A little over 1000 miles west of the coast of Ecuador lies an island archipelago known as the Galapagos Islands. These islands are probably unknown to most tourists and travelers, but they are one of the most diverse in the world, thanks to their wildlife. Here are ten facts you may not have known about the Galapagos Islands. Enjoy!
1) The name originates from Galápago, which means saddle in Spanish.
The name Galápagos is a Spanish word meaning saddle and refers to a colossal island in the Galápagos Islands. This name comes from Ferdinand Magellan who was credited with discovering these islands on March 13, 1535. The Spanish galleon San Cristobal was wrecked off Floreana Island in 1560, and survivors used planking from its hull to build a smaller vessel which they named San Pedro. During their escape from pirates, one of their ships met them there with supplies. The captain decided to put into Puerto San Julian for repairs, where he became friendly with locals who informed him about Guayaquil.
2) Unfortunately, most animal species found on the islands have gone extinct due to human interference.
The living things on these islands are just as unique as those that have gone extinct. It's estimated that there are over 1000 unique species of animal and plant life in some way connected to the islands. The reason for their lack of extinction? These islands have been uninhabited by humans since they were first discovered by Europeans in 1535. Despite being discovered, it wasn't until 1832 that Charles Darwin visited and his journey inspired his famous Origin of Species. A few years later in 1959, Ecuadorian President Camilo Ponce made them a national park to preserve their wonderful biodiversity. Darwin's finches have been studied extensively since they were first discovered here. These small birds vary in size, shape, color, and beak structure and are often used as models for studying evolutionary change.
3) However, there are still some wildlife species that have survived, like giant tortoises.
The main reason why many of these animals live is that they can live on islands. They have turned to them, with their names specific to their species and appearance. It's not surprising then that humans have always been fascinated by these peculiar animals, so much so that UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site in 1979. Did you know? There are 5 types of giant tortoises found only in The Galapagos Islands! These subspecies include yellow-footed, Forster's, nelsoni, darwini, and Townsend.
4) Currently, all original native species (excluding insects and microbes) can be found here.
The total area of land in all of these islands is less than 1,000 square miles (2,600 sq km). Because of its biological diversity and isolation, National Geographic named it a world wonder in 1986. When Charles Darwin visited during his famous five-year voyage aboard The Beagle, he brought back many new species. His studies here led to his theory of evolution by natural selection. To date there are more than 1,000 animals that are endemic to Galapagos: only found here and nowhere else on Earth. It is thought that one-third of all plant and animal species can be found nowhere else on earth besides these islands.
5) The archipelago is famous for its unique variety of wildlife.
The archipelago is famous for its unique species of animals that were not found anywhere else in the world. Their isolation has enabled them to develop unusual features, such as being able to grow only one kind of teeth or losing their natural predator (the land-dwelling mammals). Some species, like finches and tortoises, have adapted so well to their new environment that they have lost much of their ability to fly or swim. These adaptations helped them survive in one of the most remote places on Earth.
6) Sadly, several species became extinct after humans started interfering with them.
Due to their remote location, humans were unaware of what was happening in Ecuador’s Galapagos islands for a long time. Sadly, by the time it was discovered how detrimental humans could be, several species had already become extinct. Humans caused these extinctions through hunting and introducing foreign species to compete with native ones. If you’re interested in experiencing these unique creatures first-hand, there are a few ways to visit them while they remain protected from any further human interference.
7) Some descendants of these rare animal species can now be seen at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Many of these descendants are rare and are only found in small groups. For example, one such animal is a subspecies of giant tortoise that is endemic to a single island, Española. This particular subspecies was very likely once common throughout all of Santa Cruz Island but now exists in only small numbers on Española. The tortoises have been cross-bred with other subspecies to help save them from extinction. Another famous animal is Darwin's finches: Found across nearly all islands, finches play an important role in helping us understand how adaptation occurs over long periods due to environmental pressures.
8) Because there's little light pollution here, star-gazing here has been ranked as some of the best stargazing spots in the world.
The lack of light pollution is one of many reasons why stargazing here has been ranked as some of the best in the world. What most people don’t know is that when you take a boat from Ecuador to The Galapagos, you have to bring your food and drink! There are no stores on these islands, but fortunately for you, it’s quite easy to do a little bit of research before arriving at your destination so that you can be prepared with all of your supplies. Don’t forget your hiking shoes—there are a lot of things to see while walking around on these islands!
9) Because there were no predators here, most native species were herbivores.
Because there were no predators here, most native species were herbivores. This is likely why their diets are so unusual, which you'll notice as soon as you disembark your boat for a hike through one of many unique habitats. If a visitor is fortunate enough to see some wildlife on a journey, it will likely be a bird or a sea creature. More than 90 percent of all animal and plant species on San Cristobal are endemic—meaning they can only be found on these islands. Several other animals live here as well, including giant tortoises.
10) Humans came late to these islands and brought with them lots of devastating diseases that killed many native birds as well as land mammals such as giant tortoises.
That’s right! Humans came to the Galapagos hundreds of years ago, but they didn’t stay in big groups as they do now. Instead, they arrived just a few at a time, staying on just one island before moving on to another and so on. As a result, diseases and other harmful substances introduced by humans became extinct to eradicate all life on time. But that didn’t happen right away; in fact, most of these endemic species thrived for thousands of years until modern humans showed up. Still, though, it didn’t take much for hunters to come along later and start killing off many of these species for food or sport.
