Which country owns the galapagos islands

You can also spot the famous blue-footed and Nazca boobies. See the travel guide to the Galapagos for information on the other islands. For a complete list of things to do and see, including an island by island guide you can see our list of things to do on the Galapagos Islands.

The wildlife is what makes the Galapagos Islands such a unique travel destination. Many of the animals and plants are only found on the Galapagos and some species are specific to their own particular island. To give a brief overview on what you can find here, here are a few of the most iconic animals to find. Sometimes on islands, otherwise small animals grow to impressive sizes and larger animals shrink. This is certainly true with the tortoises. Galapagos giant tortoises can weigh over kg lb and reach 1.

You can see the tortoises in the highlands of different islands and also at the facilities set up to help breed tortoises to recover their populations.

Since human arrival, the tortoise populations have been struggling against invasive species. Marine Iguanas Another iconic Galapagos animals, marine iguanas are the only lizard that forages for food in the sea.

You can often see them around coastal areas on most of the islands sunning themselves on the beaches or sidewalks. You can even see them from the different hotels and restaurants, such as the luxurious Galapagos Habitat Hotel where they enjoy laying on the deck between the tables.

The origins of the iguanas on the islands is a bit of a mystery. They would have made this impressive mile km journey and slowly adapted to limited food by feeding on algae near the shore. Eventually, they would have become more and more adapted to life in the sea. Blue Footed Boobies Another iconic Galapagos animal, the blue footed boobies are well known to anyone who has seen a documentary on the islands.

They feed mainly on fish and hunt by diving and swimming in the water. With their distinct white and grey plumage with two large and bright blue feet, they are hard to miss. The blue feet are important in courtship dances and they males lift them up and down when attempting to impress females. There are some fantastic tours to enjoy on the Galapagos. Choose from hotels offering package tours and excellent Galapagos cruises.

Choose from luxury vessels, Galapagos catamarans, and motor-sail catamarans to explore the islands. Here, we will provide four different recommended experiences, including a luxury cruise, comfortable cruise and a hotel offering package tours. Similar to the way that the Hawaiian Islands are a part of the United States, the Galapagos Islands are a part of the neighboring country of Ecuador, located in South America.

Fray Tomas de Berlanga discovered the islands as he sailed to Peru, but was carried off course when the winds could no longer support his ships travels. He would land on the Galapagos Islands on March 10, The Spanish would eventually give up on the islands due to the harsh landscape and the fact that they were isolated from any nearby land masses, at which point Ecuador would send a crew to survey the land and eventually annex the land in naming them the Archipelago of Ecuador.

For centuries, coming to the Galapagos was a risky business: currents and winds made the navigation easy to the Galapagos, but the lack of fresh water and the great difficulty to return to the mainland kept people away from the islands. Only the perspective of finding giant tortoises as a source of food was a lure to sailors to risk their lives for such a trip.

Thankfully, due to more modern methods of travel, it is much easier to reach the islands today. The Marine reserve, with its current size, is one of the largest marine parks in the world covering 51, sq. By doing this, it allows Ecuador to protect the island and preserve the natural landscape as well as the wildlife that call the islands home.

Outside of humans themselves, there are a number of different threats to the environment on the islands. Various plant species and animals that have been brought to the islands, whether purposely or accidentally, have been overrunning the native plants and animals and causing issues. And the same goes for the plant life.

As of today there are native plant species on the islands, compared to over introduced species. Because of the influx in tourism, and money, to the islands, conservation efforts have increased throughout the years. Before tourism, the giant tortoise population on the island was collapsing, and many other species populations were declining because of introduced species, as we mentioned above. With the introduction of tourism, and the money and attention those travelers bring, it has been critical in the reversal of the extinction path of many of the most iconic species of plants and animals found in the Galapagos Islands.

For more information, be sure to read our blog on How to Get to the Galapagos. Enjoy multiple activities aboard any of our three Galapagos cruises and hotel. Before you keep reading about the wonderful species and beautiful islands you will find in the archipelago, be sure to check out our. You already know how to get there! He was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, largely famous for his scientific theory of evolution.

The weather is excellent all year round. Find out what is the best time to visit the Galapagos for you. Remember, the Galapagos are a year-round destination! The Galapagos Islands are the result of volcanic activity that occurred around 5 million years ago. Animal life began to migrate to the archipelago some 2 million years after the initial islands formed.

These animals had to adapt to a drastically different environment and climate compared to their native habitat , leading them to evolve in unique ways. For more Galapagos history, be sure to check out our Galapagos Information page.

Cruise the Galapagos Islands with the passionate experts — established in ! Get special deals and come explore with us! What are the Galapagos Islands? Find out more by watching this amazing video: Looking for more inspiration? Galapagos Photos Snorkelling in Galapagos. Baby Sea Lion. Galapagos Land Iguana. Red-Footed Booby. Nazca Boobies. Marine Tortoise. Galapagos Sunset. Bartolome Island, Galapagos. Throughout the twentieth century, interest in the islands gradually increased which spurred immigration and tourism from North America, Europe and Ecuador.

Human settlements expanded over the decades, with many immigrant families working to support the growing ecotourism industry. During this time it became increasingly clear that the Galapagos consisted of a remarkably unique and valuable ecosystem, but also one that had been subject to significant exploitation.

In particular, the islands had attracted numerous poachers over the centuries looking to exploit the fauna of the islands. This included sperm whales for their oil , seals prized for their luxurious fur , as well as the famous tortoises whose meat was used to sustain sailors during long ocean voyages.

The introduction of non-native species also posed a significant threat to the fragile Galapagos environment. In response to this, and in order to manage the increasing demands of immigration and tourism, Ecuador declared the islands a national park in The park covers Shortly after, in , the Charles Darwin Research Station was opened on Santa Cruz to conduct scientific research and inspire conservation efforts across the islands. In particular, and still to this day, the Station worked hard to reverse the decline of tortoise and land iguana populations, monitor the health of other endangered wildlife and protect against invasive species.

They are also involved in working with local communities to help encourage sustainable development, as well as advising the government and park authorities on measures to promote responsible tourism. For those thinking of heading to the Galapagos on vacation , given they are a part of Ecuador, the islands can only be accessed via the Ecuadorian cities of Guayaquil or the capital Quito.

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