Summary: The Galapagos Islands are famous for their diverse and unique plants and animals as also because Charles Darwin landed there in 1835 on one of the most famous voyages in human history. In spite of their fame, the islands still hold little known secrets that many naturalist guides don’t even know. Here are just a few of these secrets that you can tell your guide, if you are fortunate enough to take an expedition cruise through the islands.
Four Secrets of the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are situated about 600 miles off the shore of Ecuador, and belong to that country. They are in the confluence of several ocean currents, some warm and some cold, that have created the unique ecosystem on the islands. Because the many plants and animals that have arrived there over the past four million years are isolated from their relatives on the mainland, they have evolved into different species. The giant tortoises, swimming iguanas, small penguins, flightless cormorants and more are just a few of the unique and fascinating animals that live there. The Galapagos have both Spanish and English traditions, and the islands each have two names, one in English …show more content…
They may live to 100 years in the wild and have been known to live to 170 years in captivity. They are the longest-lived vertebrate on Earth, and in the 16th century, there were about 250,000 on the islands. Their numbers dwindled to about 3,000 in the early 1970s, but have climbed up to 19,000 today due to conservation and breeding programs. You can visit several subspecies on different islands. There are three main shapes of shells including the saddleback, the intermediate and the domed. The word Galapagos means saddle in Spanish and was used to describe the giant tortoises. In his journal, Charles Darwin mentioned that he tried several times to climb up on the shell of a giant tortoise a have a
Four Secrets of the Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are situated about 600 miles off the shore of Ecuador, and belong to that country. They are in the confluence of several ocean currents, some warm and some cold, that have created the unique ecosystem on the islands. Because the many plants and animals that have arrived there over the past four million years are isolated from their relatives on the mainland, they have evolved into different species. The giant tortoises, swimming iguanas, small penguins, flightless cormorants and more are just a few of the unique and fascinating animals that live there. The Galapagos have both Spanish and English traditions, and the islands each have two names, one in English …show more content…
They may live to 100 years in the wild and have been known to live to 170 years in captivity. They are the longest-lived vertebrate on Earth, and in the 16th century, there were about 250,000 on the islands. Their numbers dwindled to about 3,000 in the early 1970s, but have climbed up to 19,000 today due to conservation and breeding programs. You can visit several subspecies on different islands. There are three main shapes of shells including the saddleback, the intermediate and the domed. The word Galapagos means saddle in Spanish and was used to describe the giant tortoises. In his journal, Charles Darwin mentioned that he tried several times to climb up on the shell of a giant tortoise a have a