Galapagos Islands (Photo Essay)

Posted on June 25, 2018

Islas Galápagos, named after the shells of saddlebacked Galápagos tortoises, is an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator, almost 1,000 kilometres west of continental Ecuador in South America.These islands are famed for their endemic species. Studied by Charles

Darwin back in the 1830’s, they contributed to the inception of Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.

Darwin, aged 26, reached the remote Galapagos Islands in September 1835 on board the HMS Beagle, a three-mast ship, from Devonport (Plymouth) in the United Kingdom. Having left the U.K. five years earlier, at the tender age of just 22, his Galapagos stop-over was only a short part of his almost 5-year global rendezvous via Australia, South Africa, and Brazil.

His short visit to the Galapagos is arguably the most significant contribution to his book, The Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle, which consists of five parts: Fossil Mammalia, Mammalia, Birds, Fish, and Reptiles.

At the time of his visit, Darwin was likely one of only a few humans roaming these remote islands. Other than his entourage of 74 people who joined his journey, few people lived on the islands.

In addition to the permanent residents, over a quarter of a million tourists visit annually, staying in almost 300 hotels and on about 100 live-aboard boats and cruise ships.

The growth of the lucrative tourism industry is not exactly out of control, according to the Ecuador government who claims to “fully understand and control” the impact of tourism on the fragile ecosystem of the islands. Apparently “thousands of tourists” are annually refused entrance to the islands, in their effort to minimize the human impact.

The best way to experience these natural wonders is to board a live-aboard boat for a week or two. They sail at night between the many islands and offer daytime hiking and diving among land and sea creatures. One of the most amazing experiences on the Galapagos Islands is that the animals have little fear of humans. Walk up close to most animals but keep a comfortable distance in respect of this special human-animal relationship of trust. Never touch the animals!

THIS PHOTO ESSAY CONTINUES ONLINE IN Globerovers Magazine July 2018