Galapagos Islands - Part 1

When asking people for their travel bucket list, the Galapagos Islands will be at the top of many of those lists, mine included.  The first exposure to the Galapagos Islands for most people was in science class where we were taught about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.  In his book On the Origin of Species published in 1859, he proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection developed in large part after visiting and studying the animals and birds of the Galapagos Islands in his famed expedition on the HMS Beagle in the 1830s.

Map of the Galapagos Islands
Map from www.freeworldmaps.net

 

For me when I think of the Galapagos Islands, I picture giant tortoises, iguanas, penguins, sea turtles, and colorful birds with blue feet on lush volcanic islands surrounded by beautiful blue waters.  As our trip to the islands started to near, I wondered if they would live up to my expectations in real life… 

The Galapagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago approximately 600 miles off the west coast of Ecuador located in the Pacific ocean.  An archipelago is a collection or group of islands found in bodies of water such as rivers and oceans. The Galapagos Islands is composed of 127 volcanic islands, islets and rocks, which straddle the equator with islands in both the northern and southern hemispheres. 

Rock near Santiago Island 

 The archipelago, a province of Ecuador, is protected and highly regulated by the government which in 1959 created the Galapagos National Park, the oldest national park in in Ecuador. 

Tagus Cove, Isabela Island

Espinoza Point, Fernandina Island

In 1974, Ecuador took the first steps in also

protecting the waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands to prevent over fishing and depletion of the natural resources.  The marine reserve, as we know it today, was created in 1998 and officially named The Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve.

It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, further aiding in the protection and preservation of this magical place.  

James Bay, Santiago Island

Tourism in the Galapagos Islands is carefully regulated to ensure the area is protected from over-tourism and there are strict rules that must be followed, first and foremost of which designates that all visitors must be accompanied by an authorized naturalist guide and all tour operators must be authorized to work in the Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve.  

Itineraries of authorized tour operators are set approximately 2 years in advance.  All visitors must remain on designated trails and take only memories and photos with them when they leave. 

Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island

Many steps are taken to prevent the introduction of non-native plants or seeds, including inspection of inbound luggage for environmental agents which may be harmful to the ecosystem. 

There are many organizations committed to conservation of these precious ecosystems and to the removal of non-native introduced species like feral cats, goats and rats that have disrupted the food chain on the islands.  Organizations like the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz are working to repopulate the giant tortoise population on several islands.

Buccaneer Cove, Santiago Island

Buccaneer Cove, Santiago Island

The Galapagos islands are located above the convergence of three tectonic plates and consist of 19 main islands and 3 smaller islands.  The islands are volcanic in origin and have several active volcanoes.  The oldest Islands, San Cristobal and Espanola, are located to the east and have extinct volcanoes.  However, the youngest are the westernmost islands of Fernandina and Isabela.  Both of these islands are still forming with active volcanoes on each Island.  The Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela Island last erupted in 2018, while Fernandina Island’s La Cumbre Volcano began erupting in early March 2024 with lava traveling approximately 6 miles to finally reach the ocean a little over a month later in early April.  

                

We were so excited that our itinerary allowed us to see the current eruption from La Cumbre Volcano at night as the lava flows to the ocean on the southern coast of Fernandina Island.

Mangroves in Black Turtle Cove, Santa Cruz

 

 Only four islands of the Galapagos are inhabited, Santa

 Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana, and Isabela Islands. 

 The inhabited areas comprise only 3% of the total land

 mass, with the remaining 97% uninhabited

 comprising the Galapagos National Park.   

Bartolome Island

Now that the trip is over and I look back at all I saw and experienced, I can honestly say the Galapagos Islands absolutely lived up to and far surpassed my expectations.  

The people of Ecuador were lovely and welcoming, the food was delicious and the scenery and wildlife were breathtaking.  

One of the most amazing things that I will take with me from my time here is the absence of fear from the animals and birds with which we came in to contact.  They are protected and have no reason to fear humans so we could actually see and feel the wonder of nature in its truest form.  

Fun Facts I didn’t know before I visited:  Ecuador is a top exporter of bananas, cocoa and roses.

Roses from tour of Rose Success greenhouses

                                                               

While on the mainland in Ecuador, we had a lovely tour of Rose Success greenhouses in Cotopaxi, Ecuador where we saw and were able to photograph many varieties and colors of roses.

Coming soon, Galapagos Islands - Part 2; Birds of the Galapagos...