The wonderful world of Ecuador - where are the Galapagos Islands? Video: The underwater world of the Galapagos Islands. Deserted beaches. O. Isabella

- a unique place where the most kind and unusual animals in the world live. And you can meet them, stepping on the archipelago, within minutes, if not seconds.

Where are the Galapagos Islands

- the famous archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin to create the theory of natural selection. The islands are located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast South America. On the islands of the archipelago with fields of frozen lava flows, cactus forests covered with lush emerald vegetation, high mountains, transparent turquoise bays and serene tropical beaches with the purest white sand, the most unique and stunning creatures live.

For those who do not know, let's say that this mysterious archipelago is located 1000 kilometers from the coast of the continental part of Ecuador. They are right on the equator line. The archipelago consists of a group of volcanic islands that have chosen, frankly, not the most peaceful place to live. This is one of the most active parts of the earth's crust, at the junction of three constantly drifting tectonic plates. This young formation is only 5 million years old, and - judging by the recent manifestations of volcanic activity - it has not yet acquired its final form. Dilapidated craters, fields of hardened lava flows and placers of volcanic ash are visible everywhere.

Galapagos Islands - a brief description

The archipelago consists of thirteen islands with an area of ​​​​more than 10 square kilometers, six small and more than a hundred tiny uninhabited islets. Despite the size, each island has its own unique atmosphere, landscape and unique wildlife. Many local inhabitants are endemic not only for the entire Galapagos archipelago as a whole, but also for each island separately. Therefore than more islands visit, the more unique native animals you can see.

You definitely won’t be bored here: for example, one day you can watch elephant turtles mottled with traces of time, slowly waddling in the foggy haze of the local highlands. And the next - it's already fun to swim underwater with restless sea lions in the crystal clear waters of the archipelago. Or sunbathe on black lava rocks next to marine iguanas, similar to the descendants of prehistoric dinosaurs. Another option is to lurk near the Galapagos albatrosses to enjoy their mating dances, famous for their entertainment all over the world. During dances, albatrosses freeze with spread wings and a fanned tail. Then they stretch their neck, throw their heads back and begin to rhythmically stamp their paws.

Beauty of the Galapagos Islands

It is almost impossible to exaggerate the miracles that are fraught with them.

Here, every corner - including numerous shallow waters, beaches and trails - is littered with amazingly friendly and inquisitive animals, so unique that even from a distance they resemble them can not be found anywhere else in the world. Only here you can see such unique wonders of nature as, for example, tropical penguins, or boobies with bright blue paws, which seem to have been specially painted for them. Here you can also meet woodpecker tree finches - one of the few pichugas that use real tools - cactus needles, as well as male magnificent frigatebirds, in the mating season, like a balloon, inflating their red throat pouches to attract females.

The uniqueness of the archipelago also lies in the fact that in many respects it has been preserved almost unchanged since the distant 1835, when Charles Darwin first set foot on its lands. But, unfortunately, change is not far off. Incessant demand Asian countries on holothurians (the "sea cucumbers" that live in local waters) and shark fins has led to the widespread spread of illegal poaching, devastating and ruining the once incredibly rich diverse marine life water. The rapid growth of the flow of immigrants, combined with the seven-league pace of economic growth, has caused an incredible influx of people who settled on the islands of the archipelago (today, the permanent local population exceeds 30 thousand people who live on four different islands). But the worst thing is that they also brought dangerous "baggage" with them in the form of alien mammals, insects, plants and diseases. They pose a serious threat to the incredibly fragile ecosystem of the archipelago.

But, among the most striking changes that have occurred in the archipelago in recent years, one can attribute the annually increasing number of tourists arriving there. Since 1991, when the archipelago was visited by no more than 40 thousand tourists, the number of hunters for local attractions has increased exactly 4 times and today is 160 thousand.

This has led to the fact that from time to time the most popular hiking trails here they become so busy that they literally cannot be crowded with tourists, as on the sidewalks of the central streets of big cities. But it's not all bad. Despite the changes that have taken place, the archipelago is still quiet nooks and crannies, where you can calmly relax, and the local wildlife, in spite of everything, remains as friendly and surprisingly disposed to people as it was in Darwin's time.

Galapagos: wildlife of the islands

The most interesting of the "hot ten" animals, for which most tourists go to, are: the Galapagos penguin, the Galapagos flightless cormorant, the blue-footed booby, the Galapagos albatross, the magnificent frigate, Darwin, or earthen, finches (any of all 13 species), elephant, or the giant Galapagos, tortoise, marine iguana, Galapagos sea lion and fur seal. All other living creatures are welcomed as a nice bonus. All of these animals, with the exception of blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds, which are found almost everywhere, are unique endemic species that cannot be seen anywhere else on earth.

Forced to live in the hot tropics, Galapagos penguins mainly congregate on the islands of the western tip of the archipelago, where the water temperature is kept at a fairly low level due to the cold currents prevailing in the area. Galapagos penguins can be seen in various places in the archipelago, but the only areas of their breeding are only two islands - Isabela and Fernandina. In addition, these two islands are also the only breeding area for Galapagos flightless cormorants. As the name implies, these cormorants cannot fly, but use their short, underdeveloped wings to maintain balance while jumping from rock to rock. The rarest Galapagos albatrosses breed only on the island of Hispaniola, which is part of the archipelago, and nowhere else in the world (with the exception of a few pairs nesting on the small island of Isla de la Plata, whose name in Spanish means "Silver Island") located near the continental part of Ecuador). You can watch these amazing birds on the island from April to December.

The most legendary feathered inhabitants of the archipelago are ground finches, or, as they are also called, Darwins. As a result of his five-week stay on the "enchanted" islands of the archipelago, Darwin suggested that at least a dozen species of rather unremarkable little birds found here once arose from a single species that lived on the continent. It was this assumption that formed the basis of the most important discovery in science of that time. The basis for the guess was the various forms of the beak that the birds possessed, as well as their clear specialization in a particular type of food. Putting it all together, Darwin came to the conclusion that they developed their differences in the struggle for survival in order to carve out their own niche. Therefore, some of them hunt for small insects, while others have received an abundance of seeds and have been preserved as a result of evolution.

Other, no less amazing inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands became famous all over the world - almost as ancient as the world, elephant, or giant Galapagos, turtles.

Given the huge size of the turtles, reaching 1.5 meters in length, as well as general impression, which is created at the sight of these animals, as if overgrown with centuries-old moss, with a wrinkled head hiding in a shell, and a good-natured toothless grin, they are more like people from a prehistoric era.
It is believed that 15 different subspecies once lived on the islands of the archipelago. elephant turtles, which differed significantly from each other in size, shell shape and distribution area. However, 4 of them died out almost immediately after the arrival of the first people on the islands (in general, the total number of their population, which previously amounted to 250 thousand, has now decreased to approximately 15 thousand individuals).

All giant Galapagos tortoises are long-lived and mostly live to at least a centenary. This may mean that some tortoises that have survived to this day lived on the islands as early as Darwin's time. The best places to observe the giant Galapagos tortoises, according to generally accepted opinion, are the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, the vicinity of Alcedo Volcano and Isabela Island, where their largest population lives. In addition, they are also found in small numbers on the islands of San Cristobal, Santiago, Hispaniola and Pinzon.

And completing the list of animals that have become real symbols of the Galapagos, the unsurpassed marine iguanas are the only lizards in the world that spend most of their time in the sea. In total, up to 300,000 marine iguanas live in the waters of the Galapagos Islands, therefore, given such a wide distribution, it is rather difficult not to see them there, rather than vice versa. Lazily basking in the sun after tiring dives, they take a motionless pose and “blow out” excess salt through their nostrils, which is so rich in sea water. That's where that white foam on the muzzles comes from.

The seas surrounding the archipelago are incredibly rich in the brightest marine life, so scuba diving here promises many amazing meetings and unforgettable experiences. And this is the best way to get to know the incredibly perky sea lions that are found almost everywhere here.

Fur seals are traditionally more elusive, but there are still a couple of places on the territory of the archipelago where meeting them is almost guaranteed (the best of them, where these amazing creatures can be seen from a fairly close distance, of course, is the seal grotto on Santiago Island).

In addition, in the waters of the archipelago you can also swim underwater with penguins, flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, green turtles and more than 300 species of colorful fish.

As far as marine life goes, there's an almost limitless variety to be seen underwater, from common spotted eagles to yellowtail damselfish and sharks, of which the reef shark is by far the most common, but if you're lucky, you can also spot darktip reef sharks. , Galapagos gray sharks, hammerhead sharks and even the elusive whale sharks.

Nevertheless, depending on who exactly you want to see, it is important not only to choose the right place, but also the time, since the opportunities for observing and communicating with local animals vary significantly depending on the specific season and even month. For example, you can watch how green sea turtles lay their eggs in January. Get an unforgettable experience of swimming with "jet" penguins in the waters of Bartolome Island - from May to the end of September.

Humpback whales begin to move into the water area closer to June. The period from July to the end of September is considered the best for watching seabirds, as it falls on the peak of their annual activity. The peak of the season for the birth of newborn sea lions comes around August, while they become older and more active around November and during snorkeling they give tourists real heat, in general, they do not give a minute of rest. And finally, in December, the young of the giant Galapagos tortoises hatch from the eggs.

Galapagos Islands — excursions, tours

In total, there are more than 60 places on the territory of the archipelago that are allowed to visit and conduct tourist excursions.

Santa Cruz (Indefatigable)

Most tours of the Galapagos Islands originate on the island of Santa Cruz, formed on the site of a huge extinct volcano. The island itself is located near the main airport of the archipelago on the island of Baltra, and its capital - the city of Puerto Ayora - is the largest settlement in the Galapagos with the most big amount residents.

Not far from administrative center home to the famous Charles Darwin Research Station, where you can get hold of valuable information about the history of the island and the environmental work carried out under the leadership of the International Charles Darwin Foundation. In addition, the station operates a giant tortoise feeding and conservation program that breeds juveniles of this fragile species.

But above all, the island is known for being the last refuge for the most famous and ancient bachelor in the world - “Lonely George”, an inhabitant who has become a real legend of the archipelago, the last of the representatives of the Abingdon elephant tortoise subspecies that lived on Pinta Island. In addition, while looking around the island, you can see the Galapagos shepherds, at least nine species of ground finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, fire flyeaters, and many other equally amazing birds.

A captivating path to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, through countless farmlands, leads straight into misty forests full of a wide variety of birds. In addition, if you listen carefully, you can hear how giant Galapagos tortoises make their way through the dense thickets lining the forest. With a little luck, you can even see one of them in person. You can also see woodpecker tree finches, the most fascinating representatives of the feathered family - one of the few that use tools. In fact, these savvy finches have long adapted to use the cactus needle as a tool for getting insects and larvae from the cavities of wood.

The snorkeling experience on Santa Cruz Island also has the potential to be completely unforgettable. Cape Estrada and Las Bajas Beach are considered the best places for scuba diving on the island, although Tortuga Bay and Las Grietas Lagoon are also, without any doubt, more than good.

Santa Fe Island (Barrington)

Located in the middle between the islands of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal, Santa Fe has the most flat relief compared to the rest of the neighbors in the archipelago. With clear turquoise water lagoons and fine white sand beaches, this island could well claim to be the perfect model for a lost tropical paradise.

The island is home to several colonies of Galapagos sea lions, making it one of the best places for energetic dancing in quiet clear waters surrounding lagoons with these incredibly frisky and cheerful animals. Through an unusual forest of 10-meter prickly pear cacti, a winding path passes, on which the Santa Fe Island pale conolophos, an endemic subspecies of land iguanas, often come across. In addition, this unique forest by all standards is considered great place to watch the Galapagos buzzards, which, sitting safely on thorny cacti, can get close enough to them. And from the steep coastal cliffs, stunning panoramic views open up.

Floreana Island (other names - Santa Maria, Charles Island) Floreana is considered the oldest settlement on the archipelago, since long before tourists, pirates and whalers loved to stop here centuries ago.

In the area of ​​Cape Cormoran, located on the north coast of the island, there are two magnificent beaches (on one of which the sand is so fine and clean that from a distance it can be mistaken for accidentally spilled flour), where green sea turtles lay their eggs between January and May . And in a secluded estuary between the beaches, a whole colony of stunningly beautiful red flamingos hides from prying eyes.

Crowning all this splendor is the "Devil's Crown" - a nearby semi-submerged volcanic cone, diving in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich promises a truly unforgettable experience. Here you can get up close and personal with Galapagos sea lions, green sea turtles, octopuses and myriads of colorful marine fish. If you're lucky, you can even see a hammerhead shark here.

Along the way, you should definitely visit Post Office Bay, where for a long time there is a large wooden barrel, which also serves as an impromptu mailbox. Despite the fact that it was brought here by British whalers in 1793, it is still used today. Continuing a long tradition, tourists drop their letters into it in case a person living in their neighborhood visits here - they are required to find a letter in the barrel and put it in the mailbox when they return home.

Hispaniola Island (Hood)

This remote island, located on the southeastern edge of the archipelago, is best known for being the only nesting site for the rare Galápagos albatross. Between April and December, approximately 12,000 pairs of albatrosses nest on the coastal cliffs of Cape Suarez, along with blue-faced boobies. The island also hosts the largest colony of blue-footed boobies in the entire archipelago, and marine and lava iguanas are found in large numbers along the coast. Water jets erupt like geysers to a height of up to 20 meters from the vent located here, giving the landscape a special spectacle.

Gardner Cove, located on the northeast coast of the island, is mostly noteworthy magnificent beaches, as if powdered with the finest white sand, where a whole colony of Galapagos sea lions lives, swimming with which will surely bring a lot of amazing experiences. idyllic sandy shores the islands are the main laying area for green eggs sea ​​turtles, and further towards the impregnable cliff of Tortuga under water, you can meet entire constellations of bright sea fish. On the shore, mockingbirds, belonging to the endemic subspecies of the island of Hispaniola, and other unique inhabitants of the island, local lava iguanas, scurry about.

San Cristobal Island (Chatham)

In addition to the local administrative center, the city of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island also has several excellent places to observe the unique local fauna.

On Fregatbird Hill (which means “hill of frigates”), you can observe magnificent and large frigatebirds. In addition, the hill offers a magnificent view of the azure bay below. El Junco Lagoon, located in the mountainous part of the island, is notable for being the only freshwater body of water in the Galapagos Islands. Its surroundings are considered an excellent place for observing wading birds and other local representatives of the feathered family. A truly unique place is Cape Pitt, located on the northeast coast of the island, where all three species of gannets living on the Galapagos Islands nest.

Sea lions, mockingbirds endemic to San Cristobal Island, several species of ground finches, fire flyeaters, as well as local lava iguanas and their marine tribesmen.

Santiago Island (James Island or San Salvador)

Santiago Island is located at the intersection of the craters of two volcanoes and, according to generally accepted opinion, is considered the best place to observe the endemics of the archipelago - the Galapagos fur seals (which, apart from the island, are found only in a couple of other places in the archipelago). The guaranteed place for encounters with these animals is James Bay on west coast islands where in Puerto Egas a whole colony of fur seals has chosen a place on the coast right beyond the littoral.

The long coastline of Puerto Egas, covered with frozen lava flows, is generously decorated with dilapidated, weathered rocks. Here, marine iguanas bask in the sun everywhere, and their terrestrial tribesmen in shallow water eat seaweed growing on the surface of the water. The coastal intertidal zones on the island are extremely rich in a variety of amazing living creatures, including spotted rock crabs, hermit crabs, sea sponges, four-eyed blennies, which are endemic to the island, and many shore birds (many completely unusual species of migratory birds have also been repeatedly recorded here).

Walking around the island, you can see woodpecker tree finches, several species of ground finches, fire flyeaters, Galapagos buzzards and turtledoves, as well as many other equally stunning birds. If you are very lucky, you can even see the rarest mice here - endemic to the island of Santiago, which for a long time were considered to have disappeared forever from the face of the earth, until the species was rediscovered in 1997. The island is also great for observing other endemics - Galapagos snakes, reaching a length of one meter. Despite their frightening size, they are not poisonous at all.

The place is also great for snorkeling, including with sea lions and, if you're lucky, with the almost elusive fur seals.

Bartolome Island

First of all, Bartolome is famous for the fact that it houses one of the most famous sights of the Galapagos Islands - a dilapidated pointed rock of volcanic origin Pinnacle, shaped like an index finger.

Gorgeous beach with white, crystal clean sand, sprawling at the foot of a cliff, offers excellent opportunities for swimming with penguins, green sea turtles, sea lions and countless placers of bright tropical fish.

In addition, many other equally amazing animals can be observed on the island, including blue-footed boobies, red-billed phaetons, lava herons, less poetically called Galapagos green herons, fire flycatchers, marine iguanas and incredibly bright spotted rock crabs. Having reached the far end of the beach and crossed to the other side, in the shallows near the coast you can also see a lot of whitetip reef sharks that have not yet had time to grow up, lively crowding in the clear turquoise water.

From the shore to the highest point of the island (which the locals also poetically call the “Rock of Broken Hearts”), located at a height of 114 meters, leads a huge staircase of many wooden steps, surrounded on the sides by hot lava sands. It is best to climb the high stairs early in the morning, before breakfast, when a refreshing coolness reigns over the island and a breathtaking panorama of the two azure bays located at the foot opens up from the top.

Isabela Island (Albemarle)

The largest island of the Galapagos archipelago, Isabela is notable for the fact that on its territory there are six largest volcanoes, five of which are active to this day. The highest point of the archipelago, reaching 1707 meters, is the Wolf volcano, located in the northeastern corner of the island, right on the equator line.

First of all, the island is considered an ideal place to observe the giant Galapagos tortoises. In total, about 10,000 of these ancient giants live here, significantly more than on other islands of the archipelago. Moreover, in the area of ​​​​each of the five volcanoes - Sierra Negra (150 m), Sierra Azul (210 m), Darwin (305 m), Wolf (610 m) and Alcedo (1520 m) - various local subspecies of elephant turtles live. The best place to watch turtles is the foggy highlands around Alcedo Volcano. And although the path there is not close, it is still recommended to climb up in order to properly consider these amazing creatures. Most often, turtles can be found there floundering in small muddy puddles in the volcano's caldera.

Isabela is also one of two islands in the archipelago (besides Fernandina) where Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants hatch their chicks. On the west coast of the island is Elizabeth Bay, which is also the owner of a major record, as the world's largest colony of Galapagos penguins lives on its shores.

To the north is Urbina Bay, where marine iguanas are found and one of the largest and brightest representatives of their land tribesmen in the entire archipelago - conolophas. This place is also ideal for spotting Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants. In addition, you should definitely visit the shores of Tagus Bay, located even further north, opposite Fernandina Island. On foot from here you can climb to Lake Darwin, from the shores of which a magnificent panorama of the green sea lagoon opens, as well as Darwin and Wolf volcanoes. In addition, this place is also sure to please bird watchers, as ground finches, mockingbirds and Galapagos buzzards are quite common in the area.

Plankton-rich, clear turquoise waters off the west coast of Isabela Island attract marine mammals in abundance. Humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins can be seen most often here, but from time to time there are many other, no less remarkable species.

At the end of your trip around the island, you can get an equally amazing experience of swimming with marine iguanas in the area of ​​​​Cape Vicente Roca, where they graze under water for days on end in endless fields of seaweed.

Fernandina Island (Narborough)

Due to its remoteness from the rest of the islands, Fernandina, located on western outskirts archipelago, is very rarely included in general tourist routes, although completely undeserved. Despite its location on the far side of the archipelago, this island, rising up to 1400 meters above sea level, with a stunning caldera that stretches across a distance of almost 6.5 kilometers, is no less spectacular and colorful than any other. In addition, this island is a place of concentration of amazing animals that have become real symbols of the Galapagos.

Fernandina (along with Isabela) is one of the only islands in the archipelago where the long-awaited offspring of Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants are born. The best place in this regard is considered to be a rocky coast near Cape Espinosa, located on the northeast coast of the island. In addition, along the path, which lies through unusually spectacular fields filled with solidified lava flows (covered with such deep cracks that it requires remarkable dexterity and maneuverability on the way), you can come to visit an entire colony of marine iguanas, the number of which is measured in literally hundreds of individuals. This colony is mainly notable for being considered the most numerous in the world.

Tower Island (Genovesa)

The Tower, one of the flattest islands of the archipelago, is quite remote from the center and is located almost on the northernmost outskirts of the archipelago. First of all, the island is famous as a real ornithological paradise. The best place, against which thousands of seabirds can be observed against a magnificent backdrop, is Darwin Bay, formed after the destruction and partial submersion of the crater of the largest volcano on the island.

Having landed on the shore, from the sandy beach you can go to the path, along the edges completely overgrown with salt bushes and mangroves, where blue-footed and red-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds and red-billed phaetons arrange their nests. Here you can meet unique representatives of the local feathered world, including Galapagos turtledoves, sharp-beaked, large cactus and large ground finches, as well as short-eared owls (which are representatives of a unique endemic subspecies). On the shores of the island, as, indeed, everywhere else, you can observe the ubiquitous sea lions, and at times even the elusive fur seals. While diving in the waters of the island, even hammerhead sharks are occasionally found.

The Prince Philip Steps Observation Deck, east of Darwin Bay, is great for sailing in pangas (small motor boats) and observing a myriad of seabirds. Blue-faced and blue-footed boobies make their nests on the cliffs along the edges of a winding path of stony steps leading to the platform, and frigatebirds and a huge number of red-footed boobies nest in the trees nearby. At the end of the path there is a field covered with frozen lava flows, over which Galapagos storm-petrels circle in huge flocks (and unlike other relatives around the world, they can be observed here not only after dusk, but also during the day). In addition, there are quite high chances to meet representatives of a rare local subspecies of short-eared owls.
Journey

The islands of Baltra or San Cristobal can be reached by plane from the airports of Quito or Guayaquil, located in the continental part of Ecuador. Some cruise tours depart from the shores of Baltra (the pier is a 5-minute drive from local airport). In addition, cruise ships depart from the city of Puerto Ayora, the main tourist center of the archipelago, located on the island of Santa Cruz (which can be reached in 10 minutes by ferry or 45 minutes by bus). On an archipelago scale, this is a fairly large and modern settlement, where for the convenience of local residents and tourists there is a bank with ATMs, taxis, cafes, a cinema and a wide range of accommodation options in numerous local hotels.

The most convenient and economical way exploration of the Galapagos archipelago is a cruise on a ship or boat with accommodation on board. When choosing such a route, you have to sail every night to the next stop, and make several landings during the day (this is just general scheme, the options here are unlimited). For two weeks of such a cruise, you can visit most of the most interesting places in the archipelago (including the most remote islands).

On most cruises, landings take place twice a day, which means that in 10 days of such a trip, you can make 20 landings, dive 10 to 20 times in local waters and swim several times on motor pangas, having visited ten different islands of the archipelago. In order to avoid crowding with other groups of tourists, as well as in order to catch the peak of animal activity, you should try to land on the shore as early as possible. During excursions to all stops tourist groups must be accompanied by a qualified guide-zoologist.

Alternatively, you can stay on one of the islands of the archipelago and make daily excursions. Various accommodation options for tourists are presented in hotels on the islands of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Isabela. Several travel agencies on the islands offer day trips to various places in the archipelago.

Tourist season

Whenever you go to the Galapagos Islands, the trip will certainly be extremely successful, regardless of the season, since here every season has its undoubted advantages and pleasant bonuses.

The hot and humid season with little rainfall (occasional tropical showers) lasts from December to May (the hottest and wettest months are traditionally March and April). At this time, the waters of the seas surrounding the archipelago, as a rule, are calmer and more transparent (excellent visibility under water is observed at this time at a depth of up to 20 - 25 meters), so this time is considered the best for diving and snorkeling (water temperature during the season is average is about 26 C).

Cooler, dry season with quite strong winds(intermittently interspersed with fine drizzle and fog) continues from June to November. At this time, the water temperature in the sea drops to 19 C, and visibility under water can be considered satisfactory only at a depth of 10-15 meters). At this time, the highest waves are also observed in the archipelago area, which can make it difficult to land on individual islands.

What connects the great Charles Darwin with a group of lost islands in the Pacific Ocean? Why are the Galapagos Islands so famous, what is special about them? The point is the unique flora and fauna, which are endemics - a local, isolated ecosystem, where different types evolved without mixing with others. Darwin's stay on these islands was the impetus for his development of the evolutionary theory of the origin of species - natural selection, which became a great discovery. Let's see where the Galapagos Islands are located on the world map.

Location and climate of the Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands on the map are located in the Pacific Ocean, in the northwest of South America, and territorially belong to the Republic of Ecuador. They are separated from the mainland by 972 km. The volcanic archipelago consists of 19 islands, it is the main attraction of Ecuador and the largest and most important world reserve. The first of them were formed about 10 million years ago as a result of the movement of tectonic plates. Proximity to the equator and the local cold Humbald Current provided the archipelago with a comfortable two-season period with a stable air temperature of +23°C: from December to May - a warm and humid season, from June to November - a cool and dry one.

Summer in the Galapagos marks the air and water temperature of + 20 ° C, while quite strong winds blow. The cold current also cools the air temperature, but saturates coastal waters with nutrient organisms that attract penguins, birds and schools of fish. The coast becomes densely populated, which attracts tourists, and albatrosses flock to the island of Hispaniola.

Warm tropical downpours are frequent during the winter months. Moisture, evaporating from the ground, creates a curtain of fog, but at an air and water temperature of + 25 ° C, humidity does not cause discomfort. Autumn is the time for divers, as the underwater world becomes more diverse and beautiful. In winter, beautiful blue-footed boobies come here to nest. Spring in the Galapagos is wonderful - numerous endemics bloom (plants that can only be found here), and the sacrament of laying eggs by Galapagos tortoises takes place on the beaches.

Discovery and history of the Galapagos

The archipelago consists of 13 main, inhabited islands, 6 small ones and a scattering of small rocks and ledges above the surface of the water. The Galapagos Islands were discovered in the spring of 1535 by the Spaniard Thomas de Berlanga, who became the first European to set foot on the volcanic land of one of the islands. His ship accidentally veered off course, following from Panama to Peru, and stumbled upon an unfamiliar archipelago. Before the astonished eyes of the travelers stood in all its glory the primitive world inhabited by giant tortoises. By the way, this is where the name came from - galapagos (Spanish), that is, “elephant turtle”.

Historical milestones

Spanish conquistadors settled on the islands, but used them as a haven for pirates who attacked passing ships, until in 1832 "power changed." The archipelago passed into the possession of Ecuador. After 3 years, the expedition of Charles Darwin landed on it with an associate, naturalist Robert Fitzroy. Thus began the era of exploration of a unique ecosystem.

The archipelago was declared a national reserve, but during the Second World War, an American air base was located on Baltra Island, which defended the Panama Canal and monitored enemy submarines in the region. Of the famous explorers, Thor Heyerdahl also visited the Galapagos, who was looking for traces of the Inca civilization there and found the same.

History of the archipelago in dates:

• In 1959, the International Fund for them was created in Brussels. Darwin, who in every possible way contributes to the study and preservation of a unique ecosystem;
• in 1964 - a research station was built on the island of Santa Cruz, which has carried out and is currently doing a great job of removing "non-native" flora and fauna in order to preserve the purity of endemic species;
• in 1973 - the government of Ecuador founded a province on the islands;
• in 1978 - UNESCO added the archipelago to the list world heritage;
• in 1985 it became a biosphere reserve;
• in 1986 - coastal waters acquired the status of a protected area. The area of ​​\u200b\u200bocean coastal waters is 70 thousand km², it is the second largest after.

Description of the islands and attractions

The first navigation chart of the archipelago was drawn up in 1684 by the pirate Ambrose Cowley. He gave the names of the islands by the names of his acquaintances filibusters and the English nobles who patronized them. You can visit 13 islands out of 19, but only three of them have infrastructure and are built up with hotels and bungalows - Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristobal. The majority (90%!), On the contrary, have retained their original integrity and have been given over to animals, reptiles and birds.

The archipelago is located almost on the equator, and the area is very restless: the junction of three tectonic plates regularly generates eruptions of numerous volcanoes. But the rarest representatives of the animal and flora. White, black and red virgin beaches are beautiful, birds of paradise sing in the relic forests, dolphins, fur seals, turtles and even penguins frolic in the clear turquoise water of the lagoons. It's always summer in the Galapagos.

Isabela is the largest island

An area of ​​4640 m², named after Queen Isabella, who sponsored the expeditions of Christopher Columbus. The island is shaped like a seahorse and is riddled with six volcanoes that make up its surface. The highest is Wolf (1707 m), the last eruption was recorded in 1982. In its crater there is a rather large lake with islands. Isabela's other volcano, Sierra Negra, is also remarkable; its crater is the second largest in the world (10 km). The third in the ranking, Chico, erupted powerfully in 2005, and today its surroundings resemble a lunar landscape - tunnels, rivers and lava growths. The island has a salt lake Balthazar, it was chosen by flocks of red flamingos, and there is a settlement - Puerto Villamil.

Isabela Island is interesting for its history, and its main attraction is the Wailing Wall. In the post-war years, a correctional colony functioned on it. For educational purposes, prisoners were obliged to cut blocks from volcanic rock and carry them far from the place of extraction to where they erected a high wall. Hard labor under the scorching sun literally mowed down the ranks of the poor fellows, few survived in such conditions. In memory of them, a rather ridiculous wall 100 meters long and 8 meters high remained. In subsequent years, the prison building was razed to the ground, and the wall remained as a reminder of the atrocities of the overseers.

At the western tip of Isabela there is a bay and a beach, interesting with black sand. Coastal waters are literally teeming with inhabitants; turtles and sea lions are happy to keep divers company. Galapagos penguins, cormorants, iguanas, pelicans, gannets also live on the island. The slopes of volcanoes are inhabited by finches that can use tools - cactus needles, buzzards, land tortoises, flamingos and the Galapagos pigeon. But the most remarkable thing here is a scattering of small charming lagoons, where birds of paradise sing, and coastal waters are furrowed by hammerhead fish, ray fish, as well as sharks and killer whales.

Santa Cruz is the most populated

Another name is Indefatigable. This is the largest island in the form of an almost even circle (square 985 km²), the center of the Galapagos civilization with the port city of Puerto Ayora, in which 12 thousand people live. There are many entertainments prepared for tourists on Santa Cruz:

• the beautiful beach of Torguga Bay;
• diving and acquaintance with marine life;
• boat trips between the islands and on a glass bottom boat;
• flying on an airplane or paragliding;
• watching giant tortoises.

On Santa Cruz is, as mentioned above, the research center. Charles Darwin, awarded the International Space Prize in 2002. The best naturalists, scientists, biologists, as well as students and volunteers work here. And in the bay called "Black Turtle", in the thickets of the mangrove forest, the ancient giants are engaged in procreation. Finches live among the thorns of the prickly pear cactus - the main attraction of the local flora.

Fernandina - the dormant volcano

This westernmost island is essentially a periodically waking up volcano called La Cumbre (642 km²). The last two eruptions were in 2005 and 2009, the second turned out to be unusually powerful: red-hot lava and ash shot into the sky to a 7-kilometer height. The name of the island came from King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who was also the patron of Columbus. In the center of the island there is a caldera (hollow) with a diameter of 6.5 km, formed as a result of the collapse of the crater. At its bottom, a lake periodically appears, and then disappears without a trace. Tourists are not allowed in the vicinity of the caldera because of the danger of collapses.

Actually, there is almost nothing to see on it, except for the mangroves on the coast, protruding into the ocean, and the largest population of marine iguanas in the town of Punta Espinosa. The rest of the landscape is a gray, hardened lava mass. Urbina Bay has a coral reef with rich underwater life, while Elizabeth Bay is home to penguins. They share it with pelicans who hide their fish in caves.

Baltra - iguana island

During the Second World War, there was an air force base of the US Army, and now there is international Airport linking the archipelago to the mainland. Flights are operated daily by TAME. The island is home to iguanas. For the sake of the experiment, in the 1930s, biologists moved 70 individuals to the nearby island of Simor Norte, but the iguanas that remained on Baltra died unexpectedly during the war. In the postwar years at the Center. Darwin restored the population and new generations repopulated Baltra.

Bartolome - Pirate's Hideout

A tiny but charming island (only 1.2 km²) is shaped like a horseshoe. From the very high point to the west stretched a section of lava that holds a source fresh water, which is almost non-existent throughout the archipelago. Filibusters lived in the Pirates' Cave and robbed passing ships. There is a stunning Pinnacle Rock, from the top of which offers wonderful views of the coffee-colored beach. Penguins, sea lions and turtles live at its base. Killer whales swim through an underwater tunnel connecting the sea and two bays.

Interesting sights of other islands can be seen in the table:

Threat to Galapagos Species

However, no matter how isolated the archipelago is for alien representatives of flora and fauna, the Galapagos have one enemy - man. It was he who violated the purity of endemics and endangered many of the rarest species, and some of them completely disappeared from the face of the earth. Newly arriving "conquerors" in previous centuries released domestic animals to the islands, which rampaged on protected lands. Cats ruined egg layings, pigs dug the soil, damaging the root system of plants, and goats finished them off from above, eating leaves. Defenseless animals and plants turned out to be defenseless against barbarism. But in the last century, scientists sounded the alarm and carried out a massive cleansing of nature from strangers.

Animal world Galapagos

The seclusion of the Galapagos Islands has influenced the diversity and purity of species that have been preserved here, including the work of scientists. Many inhabitants are found only in the archipelago: about 60 species of birds, many fish and marine life.

"The land of fearless animals" - so it is appropriate to call the Galapagos. On any island, everywhere you can stumble upon a colored iguana sleeping on a stone, or flirting frigatebirds, or swimming penguins, as well as sluggish turtles. Animals are friendly and trusting, because they have no enemies, because there are no predators. The world of the archipelago is amazing, where those who, it would seem, do not belong here at all - penguins and seals live.

Humbaldt penguins

In order for the Galapagos penguins to survive in an unusual climate - too warm and dry, they evolved: local ones are very small in size, only 50 cm tall. The plumage is less dense than that of the Arctic counterparts, and there is less subcutaneous fat. To reduce body temperature, the Galapagos penguin can breathe frequently with its mouth open, just like a dog.

They lead a nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day, in the very heat, sit out in the water. Mostly penguins have chosen western islands, there, due to cold currents, the temperature in the sea is lower, and they breed on Isabela and Fernandina.

Swimming among the penguins in the Galapagos:

Land elephant turtles

Galapagos tortoises are so ancient that they are jokingly called the same age as the universe. These are the largest turtles on the planet, the weight of other individuals reaches six centners, and the length is up to two meters. Giants are long-lived, most trample the earth for more than a century, but there have been cases when caught turtles lived for at least 170 years.

These vertebrate giants inhabit 7 islands of the archipelago, and on islands with different climates they appearance differs. So, in those places where there is higher humidity on the hills, the shell of turtles is dome-shaped, the neck is short, and the animal itself is large. On flat islands with a dry climate, the shell has taken the form of a saddle, the neck is long, and the size of the turtle is smaller. This example makes clear Darwin's theory of the evolution of species.

According to Darwin, the evolution of all living things is based on three basic facts: more offspring are born than can survive; representatives of different species have different traits to adapt to the conditions offered; these traits are heritable. Thus, competition within species is formed and only the strongest can survive, passing on strong genes to offspring. This is how the principle of natural selection works.

Elephant tortoises almost died out in the 20th century because they were massively exterminated for their meat and shell. Of the 250 thousand of these reptiles, only 3,000 remained in the 70s. But scientists were closely engaged in the resurrection of the population and developed a program for growing relic armored ones on special farms. The bred individuals are then released to freedom. In the XXI century, the number of Galapagos tortoises is 19 thousand, and this species is designated as vulnerable.

marine iguana

A unique animal that lives only on these islands. The only marine lizard on the planet that, due to a lack of terrestrial food, has evolved and now feeds on algae. Iguanas crawl into the water in those places where it has warmed up enough, and plunge mainly in shallow water. It is amazing that they can hold their breath for an hour, at which time the oxygen stored before diving enters only the vital organs. Coming out of the water, the lizard hurries to warm up in the sun as soon as possible, clinging to hot stones, otherwise it may die from hypothermia. Its powerful claws form a strong grip even with smooth stone.

land iguana

A beautiful creature shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. It feeds on juicy prickly pear fruits and fruits. An iguana can sit under a cactus for hours and wait for the fruit to fall off. Eats it along with thorns. The reptile pulls out needles stuck in its mouth with its paw or by rotating its tongue, and with its paw it can also remove thorns from its body. Not all iguanas are iguanas, and many gray land iguanas can be found on the islands. These are hybrids - the offspring of marine and terrestrial iguanas. Aquatic representatives of the species often attack land females and mate with them. Well, it has been established whether hybrids are capable of procreation.

This is an amazing bird. During the mating season, males inflate a huge bright red bag hanging from the larynx to attract females. The name is derived from the tendency to accompany ships - frigates - in the hope of a treat. Birds cannot land on water, because once wet they cannot fly, so they always hover over the sea. Before starting to attract a female, the male builds a cozy nest.

blue-footed boobies

A beautiful and unusual bird of rather large size - females reach a height of 80 cm. Its appearance justifies the name, since the paws with blue swimming membranes. The brightness of the color is crucial when a female chooses a male for mating. Gannet laying is done every 8 months, 2-3 eggs each. Parents take turns sitting on the nest for 40 days, and the hatched chicks remain in it for more than three months.

Gannets feed on sea fish, they are excellent divers - the bird dives into the water from a height and goes vertically down to a depth of up to 25 m. It is interesting that the process of capturing fish occurs only on the way back to the surface, when surfacing. Gannets are prone to courage, the bird is not afraid of anyone, even a person, and fiercely protects the nest. The gannet is not endemic to the Galapagos, the islands are just the preferences of these birds, and you can see them in Mexico, in the Gulf of California, and on the islands.

Gabby courting a girlfriend:

Darwin's finches

At first glance, an ordinary little bird. But its importance in evolution is invaluable. On the example of finches, the great scientist derived his theory of natural selection. In short: the subspecies Darwin's finch is endemic to the Galapagos, millions of years ago, its ancestors were brought to the archipelago by a fair wind. Initially, one species of finches lived on all the islands, but under the influence of the external environment, it was forced to evolve. Different islands have their own climate and vegetation, so birds everywhere differ in the shape of their beak. In some it is thick and wide, in others it is narrow and sharp, that is, the beaks have changed in the conditions of different food production.

In 1858, Darwin's monumental work On the Origin of Species was published, which the church anathematized. From the point of view of religion, the Creator created the world, respectively, he also created 13 different finches for 13 Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Islands are home to many other representatives of the animal world:

• the green sea turtle is a beautiful reptile famous for always returning to its birthplace thousands of miles away to lay its eggs;
• sea ​​lions and seals - both species belong to the genus of eared seals;
• Galapagos cormorant is a land bird that has lost the ability to fly. It feeds on fish no further than 100 m from the shore, and enters the water, rotating with its whole body, as if drilling into it;
• buzzard - a falcon about 55 cm long, is the only predator of the archipelago. It feeds on lizards and small iguanas;
• white (mask) booby - has a clear rim around the beak and black edging of the wings. It always lays two eggs, but only one chick survives, the strongest, and the weaker ones are pushed out of the nest by the parents (natural selection in action!).

The Galapagos is a unique place, and scientists are putting a lot of effort into keeping the populations in a "pure" form. The archipelago is difficult, expensive and time consuming to get to, but it's worth the effort to be able to see the incredible animals and birds up close. They lived long before humans appeared on the planet as a species.

Isabella Island is a two-hour boat ride west of Santa Cruz Island. It is the largest island in the archipelago. It is relatively young, it is a chain of five volcanoes that erupt from time to time (among them the most high volcano Galapagos - Wolf (Wolf - 1707 m)) and resembles the shape of a seahorse. Only a small southern part of the island is inhabited. Here is the sleepy village of Puerto Villamil.

It was a sunny morning. Our boat approached the pier, and local porters began to unload the luggage. Fur seals played in the water area of ​​the port,

and even rushed like underwater torpedoes, penguins. The sun promised to be harsh, but so far it has only warmed gently.

We found an inexpensive guest house with such a nice view from the window

and immediately went for a walk around the village and look around.

Puerto Villamil compared to Puerto Ayora is a province and a wilderness. Heat, little greenery, roads strewn with lava chips, cozy houses and hammocks stretched between the trees in the backyards. Adults ride pickup trucks, children ride bicycles. From 11 to 17 people are not visible on the streets - a siesta. In general, the usual tropical island life. A local attraction is a church with images of Galapagos animals on stained glass windows and an altar. Actually, on every inhabited island of the archipelago, I saw a similar church.

Coastal waters near the village are teeming with life,

therefore, in order to observe the underwater world of the Galapagos, you do not need to go far from the coast. Yes, and it's very expensive.

I limited myself to two points.

The first is the Pearl Shell Bay (Concha de Perla) next to the port, which can be called a gorplage Puerto Viyamila.

The last five hundred meters to the bay you need to go along the wooden bridgethrough the mangroves.

From time to time fur seals swim under the bridge in clear ice water.

Birds are jumping and chirping in the bushes. Finally, the bridge rests on a wooden deck with ladders into the water and a bench, on which all beach life Pearl Shell. Under the bench, and often on the bench, freely lounging, fur seals rest, local residents with children and visitors are located at their flippers. Noise, noise, laughter. Pearl Shell is a great place for snorkeling and relaxation.

I came to the bay at dawn when no one was there. At this time, everything around - water, mangroves, air - fills with calmness. Grace, as in the morning fishing in central Russia. During the dawn hours, you can swim with the seals, which are very active at this time and play a lot with each other in the water. Then, closer to noon, they get out on land and hide in the shade. You can also see penguins here. They rush in the water in twos or threes and it is difficult to keep track of them even with a glance, not to mention the viewfinder of the camera. Nevertheless, the penguins are very curious, and if you are swimming calmly in the bay, sooner or later they will approach and inspect you for about ten seconds.

The second snorkeling spot is Los Tintoreras, a volcanic island five minutes by boat from Puerto Villamil.

Marine iguanas live and breed here,

sea ​​lions, rare and very beautiful birds that I dreamed of seeing - blue-footed boobies

and Galapagos penguins.

Even right from the shore, you can see reef sharks that enter the channel to rest in shallow water. In the bay, fenced by reefs, there are sea turtles grazing peacefully on bottom stones covered with algae.

Sometimes they break away from food and float to the surface to breathe air or simply go to another pasture.

In movement, turtles are like flying birds.

They move gracefully and surprisingly fast in the water. It is a special pleasure to swim synchronously next to or above them, adjusting to their rhythm of movement. It seems that time stops, you even begin to breathe less often. You turn into a bird. Feeling of freedom and flight. And unity with nature.

Underwater photographs of turtles were taken by Katya Mukhina using a Canon M5 camera with an aquabox.

In addition to snorkeling and diving on Isabella Island, you can visit a turtle nursery where baby elephant turtles are raised.

At the age of 8, they are released into the wild on the deserted expanses of the island. Turtles are curious, smartly (relative to adult turtles) move around the enclosure and poke their muzzles into the camera lens.

I already wrote in a previous article that in the Galapagos, as once in the Garden of Eden, animals are not at all afraid of humans. For example, you can swing in a hammock on the beach, enjoy the sunset,

and then go to the beach bar to order a cocktail and suddenly become a witness of the battle of male marine iguanas for the territory right at the bar counter.

On each island, I try to definitely visit the hinterland. This is the only way to feel the spirit of the island and make a more or less complete picture. Isabella Island is no exception. The Galapagos Reserve allows climbing only the Sierra Negra volcano (Sierra Negra - 1490 m), which erupted in 2005, and its crater is the second largest in the world, as well as the Chikko chain of small volcanoes that erupted in the 60s 20th century.

As with climbingMount Cerro Crocker on the island of Santa Cruz, the trail went through thickets of shrubs, however, no longer endemic, but that came to the island with the first settlers. No animals were in sight. It was getting hot. After an hour of walking we reached the craterSierra Negra and stopped for photographs.

The diameter of the crater is about ten kilometers. When you stand on its edge, you understand that it is really huge. How beautiful and terrible it must have looked during the grandiose eruptions!

The landscape has changed.The trees are gone.

Underfoot - streams of solidified red-black lava.

We walked along the lava tubes

past craters, alien fields and hills.

Sometimes they sat down to rest

and again they continued on their way. Here everything is filled with the grandeur of nature, everything speaks of the rampant elements,

I would like to meet the sunset on the volcano.

Alas, this is impossible, since the volcanoes are located on the territory of the reserve. So we spent the evening in hammocks by the ocean.

In my opinion, a good alternative to volcanic exoticism. The next morning we had many hours of sailing to the island of San Cristobal, the easternmost of the islands of the Galapagos archipelago.

Basic moments

The total area of ​​the islands is 8010 km², the population of the Colon archipelago (this is the second name of the Galapagos) is a little more than 25 thousand people. The fame of the region was brought, first of all, by the richness of the local biosphere landscape. Nature itself took care to turn the territory of the Galapagos Islands, located far from civilization, into a real oasis comparable to paradise on Earth. Despite the proximity of the equator, there is no sweltering heat here, and all thanks to the surrounding cold current. Average annual temperature in the Galapagos it varies between 23-24 degrees, although it can be hotter. One can only dream of such conditions in which it is easy and comfortable to relax!

And the possibilities for recreation in the Galapagos Islands are very diverse. In the morning and in the afternoon, tourists prefer to sunbathe under the gentle rays of the local sun. With the onset of the evening, there is an influx of them in cafes, restaurants and other places of entertainment. The rest of the time, guests of the Galapagos get acquainted with natural attractions, of which there are a lot: these are bays, beautiful bays, majestic rocks, capes, formidable volcanoes and, of course, rich flora and fauna. The latter is especially impressive: for a few days or even a couple of weeks, depending on the length of the vacation, each tourist unwittingly becomes a botanist, a zoologist, and an ornithologist. Travelers study the local nature and animals with interest, observe their growth and development in their natural environment.

An excursion into the history of the archipelago

If not for the tectonic activity on the Pacific floor, which took place about 8 million years ago, then no islands, most likely, would not have arisen here. Nevertheless, they were formed, and after some time they were inhabited by ancient people. However, direct evidence of this has not been preserved, scientists judge this only by indirect data.

The first European to set foot on their blessed land was a priest of Spanish origin, Thomas de Berlanga. This happened in March 1535, and quite by accident. He went by sea from Panama to Peru, but accidentally deviated from the course and "wandered" to this seemingly godforsaken archipelago. The involuntary discoverer and his companions saw giant tortoises here, the name of which in Spanish in the plural sounded like “galapagos” (translated as “elephant turtles”). So the discovered islands got a name, and they were listed on the then map of the world.

The Spaniards successfully colonized the Galapagos Islands, but for a long time they did not consider them suitable for full-fledged living. For almost the entire period of foreign domination, pirates took refuge here, making attacks on ships sailing nearby. On February 12, 1832, the archipelago changed sovereign: it was annexed by Ecuador. Three years later, an expedition landed here, which included the future author of the theory of evolution, Charles Darwin. Together with Robert Fitzroy and other young naturalists, he explored the islands in depth.

In 1936, the government declared the Galapagos a national park and took them under its protection. During the Second World War, Baltra Island hosted an American air force base that patrolled the ocean to detect enemy submarines and carried out defense panama canal. After 1945, the United States transferred the property to the Ecuadorian government, which set up its own military base there.

In 1953, the famous archaeologist and writer Thor Heyerdahl arrived in the Galapagos Islands, searching for the legacy of the Incas, and a decade later, traces of the activities of this Indian people were nevertheless discovered. On February 18, 1973, the leadership of the republic announced the creation of a province of the same name in the Galapagos Islands with its capital in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, while Puerto Ayora is the most populous city in the region. In 1978, UNESCO added the Colon Archipelago to the World Heritage List, and in 1985 it was declared a World Biosphere Reserve. In 1986, the water area surrounding the islands was given the status of a marine protected area. Its area is 70 thousand square meters. km, and in this indicator it is second only to the Australian Great Barrier Reef.

The Ecuadorian state pays great attention to the preservation of the natural attractions of the Galapagos Islands. The area of ​​the created national park covers 97.5% of the territory. Founded in 1959 in Brussels (Belgium), the International Darwin Foundation, for its part, also guarantees the preservation of the unique Galapagos system and strongly supports the scientific research conducted here. For this purpose, in 1964, a special research station was established on one of the islands - Santa Cruz. First of all, the researchers began to fight for the "purity" of the local flora and fauna. They did a great job of removing the so-called "non-native" (imported) animals and plants from here, while at the same time strengthening the protection of native species.

Fauna of the Galapagos Islands

Getting acquainted with the fauna of the Galapagos Islands, one involuntarily wonders how so many species of animals, and the most diverse ones, could gather in one place. Of course, it is impossible to present everyone in one article, so we will talk about the most famous, which have become real favorites of tourists.

If you make a kind of rating of the most popular of them, the first lines in it will be occupied by the already mentioned giant elephant tortoise, which gave the archipelago its name, the Galapagos penguin, the blue-footed booby, the magnificent frigate, the Galapagos flightless cormorant, earthen or Darwin finches, fur seal, Galapagos sea lion . The named animals belonging to endemic species are found on the islands at almost every turn. Without exaggeration, they are unique, because nowhere else on Earth can you see them.

The Galapagos penguins, in which the genes of their Antarctic counterparts clearly speak, behave interestingly, as they are constantly looking for cooler places. These are the islands in the western part of the Galapagos, where the water temperature is somewhat lower due to the predominance of cold ocean currents. However, penguins have adapted well and can be found here in different places, but for some reason they breed only on the islands of Fernandina and Isabella and on no others. The named territories, moreover, are the only ones where flightless cormorants nest. They are called so for a reason: due to the weak development of the wings, these birds are not able to fly, but, without losing their balance, they jump well from rock to rock.

Galapagos albatrosses have also chosen a nesting place for themselves, namely the island of Hispaniola: this rarest species can only be observed here and nowhere else in the world. If your vacation falls between April and December, and you visit this part of the archipelago, you can watch exotic birds live. Ground finches, on the contrary, are very common, but they are rightfully called the most legendary. Charles Darwin, when working in the Galapagos Islands, carefully examined representatives of all types of these small birds, suggesting that they have a common ancestor. To such a discovery, very important at that time, the father of evolutionary theory was prompted by the different shape of their beak. The scientist came to the conclusion that such differences were formed as a result of the struggle for survival.

The elephant turtles living here are so ancient that they are often called the same age as the universe. The sizes of these reptiles are huge, reaching a length of one and a half meters. A good-natured toothless grin and a funny head with wrinkled skin hiding in a shell every now and then give the impression of a very old age - as if these animals had moved here from the prehistoric era. Evidence has been preserved that a very long time ago another 15 subspecies were found on the Galapagos Islands, which differed in many respects from each other: both in size, and in the shape of the shell, and in the distribution area. Accident or not, four of them died out almost simultaneously with the arrival of the first people on the archipelago. If earlier the total number of giant tortoises was 250 thousand individuals, today there are about 15 thousand of them left. These animals are long-lived, living on average up to a hundred years. It can be assumed that many of them "met" Darwin himself. Want to see them up close? Then you need to Isabella Island (Albemarle), where they basically settled. Or, as an option, you can visit the surroundings of the Alcedo volcano and the highlands of Santa Cruz Island.

Another symbol of the Colon archipelago is marine iguanas. To see them, you do not need to go to any specific islands. These lizards are found almost everywhere in the local water area. It is estimated that there are about 300 thousand individuals. They spend the lion's share of the time in the water, then go ashore and bask in the sun with pleasure. Their favorite pastime is... blowing their nose. Not like people, of course, but they have no other way than through the nostrils to remove excess sea salt from the body, so do not be surprised at the white foam on their faces.

Diving enthusiasts in the Galapagos Islands are guaranteed their unforgettable encounters and experiences. Scuba diving or even without it - lovely way get acquainted with fur seals, also found in the local waters almost everywhere. There are places in the Galapagos where you can't avoid getting to know them. In this regard, the seal grotto on the island of Santiago is especially noteworthy, where you can get quite close to these amazing creatures.

In addition to iguanas, green turtles and unique colorful fish can also compete with you in scuba diving (more than 300 species live in the local waters of the latter). Encounters with reef, darktip reef and gray Galapagos sharks, and even, if you are very lucky, the mysterious whale sharks, are especially amazing.

It is no less interesting to observe the daily behavior of the inhabitants of the local fauna. Want to see how green sea turtles lay their eggs? Come in January. Do you want to swim with penguins? Welcome to Bartolome Island, but not earlier than May and not later than September. Dreaming of seeing adorable newborn sea lion cubs? Don't miss August. Well, in December you can look at the cubs of the giant Galapagos tortoises: they hatch from eggs just during this period.

Video: The underwater world of the Galapagos Islands

Environmental Safety

The Government of Ecuador and international environmental organizations traditionally urge tourists to take care of the unique biological resources of the Galapagos Islands. Under special protection are such animals as the elephant tortoise, green turtle, holothurians, sea lion, Galapagos conolophos, as well as birds: Galapagos cormorant, tree finch, Galapagos buzzard. However, environmental threats do exist, and they are mostly associated with historical circumstances.

Thus, animals and plants are unsafe, accidentally or deliberately brought to the archipelago in different time. This is especially true for cattle. Reproducing rapidly, it oppresses the local fauna, literally devastating its habitat. There are very few “own” predators on the Galapagos Islands, so local animals are often defenseless against “aliens” and often become their victims. For example, cats love to hunt finches. Of the plants, avocados, guava, blackberries, cinchona, fragrant dope, pyramidal ocher, castor beans, elephant grass and different kinds citrus fruits. Having spread widely, these plants literally “pushed out” representatives of the local flora, in particular, on the islands of Isabella, San Cristobal, Floreana and Santa Cruz.

“Emigrants” among local animals appeared, for example, with the light hand of pirates: Thor Heyerdahl found evidence of this. In one of the old documents published by him, it is said that the viceroy of Peru, having learned that sea robbers eat goats here, ordered to set the last evil dogs on them. One of the fathers of Ecuador's independence and the founder of his fleet, José de Villamil, personally gave the order to raise goats, donkeys and other domestic animals in the Galapagos, so that the future colonizers of the islands would have something to eat. The appearance of poultry here and its rapid reproduction has created a new headache for scientists, who rightly believe that their diseases can be transmitted to wild relatives with the risk of entire epidemics.

The Galapagos archipelago is also inhabited by pigs and horses, cats and dogs, mice and rats, donkeys, cockroaches, ants. Domestic predators often devastate the nests of wild birds and attack them themselves, catch iguanas and turtles. The nests of the latter are often destroyed by pigs, which, moreover, constantly dig the ground in search of roots and insects, causing tremendous damage to the unique vegetation. It is the pigs that are believed to have ousted the iguanas from the island of Santiago, and in fact, relatively recently, in the time of Darwin, they still lived there. Black rats have also become a real scourge of the Galapagos Islands. They attack small turtles as soon as they leave their nests, and as a result, for example, on the island of Pinzon, these reptiles have ceased to breed. Rodents also exterminated their local counterparts - endemic rats.

The priceless riches of the waters of the Colon archipelago are threatened by illegal fishing. Of particular concern to Ecuadorian and international organizations causes fishing for native sharks and unauthorized harvesting of sea cucumbers. A significant increase in the local population, coupled with the development of the tourism industry, has also become a cause for concern. The eyes of the world community on the problems of the Galapagos Islands were also attracted by the accident of the Jessica tanker, which caused a wide resonance, as a result of which a significant amount of oil spilled into the territorial waters.

Islands and attractions

The most populated of the thirteen main islands of the archipelago is Santa Cruz. He is the second largest after Isabella. Here is the main port of the Galapagos - the city of Puerto Ayora. The main road leads to it, on both sides of which there are two craters, called the Twins (Los Gemelos). According to one version, they appeared as a result of several volcanic eruptions, according to another, these huge voids formed by solidified lava. And next to the village is the beautiful beach of Tortuga Bay. After soaking up the sun here, you can go to get acquainted with the lava caves and the unique center for breeding elephant turtles.

Santa Cruz Island is a real find for lovers aquatic species sports. Diving, snorkelling, yachting - extreme tourists will definitely find something to their liking here. By renting a yacht, you can go to other islands of the Galapagos archipelago. Others even rent a small plane, flying to remote places and staying for a day or two, or even a week. Let's say, to the northwest, where Dragon Hill is located, which got its name from the iguanas, which were then transported to another place to save them from the dominance of dogs. Fifteen years ago, several individuals were returned here, and over the past years, the population of these animals has fully recovered, and this place itself has been made accessible to tourists.

The main attraction of Santa Cruz is considered to be the Charles Darwin Research Center, awarded in 2002 with the International Space Prize. It has an international status, and was founded with the aim of maintaining the biosphere of the archipelago, which is called the "laboratory of evolution", and its protection. Not only scientists work here, but also university professors, students and volunteers from all over the world. The center, which has branches on the islands of San Cristobal and Isabella, has developed a special program for feeding elephant tortoises and maintaining their natural habitat. These giants are kept directly on the territory of the scientific station, where their reproduction is carefully controlled. As soon as they become adults, they are released into the wild.

On the island of Santiago, in its northwestern part, there is the famous black beach of Puerto Egas, which received this color of sand due to volcanic activity, namely the subsidence of tufa. In this place, sea lions, chameleons, lizards and other animals feel at ease. Connoisseurs of antiquity will surely like the ruins of the shops of salt mining companies that existed in the past. Here you can go snorkeling or walk along the rock formations and tunnels surrounding the beach.

The Galapagos Islands also have their own Wailing Wall. It is located on Isabella Island. Briefly, the story is as follows: in 1946-1959 there was a penal colony here. Prisoners were forced to cut cheap blocks of volcanic rock, carry them a considerable distance and build a wall out of them. The work was truly hard labor, and even under the scorching sun. It is not surprising that not all those who served time here endured such torment and died. The entire scale of the work can be imagined looking at this wall: it stretches for more than 100 meters in length, and 8 meters in height. After some time, the prison was closed and razed to the ground, and they decided to leave the gigantic and sad building as evidence of the inhuman treatment of prisoners.

On Isabella, you can also observe the highest volcano of the Galapagos Islands - Wolf, whose height is 1707 meters above sea level. The crater of another volcano, Sierra Negra, is the second largest in the world in diameter (10 km). Another local volcano, Chico, showed its formidable temper in 2005. After its eruption, lava rivers and tunnels remained. Walking through them, it is difficult to get rid of the impression that you are somewhere on the moon: it is so unlike the landscape we are used to. From the top of Chico, there are wonderful views of the northern tip of Albemarle.

In the western part of the island, not far from the Alcedo volcano, there is Urbina Bay, which was formed in 1954 by strong tides. The beach is interesting for its black sand, as well as literally colorful vegetation. The coastline is covered with shellfish, dried corals. Diving enthusiasts are waiting for "competition" with sea lions and turtles. Fans of passive recreation will not be bored either: they will be able to view the inhabitants of the deep sea directly from the shore. It is no less exciting to watch the red Galapagos flamingos, who have chosen the salt lake Balthazar. The main thing is not to scare them, because they do not like strangers and can simply leave.

The best place on the island of Hispaniola is considered to be Cape Suarez. Here you can watch the colored iguanas, imposingly, not at all afraid of people basking in the sun. And also for birds, for example, wavy albatrosses, the colony of which is considered the largest in the world. In the northeastern part is Gardner Bay, whose delightful white beaches leave no one indifferent. Sea turtles, sea lions crawl out onto the long coast and here they create entire colonies, curious mockingbirds run back and forth. In this place you can go scuba diving or snorkeling, and even race with sea lions.

The most active volcano of the Galapagos is located on the island of Fernandina - La Combre, whose height is 1476 meters. It wakes up very often, once every few years, and such a frequency of eruptions leads to the collapse of the crater. One of the most powerful took place in the summer of 2005, when steam and ash "shot" over 7 kilometers high. The eruption of 2009 brought the greatest damage: the natural landscape in this part of the Galapagos Islands was on the verge of extinction, but, fortunately, the ecosystem quickly recovered.

Main attractions small island Rabida, located south of the island San Salvador - beaches with dark red sand, which tourists love very much. Such an extraordinary color of the beaches is given by volcanic soil in combination with iron oxide contained in it. It is on Rabid that unique bakuta trees grow. There are red flamingos and pelicans on the island, and there is a large colony of sea lions on the west coast. Rabida Island is also considered the geological center of the entire Galapagos archipelago.

If you are fond of diving, then you should definitely visit the rocks "Devil's Crown", which are located near the island of Floreana. More precisely, these are not even rocks, but a stone semicircle formed by a submerged volcano, protruding to the surface of the water. Here, as if by order, the most unusual marine inhabitants have gathered, and everyone can feel like a real Captain Nemo. Divers also dive outside the crater, swimming alongside sharks, rays and other marine predators. However, first of all, you need to be afraid not of them, but of strong undercurrents, which are not uncommon here.

National cuisine

The most popular treat in the Galapagos Islands is ceviche. First of all, seafood lovers will like it. It is prepared as follows: fish and other seafood are marinated in lime juice, after which they are seasoned with hot chili peppers. Vegetables are served as a side dish to the popular fish dish.

Fans of first courses will surely like rich meat soups. What gives them piquancy is that the broths are cooked from a variety of parts of the carcasses. For one of these soups, it is called caldo de pata, they use ... veal hooves, which are pre-fried.

Do you have anything against guinea pigs? No, they will not keep you company during the meal, but ... they will act as the main ingredient for one of their most delicious dishes. It is prepared very simply: the guinea pig is also fried. This food is so delicious that only convinced vegetarians can refuse it. For them, the very nature of the Galapagos Islands has prepared huge selection exotic vegetables and fruits, the taste of which cannot be expressed in words - you should definitely try them. Tourists especially like the striped cucumber called pepinos. It has a very pronounced and spicy taste.

An excellent addition to the local culinary delights is a glass of excellent beer, which has been produced here for a long time and of very high quality. The foamy drink in the Galapagos has many delicious snacks that you can try in local bars and restaurants. In general, the cuisine of the Galapagos Islands is based on classic Latin American recipes. Usually, when cooking, hot spices are mixed in various proportions, not to mention the use of components that, at first glance, seem incompatible, but the dishes of them are obtained - you will lick your fingers!

Note to tourists

To visit Ecuador and, accordingly, the Galapagos Islands, a visa for citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan will not be required if the period of stay does not exceed 90 days.

The best conditions for tourists are created in the city of Puerto Ayora. The island of Santa Cruz as a whole can boast of many hotels. Single rooms with modest furnishings will cost $ 15, for suites you will have to pay from $ 100 to $ 130 per night. Connoisseurs of luxury holidays allow themselves to rent a whole private mansion, which has a swimming pool and even a marina. Such a pleasure per day will cost from $ 350 and more.

the only tourist street Puerto Ayora stretches along the coast and bears the name of ... guess who. Well, of course, Charles Darwin. It is here that hotels, entertainment venues and souvenir shops are concentrated. Travelers are pleasantly surprised by the presence of many shops selling gold and other jewelry, and art salons. The product here is excellent, however, at exorbitant prices. Of the souvenirs, the most popular ones are T-shirts with images of representatives of the local fauna and cute caps with the inscription “Galapagos”.

When visiting the Galapagos Islands - by the way, it is paid ($ 100 in cash is paid immediately upon arrival) - you should not forget that the territory is a protected national park, and the only one in the whole country. And this means that every tourist should adhere to certain rules of conduct. Independent movement around the islands is undesirable, tourists must be accompanied by a guide. There are paved trails for moving around the area. Specially equipped platforms are used as observation points. Talking loudly, making noise or kindling fires is strictly prohibited.

The voltage in the local power supply is only 110 volts, so take care of adapters and adapters for household electrical appliances in advance. In some hotels they can be provided upon request, but it is impossible to guess which ones in advance, so it is better to take them with you in advance. Also stock up on your own medicines, if, according to the available indications, they need to be taken regularly: most likely, it will not work to replenish your personal first-aid kit during your stay here.

Drinking tap water or cooking with it is not recommended. For these purposes, bottled water is used, which can be bought at any grocery store. Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed before eating, so as not to get any intestinal infection.

Going on vacation to the Galapagos Islands, it would be useful to focus on the seasons local climate. The hottest months are from December to May. It is also considered quite humid, given the occasional tropical downpours. The hottest and wettest months are March and April. The driest and coolest season with its inherent strong winds is set from June to November.

How to get there

The Galapagos is an island territory, therefore, except by plane, it is cheaper to get here by no other means. Direct flights to the archipelago from mainland Ecuador are carried out only from the city of Guayaquil. Three airlines send their aircraft to the islands: AeroGal, LAN and Tame.

You will spend 1 hour 50 minutes on the plane. The cost of tickets depends on when they were purchased and whether the tourist got on a promotional special offer. On average, a round-trip flight will cost 350-450 dollars.

There are two airports operating on the Galapagos Islands: on the island of San Cristobal - San Kristobal, on Baltra - Seymour Airport.

There are no direct flights from the Russian Federation to the Republic of Ecuador. You will have to get either through one of European capitals(for example, through Madrid), or through the United States if you have an American visa in your passport.

exotic tourism is becoming more and more popular among fans of unusual travel. And one of the most unique places on earth where you can take a break from the busy pace of modern life is the Galapagos Islands with their original nature and wildlife.

Galapagos Islands on the world map

Those who ride traditional tourist routes-, etc. - they cannot always quickly answer the question in which corner of the earth the Galapagos are located.

Where are they and who do they belong to?

The Galapagos Islands have several names, including Turtle Islands And Colon archipelago.

The first name comes from the word galapago - in Spanish they denoted water turtles. large sizes found here in abundance.

Islands belong to the state Ecuador and are separated by 972 km in a westerly direction from coastline this country. If the question is, in which ocean are the islands, then we can safely answer that they are washed by the Pacific Ocean and belong to its eastern equatorial part.

The area of ​​the islands is 8010 km², and the number of inhabitants exceeds 25 thousand people. The Galapagos are separate province of Ecuador. The largest islands are:

• San Cristobal;
• Isabela(the height of the volcanic peaks exceeds 1700 m);
• San Salvador(maximum height of the volcanic peak - 518 m);
• Santa Cruz;
• Fernandina(the corresponding indicator is 1134 m).

The capital of the archipelago is the town Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the largest settlement on the island of San Cristobal. However most of Galapagos residents live on Santa Cruz, where Puerto Ayora is located - the focus of tourist activity. on the islands of Isabela and Fernandina are still active, the rest are considered extinct.

When traveling by air, find out about the location of the seats on the plane to choose the most convenient one.

Climate

Although the Galapagos are located in the equatorial region, the climate here is quite cool due to the presence of ice ocean currents. The average annual temperature rarely exceeds 23-24°C, and the water temperature is approximately 20°C throughout the year. From to the temperature range ranges from + 19-26 ° C, and from to - + 22-31 ° C.

A small amount of precipitation falls here - no more than 150 mm annually, and mainly from December to. This rain season, while the dry season starts at and ends at .

How to get from Moscow?

The fastest and easiest way to get to the Galapagos from the capital of Russia is to buy a ticket for a flight of Aeroflot, KLM, Luftansa, british airways, Air France and others from to Quito with mandatory transplant at one of the airports or . There is no direct connection with Ecuador from the Russian capital: transit through Madrid, Miami, and other megacities is available to tourists.

Citizens of Russia can cross the border of Ecuador without a visa and stay on its territory for up to 90 days without a corresponding visa processing, but you will need a visa to fly to the USA.

Flights arrive at the most important international airport in Ecuador "Mariscal Sucre". From Quito, you can reach the archipelago using the local airlines Ikar and Tame.

Final destination - island of san cristobal(remember that planes do not fly here every day) and Baltra Island near Santa Cruz Island. The flight here from Quito will take 3 hours, from another local big city Guayaquil, if after traveling from you decide to travel around Ecuador - 1.5 hours.

There are buses from Baltra Airport to the departure point for the ferry to neighboring Santa Cruz at the Itabaca Canal. won't cost you anything. The crossing to the island takes no more than 5 minutes. On Santa Cruz, you will have two options to get to Puerto Ayora: get on the bus (ticket price $ 1.8, trip duration more than 60 minutes) or take a taxi and comfortably get to the city in 40 minutes at a price of $ 18.

There are regular departures from Puerto Ayora cruise ships, which are the only option for moving within the archipelago.

The fee at the airport upon arrival in the country is $100. It is forbidden to import:

1. Animals;
2. insects;
3. Flowers;
4. Fruits.

uninhabited island formations

Of the numerous islands, most of them are uninhabited, but organized excursions allow you to visit these unusual corners.

Baltra

Baltra Island was formed by the rise of lava formations and is located almost in the very center of the archipelago. It's very arid climate, so that mainly such representatives of the flora as burzers, prickly pear and undersized shrubs live here, as well as iguana lizards.

The island is completely lacking in tourist infrastructure and there are no hotels: it is exclusively a “gateway” to the Galapagos due to the presence airport.

Bartolome

The island was named after Lieutenant of the British Navy David Bartholomew. Although there are no inhabitants at all, this small island is extremely popular among travelers. It is an extinct volcano and impresses visitors with unusual volcanic formations, the most famous of which is a classic cone-shaped tuff hill known as Pinnacle Rock.

Here you can get up close and personal with huge turtles and sea lions, as well as traditional archipelago penguins. However swimming is not worth it: quite a lot of reef sharks swim around.

Wulf

This island borrowed its name from a geologist of German origin wolf. Its area is a little more than 1 km², and the island rises 253 m above sea level. If you like birds, be sure to come here: only here you will find a sharp-billed ground finch resembling a vampire: the blood of boobies serves as food for it.

Among the fauna of the island are marine iguanas and fur seals, frigatebirds, local gulls, masked and red-footed boobies.

The ocean abounds with playful dolphins and whales, and shark attacks are not uncommon.

Darwin

The island impresses with its miniature area of ​​1.1 km² at an altitude of 168 m above sea level. Local animal world, which visitors can admire, is typical of the Galapagos. Sea lions, turtles and nimble lizards, red-footed boobies and their exotic Nazka cousins ​​live here. Whales swim near the coast and frigates fly.

Genovesa

He borrowed his name from Italian, where Columbus was from. The island is raised above sea level by 76 m with an area of ​​14 km². Once upon a time there was huge crater, gone under water: its tip formed an island.

The island is also known as "avian" thanks to the huge number of nesting birds, including frigatebirds and local gulls, flying out to hunt at night. The Palo Santo forest and the Prince Philip Steps panoramic platform deserve the attention of tourists. Genovesa is also inhabited by:

1. Family representatives storm-petrels;
2. red-footed boobies;
3. Phaetons;
4. pigeons.

Terns, smoky gulls, Darwin's finches also importantly walk along the beach.

allowed on the island exclusively court, the number of passengers on which is less than 40 people who moor in Darwin Bay. It is in this place that it is good to observe most of the flying inhabitants of the island and climb the path to the rock, where they build their nests.

Marchena

The island, whose area exceeds 100 km², rises above sea level by 343 m. the only its inhabitants are sea lions, lizards and local buzzards. There are excellent diving opportunities here, but as a rule, tourists see the island from afar, sailing past to neighboring islands.

Pint

He borrowed the sonorous name from one of the sea vessels of Christopher Columbus. It is completely uninhabited, with the exception of marine iguanas and fur seals, sparrowhawks and local gulls.

The rarest species of sea turtles also lived here, considered completely extinct since 2012.

Pinson

Here on an area of ​​18 km² missing any sights, however, it is quite possible to admire the life of marine iguanas, buzzards and lions, ancient turtles, and also occasionally admire the games of dolphins. The name of the island comes from the name of the brothers who led the crews of the Nina and Pinta ships equipped by Columbus.

Rabida

He is known for his burgundy shade of soil, which is explained by a significant concentration of iron in the lava flows covering it. Pelicans, 9 varieties of finches, blue-footed boobies live on this small island formation with an area of ​​​​4.9 km².

Rare brown pelicans hatch their chicks right in the undersized salt bush that grows on the beach: this is almost the only place on the planet where they let people close.

The coast of Rabida is an excellent choice for diving, but beware of the sharp teeth of the sharks. "Zest" islands - a lagoon with high salinity water, which was chosen by beautiful pink flamingos. Along the trail, tourists can climb from the beach to a reddish-colored rocky peak and admire the view of the ocean.

Santa Fe

This is one of the oldest island formations in the archipelago with volcanic formations over 4 million years old. Be sure to walk along the most extensive in the Galapagos forest of cacti species Opuntia.

Do not be alarmed if you meet small dinosaurs: these are just two kinds of iguanas - rice rats and land iguanas Barrington, which are extremely rare elsewhere. Phaetons, Galapagos gulls nest on the rocks, petrels fly by, which are very interesting to watch.

Santiago

It is formed by two seemingly intersecting volcanoes and has become a permanent home for fur seals and turtles of all kinds. Of the birds, it is worth noting flamingos, Darwin finches and Galapagos hawks. Santiago makes a special impression because of lava flows spread over the earth - the oldest of them has more than 750 thousand years.

The most famous attraction of the island is Puerto Egas south of James Bay. Here you can go on an excursion to the old salt crater, repeating the path of the trolleys from its top to the coast. Nearby, the ruins of buildings and the remains of mechanisms for extracting salt have been preserved. In the depths of the crater is a tiny salt lake. From the top there is a beautiful view of the orange lava fields, overgrown with grass and undersized shrubs.

Also noteworthy:

• Fur seal grottoes floating in majestic pools of lava, having a rounded shape;
• Buccaneers bay, once chosen by filibusters. Here a majestic impression is made sandy beaches scarlet hue and steep rocky peaks of tuff.

Plaza Sur

Plaza Sur is one of twin islands, formed by a geological elevation and inclined in a northerly direction. Its area is approximately 0.13 km², and the only inhabitants are Opuntia cacti and the sesuvium plant, whose leaves turn bright fiery during the dry season. This gives the local nature an unusual look. Also, iguana lizards often dart here.

Seymour Norte

A small island with an area of ​​just over 1 km² will be of interest to everyone lovers of ornithology.

The hiking trail is approximately 2 km long and runs through the center of the island, skirting the coast.

During the tour, you can see natural whimsical corridors made of natural lava, volcanic formations, meet shy iguanas, admire the rookeries of imposing fur seals and watch blue-footed boobies and unusual local gulls.

Fernandina

This is the third largest island of this archipelago with an area of ​​642 km². One of the most interesting local attractions - lava fields resulting from the activity of a volcano. Of the plants, only lava cacti and mangroves have taken root here, and from the inhabitants you will be lucky enough to see marine iguanas, lions and local penguins.

Hispaniola

On an island with an impressive area of ​​60 km², you may be lucky enough to see waving albatross- the coast, cut by rocks, is ideal for taking off giant birds from the peaks. The hooded mockingbird often perches directly on tourists' shoulders in search of food.

gardner bay And Punta Suarez- two local attractions - will introduce you closer to marine iguanas and lions, tropical colorful fish and lava lizards of all shades of the rainbow.

In addition to volcanoes, nature has created another amazing phenomenon - waterfalls. There are waterfalls that amaze the eye with their huge flow of water and scale. It is these waterfalls that are discussed in.

Galapagos Islands - unusual world, strikingly different from more civilized places of rest. A trip here is sure to be remembered for a long time.