Galapagos Islands Galapagos Islands Devin Pugh

Galapagos Islands Where: Where: –Located over 1000 km from the South American Continent and 600 miles from the Ecuadorian coastline. –Highest point in the archipelago is the Volcan Wolf (5600 ft.) which is a volcano on the island of Isabela.

Galapagos Islands Who: Who: –Theory that Incan culture visited island in the 1400’s. –Fray Tomas de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panama, documented the officially first visit to the islands in –Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos at 26 years old. –Today, 60,000 tourists visit the islands per year

Galapagos Islands What: What: –There are many species of animals on the Galapagos islands not found anywhere else such as the Galapagos Marine Iguana, the Galapagos Hawk, and the Frigate. –The time zone for the Galapagos Islands is GMT -6, which is one hour behind Ecuador’s mainland which is GMT -5. –The climate of the Galapagos Islands is subtropical and it is regulated by the warm El Nino Current and the cold Humboldt Current –In total land area, the islands are 4897 sq. miles and in the total geographical area from Darwin Island to San Cristobal, sq. miles.

Galapagos Islands When: When: –Initially formed between 3 million and 5 million years ago, the islands are “young” in geologic time. –In the last 200 years, a remarkable fifty plus eruptions have occurred on the Galapagos Islands. –Darwin landed on the island in 1845 –In the 450 years of human history, the island have been used as prison colonies, naval ports and research stations.

Galapagos Islands Why: Why: –There are many park rules due to the delicate environmental balance of the islands. –The name “Galapagos” came from the giant tortoises that were discovered on the island by the Bishop of Panama. –Scientists are still faced with a mystery on why such a large diversity of species developed in such a remote location such as the location of the Galapagos Islands.

Galapagos Islands How: How: –The Galapagos Islands were formed by the combination of dynamic volcanic activity and the effect of rain and the continual force of the vast pacific at their coasts. –The archipelago consists of thirteen major islands, of which five are inhabited. –Newer islands are being formed at a rate of about 5 cm. per year by the movement of tectonic plates.

Galapagos Islands Past: Past: –In 1546, refugees of Picarro came upon the islands through foggy waters and named the islands “Las Islas Encantadas”, because they thought the islands were enchanting. –In 1807, Galapagos received its first resident, Irishman Patrick Watkins, who was marooned on Floreana for two years. –In 1959, Ecuador declared the islands its first national park.

Galapagos Islands Present: Present: –The islands are impacted by environmental issues such as El Nino. –The island is also impacted by overpopulation, tourism, and introduced species. –There are many fund raisers and conservation parks to help conserve the natural beauty of the islands. –Many tourists come to the islands to see the wildlife, the flora, and the fantastic sceneries.

Galapagos Islands Fun Facts: Fun Facts: –Darwin Island, one of the main islands in archipelago, is named for the naturalist. –Poisonous manzanillo apple trees are native to the islands. –There are thirteen species of Darwin’s finches endemic to the islands.

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