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Have you ever heard of the Galapagos Islands, or do
you know where they are and what they are about? If
not, you are certainly not alone. Unless you watch
the Discovery Channel on TV, it would not be unusual
for you to have no
knowledge about this archipelago at all. Before I
tell you about our experience in the Galapagos, I
would like to use this page to tell you a little
about the history of the islands.
Galapagos is the Spanish word for turtle. These islands, also known as the Enchanted Islands, lie 622 miles off the coast of Ecuador. They are between three and five million years old. There are 13 large islands, 6 smaller ones, and over 40 islets. They emerged from the Pacific Ocean as a result of underwater volcanic eruptions. They are, in fact, the peaks of gigantic volcanoes. They are lauded as one of the world's greatest natural history treasures, and one of the most significant biological wonders on earth. They are declared by UNESCO, as a world heritage site, and were opened to tourism in 1970.
 Organisms that survived the eruptions, evolved to constitute species unique to the world. All reptiles, half of all birds, 32 percent of the plants, and 25 percent of the fish found here are endemic to the Galapagos. It was as a result of his visit to this wonderful place, in 1835, that Charles Darwin came up with his theory of evolution. His visit here lasted only 5 months.
When we think of visiting islands around the world, we think of places like Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, the Canary Islands, etc. Places with swaying palms, beautiful scenery and interesting cultures, very unlike our own. The Galapagos do not fit into this category. These islands are not inhabited by humans, except for the islands known as San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. For several years now, no newcomers are allowed to move onto these islands. Not even the natives of Ecuador are allowed to purchase or rent land here.
Can you imagine a place where birds are not afraid of humans, and do not fly off when approached? Can you imagine playing and swimming with sea lions and marine iguanas? Can you imagine penguins on the equator, or land iguanas and giant tortoises that are not startled by human presence? Can you imagine swimming and snorkeling with sting rays, giant sea turtles, and hammerhead sharks? Can you imagine a place where the animals have no predators? This, believe it or not, is the Galapagos.
These situations are only one aspect of the uniqueness of these islands. They are an untamed beauty. Each island is unique unto itself. Each has it's own species of animals and flora and fauna. When stepping onto any of these islands, one has the feeling of being somewhere other than on this planet, Earth. The surroundings are unlike any others we've seen on this planet. One island may have a lot of wooded, jungle like, area, although it's base is lava. Another is completely barren, except for a cactus growing here and there out of the lava. Each island is comprised of a different type of lava, On many of the islands, one feels more as though he were on the moon, than on the earth. So many of the islands are what we envision the surface of the moon to be. Some islands have many lava tunnels. There are yellow, white, green, pink, orange, red, and black sand beaches.
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