S&J Scenic Journeys

Galapagos Islands - Part 2             Birds of the Galapagos   What comes to mind when you think of birds you would see in the Galapagos Islands?  For me,  what came to mine was the male frigate bird with the inflated red throat. There are many unique bird species here,   this is in part due to the isolation and unique ecosystems found in the Galapagos Islands.  Birds are found nesting on many of the islands, however, some birds only nest on a single or a few islands, as is the case for boobies.  We were scheduled to go to Genovesa Island on our second day of our cruise where a colony of Red footed boobies are located, however, the entire Genovesa Island has been quarantined due to the presence of avian influenza H5N1.  Also quarantined is Punta Pitt on San Cristobal Island.  These quarantined areas are being closely monitored by park rangers and biosecurity agents hoping to mitigate and prevent further spread t...

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 Islan...