Travel
Darwin’s Enchanted Islands: Galapagos
The Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are a group of 13 volcanic islands islands, located in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 kilometers west of the coast of Ecuador. Galapagos Islands is home to the most diverse variety of land and sea species on the planet; Penguins and whales, sea lions and iguanas, tropical birds and giant tortoises—this bizarre collection of species comes together in a single destination on the equator.
The Galapagos sprouted out of the Pacific from a suboceanic lava vent on the ocean floor. This same process created the Hawaiian Islands. The islands are famed for their vast number of endemic species and the studies by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle that contributed to the inception of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. The islands are best known as the home of giant tortoises that can weigh as much as 600 lb/272 kg and live nearly 200 years. The tortoise is a unique animal found only in the Galapagos Islands, yet there are no more than 200 in the 13 main islands. The Galapagos Islands also offer some of the world’s best scuba diving. The cool and warm water mixture combined with “bajos” - underwater volcanoes produce a great mixture of marine life, including; sponges, corals, anemones, gorgonians, shrimps, conchs, as well as the large species; dolphins, hammerhead and white tip sharks, eagle rays, moray eels, and the coveted whale shark.
The legendary marine and land iguanas, the giant tortoises, and seal colonies of the Galapagos are among nature’s most fantastic beings. The marine environment of the Galapagos is also a protected area; The Galapagos National Park is the largest Marine Reserve in the Americas, and the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef.
Visiting the Galapagos is one of the world’s great travel experiences. Upon reaching the Galapagos, the only way to tour the islands is to do it the way Darwin did, by boat. For more information about Galapagos and travel details visit galapagos.com.
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