED THE VOLCANIC CRATERS.  HE EXPLAINED HOW VOLCANIC FORMATIONS AND TUFF FORM OVER 5 WEEKS AS  HE STAYED HERE OVER 5 WEEKS.

BY THE 1920'S AND 1930'S EUROPEANS RECEIVED 20 HECTARES FREE, INCLUDING A RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH.  MAJOR TOURISM STARTED AT 1959.  THIS ATTRACTED FISHING AND FARMING  FROM MAINLAND ECUADOR .  THE ISLANDS HAVENO INDIGENOUS CULTURE.