The Galapagos Islands

Our first glimpse of the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos were discovered by chance in March 10, 1535

The islands are believed to date back to six million years ago as a result of volcanic activity generated beneath the ocean's floor (the islands are still in the process of being formed today). They were uninhabited, however by 1570 they appeared on maps.  The first scientific mission to the Galapagos arrived in 1790 Ecuador annexed the Galapagos Islands on February 12, 1832, naming it Archipelago of Ecuador.

Our flight brought us to San Cristobal
The Galapagos Islands are made up of some 13 volcanic islands and associated islets and rocks located in the Pacific Ocean about 620 miles west of the coast of  Ecuador.  The Galapagos islands are considered to be one of the most active volcanic areas in the world. They are one of the new 7 Wonders of the World.

The landscape of the Islands
 are relatively barren and volcanic



From a tourist agent in Quito we purchased a 4-day
package to visit the islands.  This is the "Cruise Ship"
which took us from one island to the other






Land Iguanas
The moment you arrive, you'll be tripping over these creatures.
They eat cactus which provides food and water.  
They can  go without fresh water for a year.
To adapt to a dry climate they conserve energy by slow movement.
This makes the animals seem lazy or stupid.  

 

You cannot be on the Islands without
 a licensed guide and you MUST stay on the paths



This becomes a problem
as the animals have the right of domain
(this is the path)



These creatures are hanging over the path
so they can spit on you as you pass by

 

Of the 58 species of birds found in the Islands
 28 of them are native---
making the Galapagos a bird lover paradise








The masked booby
is the  largest of the Galapagos boobies
they grow to 35 inches in length with a wingspan of  6 ft



These Penguins are the smallest and most northerly
of the warm weather penguins.  They can be found only
 on the Galapagos Islands




The elegant Flamingos are most often observed in shallow lagoons.
The Islands boast of two species, The Chilean and The Greater



The Albatross walk with a waddle & appear very clumsy
however they are absolutely graceful in the air,
Landing and taking off is comical as the birds line up
 like they might at LA Intl' airport, waiting for the control
 to give them the go-ahead.
The courtship of this bird is one of a kind.












The White Crane

 

Robert's favorite, the blue-footed boobie
stupidest lookin' bird you'll  ever see

 



There are literally birds everywhere.....
The movie "The Birds"
 must have been filmed in the Galapagos

 

The small cruise ship took us from Island to Island
but we reached  land in this rubber raft 

 
 










Under the sea is a world rich with tropical fish,
corals, sharks, eels, rays, dolphins and more

 

An usual view of Kicker Rock
(in the far background)




 

 Santa Cruz Island and Tortuga Bay
Known for the world's largest tortoises

 

Check out  these lovers on San Cristobal Beach 

 



  

Marine Iguanas are vegetarians and feed
on seaweed.  They have been known to stay
underwater for over half an hour



 Their black skin turns bright red when
they want to attract a mate. 





Testundinidae Tortoise
You can't go to the island
of Isabela without falling in love
 with these funny, pre-historic creatures



They had a little parade for us
it was pretty slow going

Don't you just love this fur seal
 with it's nursing pup

I've heard of swimming with the Dolfins
but never talking to the Sea Lions



These two are a new species.....
They did not appear until July 29, 2005

 

They have recently been identified
as Rob & Lindy Hilton