Location: 925 km (500 mi) West of mainland Ecuador Map
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The endemic species of singular importance that inhabit the islands include:
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.
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.
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.
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)
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.