Galápagos Islands

Location: 925 km (500 mi) West of mainland Ecuador  Map

 

Description of Galápagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands (also known as the Galápagos Islands and officially known as the Columbus Archipelago or the Galápagos Archipelago) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean located 972 km off the coast of Ecuador. They were discovered in 1535 by the crew of Friar Tomás de Berlanga's ship. It consists of thirteen large islands with an area greater than 10 km², nine medium-sized islands with an area of ​​1 km² to 10 km² and another 107 small islets, as well as rocky promontories of a few square meters, distributed around the equatorial line, which together with the Malay Archipelago, are the only archipelagos on the planet that have territory in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

The Galapagos Islands are the second largest marine reserve on the planet and were declared a World Heritage Site in 1978 by UNESCO. The archipelago's main source of income is tourism, receiving 200,000 tourists a year. Ecotourism has also been developed in order to preserve the species. The region was the habitat of Lonesome George, the last specimen of the Pinta giant tortoise species, which became extinct on June 24, 2012. The islands are also habitat for species such as sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, hammerhead sharks, whales, coral reefs, frigates, iguanas, lizards, cormorants, albatrosses, sea lions and penguins. Like the continental mass of Ecuador, the archipelago is crossed by the equatorial line, mostly to the north of Isabela Island. The Galapagos is the second most volcanically active archipelago on the planet, surpassed only by Hawaii. It falls into the category of hot spots; The most active volcanoes are Cerro Azul, Sierra Negra, Marchena and La Cumbre volcano on Fernandina Island, which is the most active in the archipelago and one of the most active in the world.

The Galapagos are known for their numerous endemic species and for Charles Darwin's studies that led him to establish his theory of evolution by natural selection. They are known, touristically, as the Enchanted Islands, a name that the archipelago earned in the 16th century for its peculiar biodiversity of flora and fauna.

It is estimated that the formation of the first island took place more than five million years ago, as a result of tectonic activity. The most recent islands, called Isabela and Fernandina, are still in the process of formation, with the most recent volcanic eruption having been recorded in 2020.

Administratively, the Galapagos is one of the provinces of Ecuador, made up of three cantons that bear the names of its most populated islands, namely: San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz and Isabela. On February 12, 1832, under the presidency of Juan José Flores, the Galapagos Islands were annexed to Ecuador. Since February 18, 1973, they have been a province of this country.

The Galapagos Islands were inscribed on the World Heritage List under criteria (vii), (viii), (ix) and (x), showing a spectacular and unique natural site characterized by an extraordinary value in wildlife and an exceptional expression of the periods of the planet's history that is not found anywhere else in the world. In addition, the property contains exceptional examples of ecological and biological processes of the evolution of ecosystems and habitats for the in situ conservation of biological diversity. Since the publication of The Voyage of the Beagle, by Charles Darwin in 1839, the origin of the flora and fauna of the Galapagos has been of great academic interest and importance for conservation.

 

History

The islands were formed 5 million years ago as a result of tectonic activity on the seabed. This island is very young.

The archipelago is one of the most active volcanic groups in the world. Many of the islands are only the tips of some volcanoes and show an advanced state of erosion. Islands such as Baltra and North Seymour emerged from the ocean due to great tectonic activity.

A possible human colonization of the islands by South American indigenous people before the arrival of the Spanish was suspected, since archaeologists Thor Heyerdahl and Arne Skjolsvold found ceramic fragments similar to ceramic styles from the South American continent in 1952, although later studies showed that those fragments are much more recent, so this theory has been ruled out.

The Galapagos Islands were discovered by chance on March 10, 1535, when the ship of the Bishop of Panama, Fray Tomás de Berlanga, was diverted from its destination to Peru, where it was to carry out an assignment from the Spanish King Charles V to arbitrate in a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and his subordinates following the conquest of the Inca Empire.

The first maps to include the islands were made by cartographers Abraham Ortelius and Mercator around 1570. The islands were described as "Insulae de los Galopegos" (Turtle Islands).

The Galapagos were used by English pirates as a hiding place on their voyages to plunder Spanish galleons carrying gold and silver from America to Spain. The first recorded pirate to visit the islands was the Englishman Richard Hawkins, in 1593. From then until 1816 many pirates came to the archipelago.

The islands were uninhabited when they were discovered and ships passing by them would often see the archipelago covered in fog. Various events led to them being known as the Enchanted Islands and even some Spanish navigators claimed that they did not exist and were only mirages.

The first scientific mission to visit the Galapagos Islands was the Malaspina expedition, a Spanish expedition led by Alejandro Malaspina that arrived in 1790. However, the expedition's records were never published.

In the 17th century, the area began to be populated when the navigator James Colnett described the place as islands rich in flora and fauna. This attracted the first settlers, mostly English, who were interested in whales, sperm whales, sea lions and mainly in the Galapagos. The discovery of sperm whale blubber also attracted many whalers, leading to the creation of an improvised post office, where ships dropped off and picked up letters. Colnett also drew the first navigational charts of the Galapagos.

In October 1831, José de Villamil sent an exploratory commission to the Galapagos archipelago to find out about the existence of orchilla, a plant used to dye fabrics and exported to Mexico. On November 14, the "Colonizing Society of the Galapagos Archipelago" was established and Charles Island, later called Floreana, was declared uncultivated.

On January 20, 1832, an expedition to the Galapagos under the command of Colonel Ignacio Hernández set out, and Ecuador annexed them on February 12, 1832 under the government of General Juan José Flores, naming them the Columbus Archipelago.

 

Research by Charles Darwin

Aboard the ship Beagle, the British expedition led by Captain Robert FitzRoy arrived in the Galapagos on September 15, 1835 to carry out surveys and cartography work, within a list of places isolated from Europe, such as Valparaiso (Chile), Callao, the Galapagos Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia and the Cape of Good Hope. The ship returned to Falmouth on October 2, 1836.

The captain, the crew and the young naturalist Charles Darwin, carried out a scientific study of the geology and biology of four of the islands, before continuing their expedition around the world. The ship traveled around the archipelago for five weeks, but Darwin was on land for only two weeks. He investigated the animals and plants native to the region. The studies of this trip allowed Darwin to formulate the theory of the origin of the species.

 

World Heritage Site

UNESCO declared the Galapagos Islands a World Natural Heritage Site in 1979 and, six years later, a Biosphere Reserve (1985). In 2007, UNESCO declared the Galapagos Islands a World Heritage Site at Environmental Risk and they were included on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger until 2010.

 

Geography and geology

The archipelago is known by a variety of names; in Ecuador they are commonly known by their Spanish names, which are also the official ones, only the old English names are used for historical purposes. The official name of the islands is Archipiélago de Colón, while administratively the territory is known as "Provincia de Galápagos". The most well-known and common name is Islas Galápagos. The first navigational chart of the islands, although rustic, was made by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684, and in this chart he named the islands after some of his pirate friends and some English noblemen who supported the cause of the corsairs.

 

Location and Topography

The Colón Archipelago covers an area of ​​8,010 km² in the Pacific Ocean, about 900 km west of Ecuador. The islands cover an area of ​​approximately 59,500 km².​ The northwest corner of Darwin Island is 431 km southeast of Española Island.

The Galapagos Islands have 13 islands larger than 10 km² and 19 islands larger than 1 km², and are also made up of several islets and reefs.​ The total number of islands is 234. The largest island is Isabela, with an area of ​​4,588 km².​ The five largest islands are Isabela, Santa Cruz, Fernandina, Santiago and San Cristóbal, which cover 93.2% of the total area of ​​the archipelago. The archipelago rises from the sea mainly by steep slopes,​ an example of this is the León Dormido, a remarkably steep slope, which only covers 0.1 km2 and reaches a height of 148 m a.s.l. The terrain of the islands is undulating, with numerous high volcanoes and craters. The highest point of the islands is the volcano Wolf, about 1,710 m high, on Isabela Island. Only Fernandina and Santiago islands reach heights above 884 meters.

The coastal strip of the archipelago has a varied topography, with cliffs and caves. On the lower shores they are rocky, jagged of various sizes; some beaches are of sand, silt or coral remains. They are mostly sediments, the product of volcanic eruptions and ash or organic material such as shells, sea urchin skeletons or other calcareous materials. The only permanent freshwater pool on the islands is El Junco. In addition, the islands have many temporary ponds 10 to 20 meters wide and several craters with permanent salt lakes inside.

 

Islands

Named after Queen Isabella I of Castile who sponsored Columbus' voyage (its English name honours the Duke of Albemarle), it is the largest island in the archipelago, with an area of ​​4,588 km² and occupies 58% of the islands' land area. The island's shape is due to the fusion of five large volcanoes (Cerro Azul, Sierra Negra, Salcedo, Darwin and Wolf) into a single mass. It has a population of approximately 2,200 inhabitants. The highest point is the Wolf volcano, which reaches 1,707 metres above sea level. On this island you can see penguins, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, as well as abundant zayapas and tintoreras. On the slopes and calderas of the six volcanoes of Isabela, you can see giant tortoises and land iguanas, as well as finches, pigeons, hawks, bats (Lasiurus blossevillii and Aeorestes cinereus) and interesting vegetation. The third largest human settlement in the archipelago and its largest port, known as Puerto Villamil or Albemarle, is located at the southern end of the island.

Santa Cruz Island
Named after the Cross of Christ (its name in English is due to the military ship HMS Indefatigable), it has an area of ​​986 km² and a maximum altitude of 864 meters. The largest human settlement in the archipelago is located on Santa Cruz, in the town of Puerto Ayora. The Charles Darwin Research Station and the headquarters of the Galapagos National Park Service are located here. The SPNG operates a tortoise breeding center where these turtles are prepared for reintroduction into their natural habitat. The "upper part" of Santa Cruz has lush vegetation and is known for lava tubes. A large population of turtles inhabits this region. Black Turtle Cove is an area surrounded by mangroves where sea turtles, rays and small sharks use it as a mating site. Dragon Hill, known for its flamingo lagoon and land iguanas, is also located on this island. It has areas for diving and surfing.

Tortuga Bay is located on the island of Santa Cruz. Puerto Ayora is about a 20-minute walk away. There is a small road 2500 meters long and you must log in and out at the Galapagos National Park office.

Fernandina Island
Named after King Ferdinand the Catholic, who sponsored Columbus' voyage (its English name honors Sir John Narborough), Fernandina has an area of ​​642 km² and a maximum height of 1494 meters. This is the most recent and westernmost of the islands in the archipelago. On April 11, 2009, a new eruptive process began, which created a cloud of ash and water vapor with pyroclastic flows that descended the slopes of the volcano, reaching the sea. Punta Espinoza is a narrow strip of land where hundreds of marine iguanas gather in large groups. The flightless cormorant lives on this island, as well as penguins and fur seals. There are also mangrove areas. Various types of lava flows can be observed here.

Santiago Island
Named after the patron saint of Spain, it is also known as San Salvador in honor of the first Caribbean island discovered by Columbus. It has an area of ​​585 km² and a maximum height of 907 meters. Marine iguanas, fur seals, sea lions, land and sea turtles, dolphins and sharks can be found here. A large number of domestic animals, which were introduced with the arrival of settlers to the island, have caused great damage to the endemic flora and fauna. Darwin's finches and Galapagos falcons are frequently seen on this island. In Sullivan Bay there is a recent pahoehoe lava flow.

San Cristóbal Island
Named after Christopher the martyr (its name in English is in memory of the Earl of Chatham), it is the capital of the province and has an area of ​​558 km² and a maximum height of 730 meters. In the southern half of the island, inside a crater in the San Cristóbal mountain range, is the El Junco lagoon, which is the largest freshwater lake in the archipelago. It is home to a large bird population and nearby is La Galapaguera, a refuge and breeding station for giant tortoises. Near the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is Cerro Tijeretas, a nesting colony for frigates, and about ten minutes away by bus is La Lobería, a colony of sea lions. At the top of the island is the San Cristóbal Biological Station, dedicated to the conservation of Ecuador's forests. There are also boat trips to nearby diving sites. "León Dormido" represents the remains of a lava cone, now divided in two. "Isla Lobos" is a nesting site for blue-footed boobies.

Floreana Island
Named after the first president of Ecuador, Juan José Flores, under whose administration the archipelago was taken over (its name in English is that of King Charles II of England). It is also known as Santa María, after one of Columbus's caravels. It has an area of ​​173 km² and a maximum altitude of 640 meters. Between December and May, pink flamingos and sea turtles nest on this island. Here you can find a small population of Galapagos penguins and the endemic Floreana mockingbird. Interesting coral formations can be seen in the so-called "Devil's Crown", which is a submerged volcanic cone.

Marchena Island
Named after Friar Antonio de Marchena. It has an area of ​​130 km² and a maximum altitude of 343.5 meters. Although there are no places to visit on this island, it is possible to dive in the waters around it. It has a great variety of flora and fauna such as flamingos and sea lions. Giant tortoises can also be spotted. Marchena has an elliptical-shaped volcanic caldera approximately 7 km long by 6 km wide, classified as large within the range of caldera sizes.

Española Island
Named after the first city in America (its English name honours Viscount Samuel Hood), with its 60 km² it is one of the smaller islands that make up the Galapagos archipelago, and is the oldest of all, since it has existed for around 3.5 million years. Although it is uninhabited, several animal species of interest live on it, such as the endemic Española mockingbird, the blue-footed booby, the Galapagos turtle dove, the swallow-tailed gull, the marine iguana and the lava lizard. Particularly popular among visitors are Gardner Bay, which has a beach renowned for its beauty, and Punta Suárez, of interest for bird watching.

Pinta Island
Named after one of Columbus's caravels (its English name is dedicated to the Earl of Abingdon), it is the northernmost island of the Galapagos and the ninth largest in the archipelago. It has an area of ​​60 km² and a maximum altitude of 780 meters. Here you can see swallow-tailed gulls, marine iguanas, fur seals and Galapagos hawks. The famous tortoise, "Lonesome George", the last known specimen of the Chelonoidis abingdonii species, was originally from this island. One of the most active volcanoes is also found here.

Baltra Island
The origin of its name is unknown; in English it owes its name to the British sailor Lord Hugh Seymour. It has an area of ​​27 km² and a maximum altitude of 100 meters. It is home to the archipelago's main airport, which was built during World War II by the United States Navy to "patrol" the Panama Canal. Land iguanas were reintroduced on this island after this native species was completely wiped out by the US soldiers stationed here. There are still vestiges of the soldiers' barracks throughout the island. Some of them return as tourists after they have retired. The island is home to a lot of wild desert flora, mostly cactus-filled. Planes arrive from the mainland from the airport, and buses depart every 10 minutes for $5 to the canal and the port. There are dozens of spots for surfing, snorkelling or diving, with prior permission from the Ecuadorian Navy. There is a second airport that is no longer in service, also dating back to World War II. Between Baltra Island and Santa Cruz Island, there is the Itabaca Canal, used by water taxis that take people between the islands. Boats operate off the coast to take people to other islands in the Galapagos.

Santa Fe Island
Named after the Capitulations of Santa Fe, in which Christopher Columbus was granted the titles of Admiral of the Ocean Sea, Viceroy and Governor General of the lands he discovered (its name in English is in honor of Admiral Samuel Barrington). It has an area of ​​24 km² and a maximum altitude of 259 meters. Santa Fe has a forest of Opuntia cacti, the largest in the archipelago, and palo santo. It has a colorful turquoise lagoon and calm waters where you can snorkel with sea lions. Its coastal cliffs are home to swallow-tailed gulls, petrels and other tropical birds. The Santa Fe land iguana, endemic to the island, inhabits it in large numbers, as do the lava lizard and some surviving populations of the coastal mouse (one of the few terrestrial mammals of the Galapagos Islands).

Pinzón Island
Named after the Pinzón brothers, captains of the caravels La Pinta and La Niña on Christopher Columbus' first expedition (its name in English is reminiscent of Viscount Duncan). It has an area of ​​18 km² and a maximum altitude of 458 meters. There are no sites to visit and a special permit from the authorities is required to enter. The main forest species are on the island, in the humid zone, there is a unique species of the so-called daisy tree. Pinzón is home to sea lions, giant tortoises, marine iguanas and dolphins, as well as other endemic species.

Genovesa Island
Named after the city of Genoa (Italy), the probable birthplace of Columbus. It has an area of ​​14 km² and a maximum altitude of 76 meters. The horseshoe-shaped island has a volcanic caldera whose wall has collapsed, forming the Great Darwin Bay, surrounded by cliffs. The saltwater-filled Lake Arcturus lies at the center, and the sediments within this crater lake are less than 6,000 years old. Although no historical eruptions are known from Genovesa, there are very young lava flows on the flanks of the volcano. It is known as "Bird Island" because of the large and varied colonies of birds that nest here. There are large numbers of frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, lava gulls, petrels, tropicbirds, Darwin's finches, and Galapagos mockingbirds. The site called "El Barranco" constitutes a magnificent plateau for observing these birds, especially the masked and red-footed boobies. There is also a large forest of palo santo.

Rábida Island
Named after the La Rábida Monastery where Columbus left his son during his voyage of discovery to America (its English name is due to Admiral Jervis). It has an area of ​​4.9 km² and a maximum altitude of 367 metres. The high iron content of the Rábida lava causes the island to have a characteristic reddish colour. The landscape is dotted with small volcanic craters along the slopes and sharp cliffs. Occasionally, flamingos and sea lions can be seen in a saltwater lagoon near the beach, where pelicans and boobies build their nests. Nine species of finches have been recorded on this island. The rich fauna attracts countless cruise ship tourists.

North Seymour Island
Named after the English nobleman Lord Hugh Seymour, it has an area of ​​1.9 km² and a maximum altitude of 28 metres. The entire island is covered with low, dense vegetation, and has a visitor track approximately 2 km long that crosses the island's road and allows you to explore the rocky coast. This island is home to a large population of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. There are also a large number of land iguanas, which were introduced from Baltra Island and which served to repopulate the island with this species. It is also possible to observe a large number of frigate birds and sea lions with their babies.

Wolf Island
Named after the German geologist Theodor Wolf, it has an area of ​​1.3 km² and a maximum height of 100 meters. It is located far from the main group of islands and has no permanent population, so it is not accessible to visit on land, however, it is a popular place for diving. It was previously known as Wenman Island. Fur seals, marine iguanas and green turtles live here. Birds found on this island include the frigate bird, the red-footed booby and the vampire finch. The island's marine life includes hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks and occasionally whale sharks, as well as dolphins, manta rays and other pelagic fish.

Tortuga Island
Tortuga Island is located 2 km south of Isabela Island. It has an area of ​​1.3 km² and a maximum height of 100 meters. This island is an ancient volcanic caldera, of which only half remains above water. The dive site is on the northeast side of the island, and gradually descends out of sight into the depths of the Pacific. Between 20 and 30 meters, hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks and eagle rays can be observed. Blacktip reef sharks also frequent the area. It is one of the main nesting sites for seabirds in the Galapagos. The possibility of sightings of sea turtles, manta rays and sea lions is also an incentive for tourism on this island.

Bartholomew Island
Named after Sir Bartholomew Sulivan of the British Navy, it covers an area of ​​1.2 km² and has a maximum altitude of 114 metres. This island offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the archipelago. The island is made up of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green and bright black volcanic formations. Galapagos lava cacti colonise the new lava fields. The island is home to the famed Pinnacle, which is one of the most representative sites of the archipelago. Here you can dive and snorkel with penguins, sea lions, white-tip reef sharks and other tropical fish. Seasonally, Bartholomew is the mating and nesting site of the green turtle. The bay is also an excellent place to go swimming. The twin bays are separated by a narrow isthmus.

Darwin Island
Named after Charles Darwin, who made the islands world famous. It has an area of ​​1.1 km² and a maximum height of 168 metres. This island is not open to land visits, the only visitors are those who come to dive. The marine life in Darwin is diverse, the waters of the island attract whale sharks from June to November, as well as hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, silky sharks and blacktip sharks. Fur seals, sea lions, dolphins and whales can also be found. The island has a large bird population, including frigate birds, red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and the vampire finch.

 

Formation

The Galapagos Islands are located on the northern part of the Nazca Plate, slowly moving northeastwards, about 5 centimetres per year. When the islands were formed they were about 200 km from the mainland, at the current rate of displacement the archipelago is expected to sink into the Peru-Chile Trench in about 20 million years.

The Galapagos have been defined as a "hot spot", a place of great volcanic activity that cannot be explained by the mutual action of plate boundaries. The Galapagos hotspot is located west of the archipelago. It remains in place, so the archipelago moves away from it, and allows new islands to emerge at a hot spot.

The islands in the eastern part of the archipelago are further away from the hot spot and are the oldest of the group of islands, but from a geological point of view they are relatively younger, since it is estimated that they were formed between 3 and 6 million years ago. The underwater mountains located west of San Cristóbal have been on the surface for 14 million years. The prehistory of the islands dates back 80-90 million years ago when the hot spot was formed. The western part of the island was the last to form, and the youngest islands are less than a million years old. They still have active volcanic activity.

 

Volcanic activity

The islands are individual volcanic peaks, but Isabela Island is composed of six peaks.​ The larger islands are the product of volcanic eruptions, although Baltra and Santa Fe islands are fault block uplifts, with no central volcanoes.

The main characteristic of the volcanoes in the Galapagos is that they are shield volcanoes that usually present basaltic eruptions,​ however, there are two types of volcanoes in the archipelago, and they are differentiated by the thickness of the lithosphere. The lithosphere is older and thicker on the western side of the fault zone that runs approximately along the 91st meridian west longitude than on its eastern side. In the western part of the archipelago, the Isabela and Fernandina volcanoes have the shape of an inverted bowl. This is a rather unusual volcanic shape. The mountain grows laterally from its roots and upwards from its summit. The western peaks are also characterized by calderas, which are large relative to the size of the mountain, the most prominent being on Isabela.

Earthquakes and eruptions are common on the islands. More than 50 volcanic eruptions have been recorded since the early 19th century. The islands display other signs of volcanic activity such as fumaroles, lava tubes, sulfur fields and pumice. One of the most notable features of the volcanoes in the Galapagos are their parasitic cones; there are about 2,000 of them on the slopes of the 20 largest mountains, and many of them still erupt.

The bedrock of the islands is of volcanic origin and is mostly made of basalt, although rhyolite also exists in smaller proportions.

 

Surrounding sea

The islands are entirely maritime, with the Galapagos continental shelf at an average of 914 metres below sea level and a surrounding sea at an average depth of 3,048 metres.

The sea surrounding the archipelago is influenced by three surface currents and a deeper sea current. The South Equatorial Current is one of the most important sea currents in the tropical Pacific Ocean and runs on both sides of the equator. This current runs west of the islands and collects surface water from the entire archipelago. It in turn receives warm water from the Panama Current and cold water from the Humboldt Current. The warm El Niño or Panama Current mainly affects the northern islands, while the cold Humboldt or Peru Current affects the islands in the centre and south of the archipelago.

The South Equatorial Current is balanced by the deeper, eastward-flowing Cromwell Current, which, when it hits the islands, especially Isabela, causes upwelling, i.e. the various nutrients carried by the cold water to rise to the surface waters. This phytoplankton-rich water makes the sea remarkably productive. The trade winds of the Cromwell Current also cause the phenomenon. The winds blowing westward carry the warm waters away from the islands, so the cold waters rise to the surface.

Marine waters are constantly influenced by the climatic phenomena of El Niño and La Niña. During El Niño, the Cromwell Current weakens, the upwelling is reduced or even eliminated. As a consequence, the surface waters warm up, reducing the availability of macronutrients and therefore the abundance of fish.

 

Climate

The climate of the archipelago is strongly influenced by the complex system of ocean currents that surround it,​ which is divided into two seasons. The cold Humboldt Current influences the dry season from May to December. From June to November, drizzle is almost continuous and covers the islands with fog.​ The warm Panama Current, on the other hand, brings the rainy season from December to May.​ During this period, more intense rainfall occurs;​ in March, precipitation reaches 80 millimeters, while in August only about 5 millimeters.

The air becomes warm from January to April, when the average daily temperature is around 26-28 °C. In March, the temperature can rise to 30 °C.​ During the rainy season, temperatures in the western part of the archipelago can drop to 14 °C, while temperatures on the islands as a whole remain below 24 °C.

The predominant wind on the islands blows from the southeast all year round. This causes the southern and southeastern slopes of the islands to be wetter due to the formation of mist and drizzle. In contrast, the northern slopes of the islands are dry almost all year round. The wind force is weakest in the months of February to May, with speeds that can reach 8.4 knots fairly regularly.

On the larger islands, the pattern of generally humid highlands and drier lowlands affects the flora. The vegetation of the highlands is usually green and lush, with tropical forests in some places. The lowlands usually have arid and semi-arid vegetation, with many thorny bushes and cacti, and almost bare volcanic rock in other places.

 

Conservation

The Galapagos Islands were declared a national park in 1959, protecting 97.5% of the archipelago's land area. The remaining area is occupied by human settlements that already existed at the time of the declaration. By then, approximately 1,000 to 2,000 people lived on four islands. In 1972, a census determined that 3,488 people lived in the Galapagos, but by the 1980s this number had increased significantly to more than 20,000 inhabitants.

In 1986, the sea surrounding the islands was declared a marine reserve. UNESCO included the Galapagos on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1978, and in December 2001 this declaration was extended to the marine reserve.

In 2007, they were included on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger, due to mass tourism and invasive species. On July 29, 2010, the Galapagos Islands were removed from the list of endangered heritage sites by the UNESCO Heritage Committee.

The archipelago has different international figures that have been applied to try to guarantee the conservation of Galapagos; among them: Natural Heritage Reserve of Humanity, Ramsar Site, Whale Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserve, etc. The World Strategy for Nature Conservation identifies Galapagos as a priority Biogeographic province for the establishment of protected areas. At the national level, the figures of national park and Marine Reserve reflect the commitment assumed by the Ecuadorian Government to conserve this important legacy for future generations of Galapagos, Ecuadorians and humanity in general.

 

Flora and fauna

The endemic species of singular importance that inhabit the islands include:

 

Flora

The vegetation of Galapagos varies with altitude, because the highlands receive more humidity than the lower areas on the coast. Most of the islands are located in the dry or semi-arid vegetation zone, and only a small part of the territory is covered by tropical vegetation towards the highlands. The flora includes about 500 species of native vascular plants, of which more than 180 are native.

Along the coastal strip and in the littoral zone, salt-tolerant species grow in particular. Among the most notable are four species of mangroves, which grow especially in calm lagoons. In the beach zone, Maytenus octogona and Cryptocarpus pyriformis shrubs are common, among the coastal herbaceous plants are Sesuvium edmonstonei and Ipomoea pes-caprae, an important plant for the retention of the expansion of sand dunes.

The arid zone is a semi-desert. It represents the largest vegetation zone of the Galapagos with an average altitude of 80-200 m a.s.l. The genera Jasminocereus and Brachycereus are endemic cacti, as well as species of the Opuntia genus (Opuntia echios and O. helleri). A typical species of the area is the palo santo (Bursera graveolens); but there is a smaller species, B. malacophylla, which is distributed only on the islands of Seymour, Baltra and Daphne. Other trees in this area are the endemic guayabillo (Psidium galapageium) and the paga paga (Pisonia floribunda). The woody shrubs make up the lower levels of the vegetative strata of this area; Castela galapageia, Lecocarpus pinnatifidus and other species of the genus Lecocarpus are endemic. Herbaceous plants include several endemic varieties of Galapagos tomato (Lycopersicon cheesmanii), passion flower (Passiflora foetida) and endemic species of the genera Tiquilia and Chamaesyce.

The wet zone begins at 300 m, preceded by a transition zone or Scalesia and Miconia transition zone between the dry and wet zones. This transition zone presents a combination of vegetation types and species, including species such as Pisonis floribunda, Psidium galapageium and P. galapageium with Scalesia trees. Garúa mists keep this zone wet during the dry season. Separate phases of vegetation have developed within this zone. These are very small strata within the wet zone, but are lush and tropical as a result of the greater humidity received. From 300-500 m altitude, the stratum dominated by Scalesia spp. becomes evident, emerging from the transition zone, with trees reaching 5-15 m in height. Twenty different species have been documented within the Scalesia genus, called "the plant kingdom's version of Darwin's finches" as they are scattered across the islands and vary in size. Cat's claw (Zanthoxylum fagara) is an abundant species, mainly above Scalesia but below Miconia, partially acting as a transition within the species of the humid zone. On the islands of San Cristobal and Santa Cruz, trees are replaced by shrubs, the dominant species between 600-700m above the zone is Miconia robinsoniana, but now this zone is almost completely altered by agriculture and cattle grazing.

The pampa zone is the highest and wettest vegetation zone above 900m. There grow grasses, sedges, mosses of the genus Sphagnum and other plants adapted to swampy environments. Pampa is also home to most of the archipelago's ferns (90 different species), and endemic tree ferns such as Cyathea weatherbyana, which reaches a height of up to three metres, and 11 species of native orchids have been recorded, including Purthieva maculata.

 

Fauna

Reptiles

The Galapagos Islands have a particularly high diversity of endemic reptiles, with 21 of the 23 unique species not found elsewhere. The Galapagos giant tortoise is a good example of the diversity of reptile species on the islands. There are still 11 subspecies that live in slightly different conditions on the islands. There are three species of snakes, five species of geckos, three land iguanas of the genus Conolophus and one marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus).​ In February 2019, a species of Fernandina giant tortoise, Chelonoidis phantasticus, was found on the islands, which was thought to be extinct, having been last recorded in 1906. The female found may be over 100 years old.

Endemic reptiles
Galapagos tortoises (belonging to the Chelonoidis genus), 14 species of tortoises, three of which became extinct in the 19th century and one became extinct on June 24, 2012, the last specimen being the individual Lonesome George. There are still ten species of giant tortoises (Galapagos or Galapagos tortoise).
Land iguanas (Conolophus), three species of iguanas including Conolophus subcristatus, Conolophus pallidus and Conolophus marthae.
Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), the only species of iguana that forages in the sea.
Lava lizards (Microlophus albemarlensis), there are six different species of these small lizards, some of which only inhabit specific islands.

 

Fish

The Galapagos Islands have 306 species of fish. All are marine fishes, but six have also been found in the islands' freshwaters. Shark species in the region include the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), hammerhead shark, blacktip shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and whale shark (Rhincodon typus). There are several species of hammerhead shark, and a rare nursery ground for the comb shark (Hexanchus griseus) has been found in the coastal waters of the Galapagos Islands. Ray species include the giant manta ray (Mobula birostris), eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) and devil ray (Mobula munkiana). Common bony fishes include Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus and Abudefduf troschelii from the reef fish group, the hornfish, Cirrhitus rivulatus from the hawkfish group, and the wedgefish (Holacanthus passer). In addition, a variety of swordfish, lipfish, and parrotfish are found in the islands' waters.

 

Mammals

The diversity of mammals on the islands is not very varied due to the archipelago's isolation. Four of the seven endemic species of rats have already become extinct. The last three species live on Santa Fe and Fernandina. Whales thrive in the waters of the Galapagos Islands, especially in the area between Isabela and Fernandina, where there is an abundance of spawning. The Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is the most common species of whale in the Galapagos Islands. Other species found in the area include sperm whales, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), killer whales (Orcinus orca) and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis), which migrate to the warm waters of the Galapagos during the winter. There are two species of dolphins that are common and easy to see: the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis).

Endemic mammals
Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), related to the California sea lion (also described as Zalophus californianus wollebaeki, a subspecies of the California sea lion).
Galapagos fur seal (Arctophoca galapagoensis), which is the smallest in the world (Salazar 2002).
Galapagos coastal rat (Aegialomys galapagoensis)
Galapagos giant mouse (Megaoryzomys) an extinct species
Darwin Island rat (Nesoryzomys darwini)
Fernandina Island rat (Nesoryzomys fernandinae)
Santa Cruz Island rat (Nesoryzomys indefessus)
Galapagos Santiago mouse (Nesoryzomys swarthi)

 

Birds

The islands are home to around 60 permanent bird species and 81 regular migratory birds, a relatively small number in the tropics. However, almost half of these species are endemic. The archipelago has 19 species of permanent seabirds, five of them endemic. There are 29 species of land birds in the Galapagos Islands. Their common characteristic is their lack of fear of humans.

Endemic birds
Galapagos penguin or Galapagos booby (Spheniscus mendiculus), the only species of penguin that has been recorded in the northern hemisphere, in the northern part of Isabela Island.
Darwin's finches, 13 endemic species of finches, the best known of which is a vampire bird that feeds on the blood of sick birds, which lives on the northernmost island of the archipelago, Wolf.
Galapagos mockingbirds (Nesomimus), 4 endemic species of mockingbirds, of which the Galapagos mockingbird (Nesomimus parvulus) stands out, which is present on almost all the islands of the archipelago and is also the only non-threatened species.
Flightless cormorant or Galapagos cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi).
Galapagos dwarf heron (Butorides sundevalli).
Galapagos flycatcher (Myiarchus magnirostris).
Kestrel or Galapagos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis).
Zenaida or Galapagos dove (Zenaida galapagoensis).
Galápagos chick or burrito (Laterallus spilonotus).
Moray Gull or Lava Gull (Larus fuliginosus).
Galapagos Swallow (Progne modesta).
Waved albatross or Galapagos albatross (Phoebastria irrorata).
Gray-brown shearwater or Galapagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia).
Earwig gull or Galapagos gull (Creagrus furcatus).
Galapagos shearwater (Puffinus subalaris).
Galapagos short-eared owl (Asio flammeus galapagoensis)
Galapagos American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus galapagoensis).
Galapagos brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis urinator).

 

Invertebrates

More than 2,000 terrestrial invertebrates have been identified in the Galapagos Islands. More than half of the invertebrate species are endemic. The number of invertebrate species is small, with more than one million on the Ecuadorian mainland. There are more than 400 species of beetles, about 80 species of arthropods and about 100 species of flies on the islands. Hymenoptera are underrepresented compared to other invertebrates. There are about 60 species. The most common butterflies are Phoebis sennae and Eumorpha labruscae. In addition to butterflies, there is a species of grasshopper Schistocerca melanocera.

More than 50 species of spiders and two species of scorpions live on the Galapagos Islands. In addition to poisonous spiders, the islands are home to a native venomous myriapod Scolopendra galapagoensis, while the Bulimulus genus of snails has diversified from a single invasive species to over 60 species.

Among the aquatic invertebrates, there are more than 100 species of crabs, Grapsus grapsus, hermit crabs and other species that also inhabit the coasts of the islands. Other marine species include cod (Gadus morhua), sea urchins such as the pencil urchin (Eucidaris galapagensis), sea cucumbers (Isostichopus fuscus), starfish, molluscs and fungi.

 

Tourism

The Galapagos has become one of the most popular marine ecosystems in the world and thousands of tourists come year after year to enjoy a natural paradise. In 2019, the Galapagos registered 271,238 visitors or tourists, 67% of whom were foreigners. This represented a reduction of 1.7% compared to 2018, although data from recent years show a compound growth rate between 2010 and 2019 of 5.10%.

Diving trips have become one of the islands' attractions and many media outlets list it as the best place to dive in the world. Underwater tourism has grown in recent years and many divers choose the Ecuadorian islands to enjoy the dozens of marine species that its waters house.

 

Illegal fishing

During 2020, the Ecuadorian government reported the presence of Chinese fishing boats near the waters that bathe the islands. A fleet of 260 ships patrol the border to capture all kinds of marine species, among which sharks stand out for their coveted fin.

The islands maintain an important characteristic in the marine currents, being the warm Humboldt current and the cold El Niño current.

 

In fiction

The Galapagos Islands have been the setting for several works in different literary genres, both by Ecuadorian and foreign writers. One of the most notable examples is The Enchanted, by the American Herman Melville, a book that was written based on Melville's travels in the Galapagos and that describes in a series of stories the historical figures, flora and fauna of the islands. Other works by foreign authors whose plots are set in the archipelago include the novels The Thirst (1938), by the Belgian Georges Simenon, in which a family moves to Floreana Island but whose lives change with the construction of a hotel; and Galapagos (1985), by the American Kurt Vonnegut, a work of science fiction set a million years in the future in which a group of people who arrive on the islands become the only humans to escape a virus that causes infertility.

The Japanese manga Dear Anemone (2024), by author Rin Matsui, tells the story of a group of people sent by the Japanese government to the islands after a toxic virus caused by an explosion caused the species to undergo a horrible evolution.

Among Ecuadorian authors, one of the most notable works is Más allá de las islas (1980), by Quito-born Alicia Yánez Cossío. In the novel, which mixes fiction with real events through magical realism, eight people travel to the Galapagos Islands after escaping death. On the poetry side, Sollozo por Pedro Jara, by Efraín Jara Idrovo, is notable, while in children's literature, the Galapagos have been explored by Edna Iturralde in her work Las islas donde nace la Luna. Another Ecuadorian novel set in the archipelago is Hallado en la grieta (2012), by Guayaquil-born Jorge Velasco Mackenzie.

In the cinema it has been the setting for films such as Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

In the animated series X-Men '97, the hideout of Bastion, one of the main villains of the series, is located in the Galapagos Islands.