The Galapagos:
The Road to Conservation
Six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador lie the volcanic islands of the Galapagos, famous for their large sum of unique plants and animals found nowhere else in the world (About Galapagos). Because of the remarkable population of animals, the Galapagos has become a raging tourist destination. People flock from all over the world to see the many species that call the islands home, such as the Marine Iguanas, the giant tortoises, and the Galapagos Penguins. Most people associate the Galapagos with Charles Darwin and evolution; this is because Darwin got most of his evolutionary theories from his visits to the islands. While the islands are still as beautiful as ever, their increasing popularity has …show more content…
Although Darwin was the most famous visitor, the actual founder of the islands was the Dominican Friar, Fray Tomas de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama. He arrived on March 10th, 1535, over 470 years ago (About Galapagos). When Berlanga arrived in the Galapagos, he discovered that there were 20 islands, the most famous and most populous being San Cristobal Island. This island is actually home to the capital of the Galapagos, Baquerizo Moreno, and was where Darwin first visited when he arrived in 1853 (Evolution in Action). The second largest and most populous island is Santa Cruz Island. This is where the Charles Darwin Research Station is located and where Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta Island Tortoises, lived until his death in 2012 (About Galapagos). Although there are 20 islands that make up the Galapagos, the influence of the first settlers and tourists continues to take a toll on the wildlife and …show more content…
The first island that they came upon was Floreana island (About Galapagos). Their visit was unintentional but it marked the beginning of human civilization on the islands. As the population of the Galapagos began to grow, the islands were made more and more popular with transatlantic countries. This caused the Galapagos to be the perfect spot for a U.S. air base. The U.S. Sixth Air Force constructed this base in 1942, creating long term consequences for the islands (About Galapagos). The large number of new people caused an overwhelming need for more water, fish, and agricultural land. This led to deforestation and loss of habitats for many animals. Fortunately for the wildlife, the base was closed shortly after, in 1946. Visitors have been coming to the island nonstop since 1535 but tourism has tripled within the last 20 years. Now, about 150,000 people visit the islands each year, while about 30,000 people call the islands home (Evolution in Action). Because of the immense amount of new visitors, the conservation efforts are becoming more
The Road to Conservation
Six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador lie the volcanic islands of the Galapagos, famous for their large sum of unique plants and animals found nowhere else in the world (About Galapagos). Because of the remarkable population of animals, the Galapagos has become a raging tourist destination. People flock from all over the world to see the many species that call the islands home, such as the Marine Iguanas, the giant tortoises, and the Galapagos Penguins. Most people associate the Galapagos with Charles Darwin and evolution; this is because Darwin got most of his evolutionary theories from his visits to the islands. While the islands are still as beautiful as ever, their increasing popularity has …show more content…
Although Darwin was the most famous visitor, the actual founder of the islands was the Dominican Friar, Fray Tomas de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama. He arrived on March 10th, 1535, over 470 years ago (About Galapagos). When Berlanga arrived in the Galapagos, he discovered that there were 20 islands, the most famous and most populous being San Cristobal Island. This island is actually home to the capital of the Galapagos, Baquerizo Moreno, and was where Darwin first visited when he arrived in 1853 (Evolution in Action). The second largest and most populous island is Santa Cruz Island. This is where the Charles Darwin Research Station is located and where Lonesome George, the last of the Pinta Island Tortoises, lived until his death in 2012 (About Galapagos). Although there are 20 islands that make up the Galapagos, the influence of the first settlers and tourists continues to take a toll on the wildlife and …show more content…
The first island that they came upon was Floreana island (About Galapagos). Their visit was unintentional but it marked the beginning of human civilization on the islands. As the population of the Galapagos began to grow, the islands were made more and more popular with transatlantic countries. This caused the Galapagos to be the perfect spot for a U.S. air base. The U.S. Sixth Air Force constructed this base in 1942, creating long term consequences for the islands (About Galapagos). The large number of new people caused an overwhelming need for more water, fish, and agricultural land. This led to deforestation and loss of habitats for many animals. Fortunately for the wildlife, the base was closed shortly after, in 1946. Visitors have been coming to the island nonstop since 1535 but tourism has tripled within the last 20 years. Now, about 150,000 people visit the islands each year, while about 30,000 people call the islands home (Evolution in Action). Because of the immense amount of new visitors, the conservation efforts are becoming more