Four of the islands are inhabited: Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and Floreana (Acharya 2000). Which Galapagos Islands are inhabited? A: The Galapagos has four inhabited islands that each offer hotel options: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela, and Floreana. The other islands and islets of the archipelago are not inhabited by humans, and do not […]

5 Best Islands to Visit in Galapagos Isabela Island. Isabela is the largest island in the Galapagos archipelago, making up over 58% of the entire land mass of the Galapagos. San Cristobal Island. Santa Cruz Island. Santa Fe Island. Baltra Island. What are the 7 islands of Galapagos? List of islands, animals, flora, and visitors […]

An Irishman called Patrick Watkins is credited as being the first settler on the Galapagos Islands. Not much is known about the his background, except for the fact that he was marooned on Floreana in 1807. For two years he lived feral, growing vegetables on a two-acre plot of land in a small valley. Who […]

Some tortoises, including Lonesome George, have shells that rise in front, like a saddle. This adaptation makes it easier for them to lift their heads high to eat tree cactus and to resolve disputes over limited food resources, which they do through raising their heads as high as possible during social interactions. What are three […]

Darwin was startled to discover that each Galápagos island was “inhabited by a different set of beings.” For example, the tortoises on each island were slightly different. Darwin reported that by looking at a tortoise’s shell, the colony’s vice governor “could at once tell from which island any one was brought.” How do the Galapagos […]

Galapagos culture is a mixture between the people that came from the highlands, the Amazon Jungle and the coast of Ecuador. Most men on the islands are fishermen, however tourism is an increasingly important part of the economy.Seafood is also incredibly popular and plentiful on all the four inhabited main islands. What is the cultural […]

Galapagos giant tortoises shape their habitats by grazing on plants, dispersing plant seeds and trampling areas of vegetation. They therefore play an important role in germinating seeds, as well as in thinning out and opening up new areas of ground for different types of vegetation to grow. Why are Galapagos giant tortoise important? The tortoises […]

It was all part of a six-year, $6 million project in which conservationists killed nearly 80,000 feral goats on Santiago Island in the Galápagos. Similar goat genocides had happened on 128 other islands, including nearby Pinta, but never on any as large as Santiago, which spans 144,470 acres. What happened to goats on Galapagos Islands? […]

According to the Republic of Ecuador, the official name of the Galapagos Islands is the “Archipiélago de Colón” or the Archipelago of Columbus. What is the nickname of the Galapagos Islands? Enchanted IslandsThe term “Enchanted Islands” first appeared on a map in 1589. The navigators nicknamed like this the Galapagos Islands, referring to the fact […]

There are 13 different species of Darwin’s finches, and the slight variance of these species, which are believed to all be from the same ancestor, and their ability to adapt to the specific island of the Galapagos each call home is what helped Darwin hone his theories on evolution. Why are animals in the Galapagos […]

The marine reserve is home to a wide range of species: whales, dolphins, albatrosses, sharks, sea lions, penguins, fur seals, rays, cormorants, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and tropical fishes. More than 2,900 marine species have been monitored, according to the Galapagos National Park Administration. Why is there such a diversity of marine life in the […]

PART 6: EARLY HISTORY The discovery of the Americas by Columbus in 1493 was significant in the rich and varied history of the Galapagos Islands. In 1493, with the knowledge of the New World to the west, the Spanish Pope Alexander the VI granted to Spain the entire western hemisphere. Who explored the Galapagos Island? […]

Consider trying these nine spectacular dishes that the Galápagos Islands should already be famous for, and enjoy the best these islands have to offer. Langostino Encocado (Lobster Cooked in Coconut) Arroz Marinero (Seafood Rice) Canchalagua Ceviche. Sopa Marinera (Seafood Soup) Sopa Biche. Encebollado. Seco. Can you bring food into Galapagos? You can bring a limited […]

Galápagos sea lions and fur seals are endemic pinnipeds to the Galápagos Islands, where these two species play a crucial role as key predators and sentinel species for the functioning, services, and health of the marine ecosystem (Alava and Salazar, 2006; Alava et al., 2014, 2017a). Why do Galapagos sea lions matter? Their smooth and […]

The Galapagos Islands are uniquely located on both sides of the equator in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The islands are situated at a point in the Pacific Ocean where three ocean currents collide, creating a unique area in the sea where warm and varying degrees of cold water meet. What makes the Galapagos […]