GalapagosUnique conditions conspired towards the emergence of an ecosystem beyond compare. Between three and five million years ago, 1.000 kilometers from the South American mainland, submarine volcanoes surfaced from the bottom of the ocean forming thirteen main islands, six smaller islands, and about one hundred and seven rocks and islets, surrounded by its Marine Reserve, the world’s second largest. Wind and water currents from both Northern and Southern hemispheres carried foreign fauna to this young archipelago, which, due to the absence of big predators, eventually became a sanctuary of life, known as a "Living Laboratory" or "Showcase" of Evolution. The combination of converging marine currents, a volcanic geological structure and their oceanic isolation has resulted in this "melting pot" of unique species, found nowhere else on earth.
Some of the most notorious samples are the marine iguanas, the giant tortoises (called “Galapagos”) and the 13 varieties of Darwin’s finches. These befitting conditions allowed animals to develop characteristics reconciled with a new environment. The uniqueness of the evolutionary processes, like those within the community of finches, inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, following his visit to the islands in 1835. Since then, they have become a Mecca for scientific investigation. Today, as a strictly protected National Park and the world’s first natural area designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the Galapagos are also one of the world’s most fascinating tourist destinations and a true Wonder of Nature...
Giant tortoises, penguins, iguanas, playful sea lions, yellow and black marine turtles, magnificent frigates, blue-footed boobies, albatross, leaping bottlenose dolphins, white tipped sharks, whale sharks and sperm whales conform a rather limited account of the formidable wildlife in the archipelago. Pristine white-sanded beaches and red-sanded ones, coastlines dominated by giant mangroves, waters filled with multicolored forms of life, and animals that still behave as though man is no enemy, make Galapagos The Enchanted Islands.