Galapagos Island: a Wildlife Sanctuary

When I think of vacation the first thing that comes into my mind are beaches. I could imagine myself walking along white, fine-powdered sand; the heat of the sand as it tickles my feat.

And not far away is a crystal clear ocean with gentle waves; a perfect place to go for a swim or some surfing. Oh, let us not forget about taking a swim with fishes.

These are my dream and ideal vacation place. Luckily this dream can be a reality at GALAPAGOS ISLAND.

Baltra Island (right) and Santa Cruz Island (left) (1)

Galapagos Islands are archipelago islands at the eastern Pacific Ocean. It occupies a total of 50, 000 square kilometers with 18 islands. It is located 906 kilometers east of Ecuador, which it is part of.

It became famous because of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution by natural selection. Aside from this, the group of islands is well-known as the home of various endemic species and wildlife. Within its territory is a national park and biological marine reserve.

Galapagos Islands with the name of its islands

Below is a list of the notable things on Galapagos Islands.

• Baltra (South Seymour) Island

Baltra Island is located at the center of the group of islands. Because of its strategic geographic location, an airport (Baltra Airport) was built. This is one of the two airports serving the area.

• Bartolome (Bartholomew) Island

Bartolome Island is considered to be one of the younger islands in the area. It is currently home to the Galapagos Penguin and green turtle.

Bortolome Island with Pinnacle Rock on the right (2)

• Darwin (Culpepper) Isalnd

The island has a total area of 1.1 square kilometers and is the home to fur seals, frigates, marine iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, sea lions, whales, marine turtles, and Nazca boobies.

Darwin’s Arch at Darwin Island (3)

• Espanola (Hood) Island

Espanola Island could be found at the southernmost area. It also dates back to 3.5 million years, making it the oldest island in the area. The total land area of the island is 60 square kilometers. One could find lava lizard, mockingbird, and tortoise in the island.

Tourists can stay at Gardner Bay or Punta Suarez. Gardner Bay is famous for its beach which is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Punta Suarez on the other hand is great for encountering animals and wildlife.

• Fernandina (Narborough) Island

Fernandina occupies a total land area of 642 square kilometers on the westernmost section of the archipelago. The island is considered to be the youngest among the 18 islands.

On the said island one could find Punta Espinosa, a perfect place to sight marine iguanas. Other species that one could find include the flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, pelicans, Galapagos sea lions, and Galapagos fur seals.

• Floreana (Charles or Santa Maria) Island.

The island has an area of 173 square kilometers. The island has a rich and colorful history. Furthermore, tourists would love the sight of flamingos and green sea turtles. A species that is uniquely found on the island is the Galapagos petrel.

Floreana Island (4)

• Genovesa (Tower) Island

Genovesa Island is also known as the “bird island.” This is because of the numerous avian species living on the island. A few of the species that you could find are frigate birds, swallow-tailed gulls, red-footed boobies, noddy terns, lava gulls, tropic birds, doves, storm petrels, and Darwin finches. You should not also miss the Palo Santo forest on the island.

Frigate bird (5)

• Isabela (Albemarle) Island

The largest island on the archipelago is Isabela Island with a total land area 4,640 square kilometers. The island is a merger of six large volcanoes forming a seahorse shaped island. Just like the other islands there are numerous animal species living on the island.

• Marchena (Bindloe) Island

The island has a total land area of 130 square kilometers and is the home to Galapagos hawks, sea lions, and the endemic Marchena lava lizard.

• North Seymour Island

This is one of the smallest island in the archipelago. One could find animals such as the blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and frigate birds.

The beach at North Seymour Island in the Galapagos (6)

Blue-footed Bobby

• Pinzon (Duncan) Island

This is one of the smallest island with a total land area of 18 square kilometers.

• Pinta (Abingdon) Island

The island has an area of 60 square kilometers. Like neighboring islands, this is the home to sea lions, Galapagos hawks, giant tortoises, marine iguanas, dolphins, and Pinta tortoise also known as Lonesome George.

• Rabida (Jervis) Island

Rabida Island is distinct from neighboring islands due to high amounts of iron in the lava making it color red. Animals on the island include white-cheeked pintail ducks, brown pelicans, and finches.

Rabida Island (7)

• San Cristobal (Chatham) Island

San Cristobal Island was the first island Charles Darwin visited. The island is home to frigate birds, sea lions, giant tortoises, blue- and red- footed boobies, tropicbirds, marine iguanas, dolphins, and swallow-tailed gulls.

Aside from interacting with a wide variety of species, one can see and admire the beauty of the largest freshwater lake in the archipelago: Laguna EL Junco.

San Cristobal Island (8)


Tourists at the Mann Beach with sealions (9)

• Santa Cruz (Indefatigable) Island

On the island of Santa Cruz one can find the town of Puerto Ayora – has the largest population in the whole archipelago. Furthermore, the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galapagos National Park Service are located here; these two places are a breeding center for tortoise.

Other famous offerings of the island are the Black Turtle Cove – wherein sea turtles, rays and small sharks live, Cerro Dragon – the flamingo lagoon, and Tortuga Bay.

Puerto Ayora (10)

Tortuga Bay (11)

Galapagos tortoise on San Cristobal Island

• Santa Fe (Barrington) Island

Aside from a diversity of animals, the island also has a forest of Opuntia Cactus.


Prickly pear cactus and Swallow-tailed Gulls on Santa Fe Island (12)

• Santiago (San Salvador, James) Islands

The island is home to a number of species including marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, turtles, flamingos, dolphins, and sharks.

• Wolf (Wenman) Island

Similar to other islands, it is home to numerous species such as fur seals, frigate birds, Nazca and red-footed boobies, marine iguanas, sharks, whales, dolphins, swallow-tailed gulls, and vampire finch.

School of Hammerhead Sharks at Wolf Island (13)

Other islands are Daphne Major, South Plaza (Plaza Sur) Island, Nameless Island, and Roca Redonda.

In 1978 the whole Galapagos Islands were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 1985 it was then declared as a biosphere reserve; and in 1986 and 2001 a marine reserve. In 1990, it became a whale sanctuary.

http://laurenceourac.com/galapagos-island-a-wildlife-sanctuary/

References:
“Galapagos Islands.” Travel Guide. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. <http://wikitravel.org/en/Galapagos_Islands>.
“Galápagos Islands.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galápagos_Islands>.

Images:
1. David Adam Kess. Baltra Island (right) and Santa Cruz Island (left). December 2011. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
2. Pete. Bartolome Island view, Galapagos Islands. Pinnacle Rock on the right. May 2007. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
3. Movera. Darwin’s Arch. November 2008. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
4. Muggmag. View of Floreana Island, Galapagos Islands. N.d. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
5. Andreas Bjärlestam. Frigate Bird. 2005. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
6. David Adam Kess. The beach at North Seymour Island in the Galapagos. December 2012. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
7. Stephen Montgomery. Rabida Island. January 2010. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
8. Benjamint444. Panorama of the Island San Cristobal. January 2011. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
9. Iris Diensthuber. Tourists at the Mann Beach with sealions. 2007. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
10. David Adam Kess. Puerto Ayora. December 2011. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
11. Alvaro Sevilla Design. Tortuga Bay. December 2011. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
12. Prickly pear cactus and Swallow-tailed Gulls on Santa Fe Island. June 2008. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.
13. Clark Anderson. School of Hammerhead Sharks, Wolf Island. October 2006. Commons.wikimedia.org. Photograph. February 2, 2015.