GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS OR COLUMBUS ARCHIPELAGO

These islands baptized officially with the name of Archipelago of Columbus, but more commonly well-known with that of GALÁPAGOS (for the resemblance that has the cover of those turtles with the type of british saddles that in Spanish is Galápago), they were high to the category of Province in the year 1,972,;discovered in 1,535, for the Spanish Bishop Tomás of Berlanga, when losing the route in his trip from Panama to the Callao.
They are located at 1,000km. from the continental costs. The insular group of Oceania that is nearer to the islands is the Marquises, to 5,400km.
The EQUATOR LINE divides them in two groups: that of the north is the minor and it is formed by the smallest, as long as that of the south, very much more numerous, it contains the biggest and important. In total, there are 13 islands, 17 small islands and 47 rocks that give a superficial extension of 7,964km².
Of the great military base that the North Americans settled down during the second world war for the defense of the channel of Panama; in the small island Seymour today Baltra, the airport is used. The percentage of Ecuadorians that has visited the Archipelago is very reduced.
During the Colony, Spain was not interested in these islands. Their marines knitted around them mysterious legends and they ended up calling them The Charmed Islands.
Pirates and buccaneers of the XVII and XVIII centuries, Englishmen especially knew how to take advantage of them like refuge of their adventures. The English names with which the marines still know them they were imposed by those adventurers.

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS “A LABORATORY OF EVOLUTION”

Origen: Millions of year ago these islands came out to the surface of the ocean because the intensive submarine volcanic activity.
With 20.000 inhabitants, 54 sites to visit. Five of the islands are inhabited. They make a living mainly from tourism, fishing and farming. Puerto Ayora the most populated place located south of Sta. Cruz. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the provincial capital in San Cristobal.
Isabela small port of Puerto Villamil and Floreana with Puerto Velasco Ibarra.
The Galápagos was discovered by accident by the bishop Tomas de Berlanga in 1535 while sailing from Panamá to Perú. He reported his discovery to Charles V of Spain, in his report a description of  giant galapago (tortoise) from which they have received their name. 13 major island , 6 small ones and 42 rocks (islets), 97% of the islands are part of the P.N.G. (Galápagos National Park) 693.700 ha., 1.714.000 acres, 7.882 km².
In 1835 Charles Darwing sailed on the bristish ship H.M.S. Beagle and visited theIsland.
1892 the Ecuadorian government assigned official name.The official name are used hare in most cases. 50eruptions have been recorded since their discovery in 1535, 1000 year older is the age of the earth compared with the age of archipelago.
1936 It was the first National Park in Ecuador
1959 SPNG. And Charles Darwin Foundation by the UNESCO
1960 Organized tourism began 50.000 a 60.000 visitors per year.
1964 Scientific Charles Darwin Station in Sta. Cruz 6 m.a.s.l., 23ºC, 93.1 m.m
1979 World heritage site.
1985 Biosphere Reserve
1994 Galapagos Marine Reserve (interior waters and 40nautical miles from baseline of the arch.).
1991 Marchena , 1995 Fernandina and 1998 Isabela these has proven that the north western islands are still in the process of formation and contain active volcanoes .
South east 3.25 million of  year (the most ancient rocks)
This is only coastal marine area in the south east pacific and the second largest Marine Reserve in the world 51.351 square miles.
Sorrounding waters of the Galapagos island are very deep less than 20km, of the coast of the western island, the ocean is over 3.000 m. deep.

ISLANDS AND MORE REMARKABLE ISLANDS:

Isabela(Albermale)……………………………………………….4,275km².
Santa Cruz (Indefatigable)..…….…..…………………………….1,020km².
Fernandina (Narborough)................................................................ 750km².
San Salvador (James)…………………………………..........…… 570 km².
San Cristóbal (Chatham)...…..…….……………………………… 430km².
Santa María or Floreana (Charles)................................................... 137km².
Española (Hood)…….………………………………………………103km².
Marchena (Bindloe)….……………………………………………… 96km².
Pinta (Abingdon)…………………………………………………….. 50km².
Santa Fe (Barrington)…..…………………………………………...…25km².
Genovesa (Tower)…….……...……………………………………… 17km².
Pinzón (Duncan)………………………………………………………17km².
Baltra……………………...…………………………………………15km².
Rábida (Jervis)………………………………………………………… 10km².
Seymour….…...………………………………………………………...4km².

× San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela are the only ones that have water.

RELIEF: it doesn't present big elevations neither their Orography is complicated, plateaus of 200 at 300m. of altitude of which the volcanic cones stand out that don't arrive but rarely at the 1,000m. although in the Isabela there are two that pass the 1,500m. as the Cerro Azúl (1,689m.) and the volcano Wolf (1,646m.).

CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

Teodoro Wolf affirmed, and with a lot of justice that “the climate of the Galápagos Islands is one of the healthiest and pleasant of the world.” The factor altitudinal from the banks of the sea until the volcanic craters reproduces strips of vegetation:
First strip. - The beaches almost at the level of the sea characterized by a half temperature of 21º and 22º C. with off droughts with weak sprinkles of January to April. This sector presents a desertic aspect in which locusts trees are developed, giant cereus, opuntias, sacred stick. Sometimes like in the Isabela and San Cristóbal, they are also formed small mangroves, coconut trees introduced from the continent, like in Santa Cruz.
Second strip. - From the limit of the beaches up to the 200m. in south side and up to the 250m. in the north side; there is hardly difference with the previous strip. They are the plants xerófilas covering this sector, but they lose corpulence due to the strong winds.
Third strip. - Understood among 200 and 250m. up to the 450m. temperatures that oscillate among the 17º and with bigger humidity taken place by constant drizzles in summer and strong rains in winter. Presence of forests always green: guava( Psidium guajaba), milky stick, cat fingernail, grasses and herbaceous ferns, remember the aspect of the plateaus in the continent to 3,000m.This strip is favorable for the agriculture above to 450m. Productive chacras(fields) where the sugar cane, the yuca (manihot), the camote(a kind of sweet potato) is appreciated, otoy  root to which we also call potato inca), potatoes, the cabbage, the lettuce, the carrot, artichokes, plantane, African bananas, pineapples, melons, watermelons, guavas, oranges, lemons, figs and palms.
Fourth strip. - Above the 450m. several kinds of ferns and extensive pampas covered with thick straw that grow in a cold and humid climate, characterized by frequent fog and drizzles appear.
Climatic data corresponding to the Galápagos are the following ones:

Puerto Baquerizo (San Cristóbal)…………….. 6m.a.s.l…………. 23.8ºC…... 259 mm.
Estación Charles Darwin (Santa Cruz).…….…. 6m.a.s.l……....... 23.1ºC……. 93.1mm.
Baltra (Airport)…...…………………………… 6m.a.s.l…………. 24ºC……………..
Progreso (San Cristóbal)…………………..... 250m.a.s.l………… 20.7ºC……. 654mm.
Puerto Villamil(Isabela)……………………… 6m.a.s.l………..… 22.1ºC……………..
Bellavista (Santa Cruz)…………………….. 194m.a.s.l………….. 21.6ºC……. 569mm.

ANIMAL LIFE

The indigenous terrestrial fauna is extremely poor. Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1,835, where he arrived in the celebrated BEAGLE ship. With the observations made in them, He based their celebrated theories on the selection.
The several species that inhabit the Galápagos Islands mainly the finches and the tortoises have evolved in a different way in each island. These were the bases on those that Darwin developed his Theory of the Evolution.
When Darwin visited the islands he found thirteen species of tortoises, but today seems that they don't exist more than six, being the Isabela the one that conserves the biggest number of them. The tortoises live  with preference of the shafts and branches of the cactus (cactaceae) and thorns, but in the big islands they prefer the pampa grass. This animal only drinks each three or four months, but then with excess, putting the whole head in the water and absorbing it with the nose. A trip to the drinking trough from the superior pampas, costs to the tortoise 3 or 4 weeks. The tortoises of the islands of the north, mainly of Abingdon (Pinta) and Bindloe (Marchena), they are something different from those of the south.
The iguanas also constitute a curiosity, family of the saurians who ones populated the world in remote ages. There are two varieties: the marine and terrestrial.
The marine fauna undoubtedly is much richer and more abundant: the cold waters of the  Humboldt current allow the presence of seals and marine wolves, and among the fish there are varieties like the cod fish and the tuna.
Marine birds: white and rosy herons, famencos, albatros, the fool bird or masked planga of blue and red feet, the frigate of red crop the male, the penguin or bird boy.
The shores of some islands, Santa Cruz for example, likewise they are rich in oysters and crustaceans.
Traveling ships that during their stay in the islands play the part of good hotels for the CONSERVATION of the vegetable and animals species that is need to preserve in homage to the SCIENCE.

CHARLES DARWIN FOUNDATION, BIOLOGICAL AND MARINE STATION

It is an international association created to make science and conservation in Galápagos Islands. They have their headquarters in Brussels and it is legally organized from 1,959; seated in Santa Cruz Islands. In their directive group, participates scientifics and conservationists of the world; as well as state, educationals and research entities from the country.

SAN CRISTOBAL.- Pto Baquerizo Moreno at 6 m.a.s-l, average temp. 23ºC, annual rain 259 mm. With 558sq. km. is the fifth largest in the archipelago, and the second largest population. Geologically is one of the oldest. Eroded volcanic peaks in the north and dense vegetated slopes in the South. Pto. Baquerizo Moreno is the provincial capital (on the south west point), 5.400 inhabitants second largest town in the Galapagos, there is less tourist traffic here than in Pto. Ayora an air strip here serves sereval flights a week.
One of the beaches brings you to a small frigate bird colony (2 species of frigates). The Junco is the only fresh water lake in Galapagos is located 1½ hours bus ride inland through the highland farm lands it is often shrouded in mist. (interesting plant species).
Accesible by dinghy are sappho cove and loberia where sea lions, three species of blue footed boobies (punta pitt), pelicans and S. Cristobal mockingbirds can be found. There is also a cruise around spectacular kicker rock or leon dormido, the jagged remains of a very large old tuff cone.
ESPAÑOLA .- Is relatively small, flat island measuring only about 14 km. long and barely 200 m. high.
It does not show a visible volcanic crater. It is one of the oldest in the group (3 or 5 millions year of age) there are two sites that can be visited:
GARDNER BAY . (White sand beach at the east end of the island with a long fine sand beach used by a transient colony of sea lions, and a major nesting site for marine turtles. An islet a short distance off shore provides good snorkelling to see fish, turtles and white-tipped reef sharks.
PUNTA SUAREZ. The western tip of the island, is one of the archipelago with a long list of species that can be see.
2 km. trail takes you through masked and blue-footed booby colonies and past a beach full of marine iguanas before the main attraction the waved albatross colony (endemic).
Along its cliffs when heavy swells are running, Punta Suárez is also the site of a spectacular blow-hole, with thundering spray shooting 30 m. high into the air.
Other birds to look out for are the hood mockingbird, found nowhere else, swallow-tailed gull, red billed tropicbirds and oyster catchers. The large cactus finch can also be seen and is found on few other islands. Several types of reptiles like the brilliantly colored marine iguana and the oversized lava lizard are unique to this island.
SANTA FE . This 24 sq km. about 20km south east of Sta. Cruz, is a popular destination for day trips. These are of the most picturesque an chorages within the archipelago. Located in an attractive bay on the northeast coast a 300 m trail takes you to one of the tallest (over 10 m high) stands of opuntia cactus particular to Santa Fe. Another 1,5 km. trail goes into the plateau area is also the best place to find the large land iguana that are endemic to this islands. The endemic rice rat is sometimes seen under bushes by the coast the two beaches are sleeping grounds for sea lions, snorkelling near the small island by the entrance of the bay can also be rewarding, marine iguanas and, of course, birds.
PLAZAS ISLANDS.- These two small islands are just off the East coast of Sta. Cruz.
We must visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid day groups.
The two islands were formed by uplift due to faulting. A narrow channel between south and north plazas provides a quiet anchorage and easy landing. South Plaza (13 hectares) is larger than north.
Numbering around 1.000 bulls, cows and pups, accupies the smooth rocks in this area and dozen animals often have to be ushered from the small concrete landing dock.
The small opuntia cactus forest is populated by land iguanas (males and females smaller) can be see sunning themselves or feeding a 1 km trail circuit leads through sea lion colonies the biggest in the archipelago along the cliff edge nesting swallow-tailed gulls are the predominant sea birds,
25 m. high cliffs are a super vantage point to watch  various seabirds such as red billed tropicbirds, frigate birds, pelicans and audubons shear waters. Snorkeling with the sealions is a possibility, and out to sea, you may glimpse a manta ray “flying”.
This is a favourite wildlife.