THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Charles Darwin, the man who wrote The Origin
of Species, and made these Islands world renowned, wrote the following
famous paragraph in 1845.
The natural history of these islands is
eminently curious, and well deserves attention. Most of the
organic productions are aboriginal creations, found nowhere else; there
is even a difference between the inhabitants of the different islands;
yet all show a marked relationship with those of America, though
separated from that continent by an open space of ocean, between 500 and
600 miles in width. The archipelago is a little world within
itself, or rather a satellite attached to America, whence it has derived
a few stray colonists, and has received the general character of its
indigenous productions. Considering the small size of these
islands, we feel the more astonished at the number of their aboriginal
beings, and at their confined range. Seeing every height crowned
with its crater, and the boundaries of most of the lava-streams still
distinct, we are led to believe that within a period, geologically
recent, the unbroken ocean was here spread out. Hence, both in
space and in time, we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great
fact—that mystery of mysteries—the first appearance of new beings on
this earth.
- In 1859 Darwin wrote The Origin of Species.
- In 1959 The Galapagos were declared A National
Park by the Ecuadorian government.
- In 1979 The Galapagos Islands were declared a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
This group of islands is well preserved by the
Galapagos National Park Service. Be sure to get your copy of the
rules and regulations and follow them.
If you don't agree with any of the rules, or don't
have the time or can't afford to travel to these "Islas Encantadas," but
want to learn more about the Galapagos and its indigenous species, we
recommend GALAPAGOS: A Natural History by Michael H.
Jackson, published by the University of Calgary Press. This book
is a must read.
University of Calgary Press
2500 University Drive, N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
You may also want to check out a recently made 3D
film called GALAPAGOS (see side bar) narrated and starring Dr.
Carole Baldwin. This film was made by the Smithsonian Institution,
IMAX Ltd. and the National Science Foundation. It is fantastic!
In order to get to Galapagos you can either go by plane or by ship.
There are a number of companies that have tourist packages. The
following is a list of links to such companies and it was provided by Erica Buck from the
Charles Darwin Foundation, Inc. in Washington D.C. (USA) http://www.galapagos.org
Galapagos cruises:
http://www.ecuadorable.com
http://www.ecoventura.com
http://www.galapagostravel.com
http://www.expeditions.com
http://www.incafloats.com
http://www.backroads.com
http://www.voyagers.com
http://www.wildernesstravel.com
http://www.wildland.com
http://www.galapagos.com
http://away.com
http://www.iexplore.com
Erica also recommends that you pick up a copy of “A
Traveler’s Guide to the Galapagos Islands”, by Barry Boyce. You can find this book at major book stores.
To make a donation to this organization, please
make a check to Charles Darwin Foundation, Inc. and send it to:
Charles Darwin Foundation, Inc.
407 N. Washington St., Suite 105
Falls Church, VA 22046
Tell them you got their info from otavalo.com
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ECUADOR 
