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The Galapagos archipelago consists of thirteen major Islands, six minor islands and 40 some smaller rock formations and reefs spread out over 17,000 square miles of ocean.
This cluster of Islands located on the equator are situated 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.
From the time they first broke through the ocean floor, some 7-9 million years ago, the Galapagos have remained a very active site of volcanic activity. Topics
Origin
The eastern islands (the oldest is Española) seem to be significantly older than those on the west, with the rocks on Isabela and Fernandina Islands being less than one million years old which is consistent with the "hot spot" theory of Galapagos Island formation. Today, the Galapagos are among the most active volcanic sites in the world. There have been seven eruptions in the last 15 years, some quite recently. CLIMATE Unlike most equatorial regions, the Galapagos are not hot and humid. They lie instead in a dry zone of the Pacific, where temperatures are kept abnormally low by cool upwellings in the sea. The cold Humboldt current sweeps northward from the Antarctic where at the Northern tip of Peru is pushed toward Galapagos by the southeast tradewinds. The mass of cold water cools the air and an inversion layer is formed which upsets the usual weather pattern associated with the tropics. This results in peak daytime temperatures during the warmer months, January to May, averaging 27°C (80°F) and in August the average upper limit falls to 22°C (70°C). Periods of rain are brief and water drains quickly through the porous volcanic soils. While the lowlands are experiencing drought, the highlands receive moisture in the form of mist precipitation locally known as "garua." Between these two extremes, the dry lowlands and lush highlands, there are six and in some places seven vegetation zones that can be recognized. ARRIVAL OF PLANTS AND ANIMALSIt is agreed that there was never a connection with the mainland. Most scientists today accept the theory of long distance dispersal as being responsible for bringing life to the Galapagos Islands. They include: 1) wind and air currents; 2) oceanic drift, either by swimming or floating or carried on natural rafts of vegetation; 3) dispersal by means of birds. THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE On September 15, 1835, the most famous of all visitors to the Galapagos, Charles Darwin, arrived aboard the HMS Beagle, commanded by Captain Robert FitzRoy. The Beagle spent just five weeks in the archipelago during which time the 26-year old naturalist was able to visit four of the principal islands - Chatham, Charles, Albemarle and James - where he spent 19 days on land, collecting and observing the flora and fauna of this “living laboratory of evolution," a term often used to describe the islands.
What he meant by this was that the isolation, confined habitats, and the comparatively small number of species combine to give the observer a clear view of the adaptive processes – called “adaptive radiation.” The most famous example is the Galapagos finch, now called Darwin's Finches. Each were of the same population yet they were distinctive by the beak structure that was purposeful and adaptive.
Darwin's genius was in understanding that the variations he observed were nonrandom positive adaptations to the environment that could somehow be passed on through inheritance. Fifty years later, he published his work, Origin of Species, by Means of Natural Selection, expounding his theory of evolution – a scientific revolution contradicting religious beliefs prevalent at the time.
:: Top :: Human History of the Islands
1485 - The first visitors were sailors of the Chimu culture from northern Peru during the rule of the great Inca, Tupac Yupanqui.
1535 - The official discovery of Galapagos, on March 10th, by Fray Tomas cle Berlanga, a Spanish Bishop, aboard a ship pushed off course by ocean currents while sailing from Panama to Peru.
1570 - The Galapagos Islands appear for the first time on a world map. They are called “Insulae de los Galopegos.'
1593 -1710 - Use of the Galapagos by pirates as refuge and supply base for water and meat (particularly the giant tortoises) and introducing goats and dogs.
1793 -1870 Period of whale exploitation in the Islands threatening populations of tortoises, fur seals and whales.
1793 - Erection of the post office barrel on Floreana to facilitate delivery to the United States and Europe.
1800 -1900 - The exploitation of fur seals by North Americans and Europeans almost causing their extinction.
1832 - Ecuador officially claims Galapagos calling it "Archipelago del Ecuador.” Islands are given their Spanish names.
1835 - Visit of the H.M.S. Beagle to Galapagos for five weeks, from September 15 to October 20. During this period, Charles Darwin visited San Cristobal, Santiago, Floreana and Isabela Islands. The Captain, Robert Fitzroy, drew up accurate navigation charts.
1841 - U.S. writer Herman Melville visits Galapagos. He later wrote an articulate account of his experience in "Las Encantaclas."
1859 - Publication of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species which brought recognition to Galapagos as natural laboratory for evolution.
1892 - Galapagos is officially named "Archipelago cle Colon" in honor of Christopher Colombus's discovery of America 400 years previously.
1905 - 1906 - Scientists from the California Academy of Science make extensive collections and studies of the islands.
1923 - Visit by American William Beebe, whose book Galaipagos World's End, gave worldwide fame to the Islands.
1926 - Group of Norwegians arrive in Galapagos. Some remain on Santa Cruz today farming in the highlands.
1934 - First legislation to protect Galapagos fauna is passed. Mysterious events surround the disappearance of the Baroness Van Wagner and a companion, and the deaths of others on Floreana,
1941- 1948 - Construction and occupation of an air base on Baltra by the U.S. and the extinction of land iguanas on that island.
1959 - On July 4th, the government declares all areas of Galapagos as National Park except for the colonized areas. The Charles Darwin Foundation is founded in Brussels on July 23rd. Its first President is Victor Von Staelen.
1964 - The Darwin Station is inaugurated in the presence of many national and international authorities.
1968 - Administration of the Galapagos National Park Service begins.
1969 - Large scale tourism begins in Galapagos with the arrival of the LINA-A, a ship carrying 58 passengers.
1971 - Lonesome George is found on Pinta Island, the last of his breed.
1972 - Japanese fishing ships capture hundreds of sea turtles.
1974 - The first master plan for the protection and management of the Galapagos National Park is published.
1978 - The Islands are declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO underlining its universal value for mankind.
1986 - The Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve is signed into law by President Leon Febres Cordero to protect the waters 15 miles offshore.
1992 - A new revised, long-term master plan for the development and management of the CDRS, which will provide guidelines for the Station's programs and gradual growth to its full potential.
1994 - A fire in Isabela Island causes damage to 20,000 square miles near Volcano Sierra Negro. 70-80 tortoises are slaughtered by fisherman in protest of the governments indecision to lift a ban on commercialized fishing.
1995 - Isabela threatened by introduced plants and animals and overgrazing by goats. :: Top ::
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