The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands may just inspire you to think differently about the world. Some of the creatures which call the islands home cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

This is not the Bahamas and these islands aren’t typical tropical paradises; in fact, most of the islands have no plants and some look more like the moon than Hawaii. However, more humans live here than you might think and tourism on the islands is becoming more popular.

This group of volcanic islands and its ecosystem is one of the best places on earth to see a huge variety of animals and fish. It is also unique because it is one of the last places which has not been ruined by humans.

The Galapagos Islands area is situated in the Pacific Ocean around 1,000 km from the Ecuadorian coast. There are 127 islands, 19 of them are large islands and 4 have no people on them at all. In 1959, 97% of the islands was made a National Park. People are allowed to live on the other 3% of the islands but it is limited. There are only four islands on which people live and work. If you want to visit the other islands, you can book a tour. The tours are controlled and limit where, and for how long, visitors can stay. At the moment, 30,000 people live on the Galapagos Islands and 170, 000 tourists visit each year.

These islands and the water which surrounds them have been called a ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’. Three different oceans meet at this point and create a wonderful marine ecosystem. There are also active volcanoes which can show you just how these islands were created. With the islands being so far away from people you can see unusual plant and animal life. If you have the chance to go, you many see marine iguanas, giant tortoises, huge cacti and the many different types of bird. These islands gave Charles Darwin his idea for his theory of evolution when he visited in 1835.