In the beginning

Some four million years ago the first islands emerged from the ocean floor when layer upon layer of lava spilled from underwater volcanoes. As volcanic activity continues on some islands (Isabela and Fernanadina), new islands are formed.

Located in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles west of South America and 800 miles southwest of Panama, the islands have belonged to Ecuador since 1832. They are officially known as the Archipielago de Colon, but many simply call them the Galapagos.

The ocean currents probably brought sea lions, penguins and most of the marine life to the area. The iguanas and tortoises may have used tree trunks or clung to floating vegetation, while the seabirds flew to the islands.

Pioneer species hardy enough to thrive on little or no water like lichens and cactus may have been preceded the hundreds of unique plants that became part of the diet of animals that now inhabit the islands.

Shifting currents

A mix of ocean currents influences the climatic conditions here.The Peru or Humboldt current orginates in Antartica, flows north along the coast of South America up to the Equator, then heads to the shores of the Galapagos. It's a mystery as to why the Humboldt is displaced by the warmer waters of the Gulf of Panama every winter.

The volcanic islands experience low rainfall due to the prevailing cold current that prevent evaporation of sea water that would form rain clouds.

Climate

Temperatures fluctuate with altitude which influences the vegetation. The lower areas harbor plants that are woody and spiny, mostly cactus, while cloud forests and lush vegetation (ferns and bromelias) are common in the higher regions.

Between the months of June and November when the south eastern tradewids are stronger the south Equatorial Current and the Cromwell undercurrent predominate, the air and the sea are cooler. The average air temperature is 22C.

From December to May the northeastern tradewinds blow and the hot Panama current prevails. The increased heat causes abundant rainfall and the average temperature in the hot season is 25C.

A Geological roller coaster

Scientifically speaking the islands were formed by "the extrusion of magma through the fissures of submarine tectonic plates which fractured a few million years ago."

Beneath the Galapagos is a hot spot - a source of molten rock or magma which rises from the depths of the ocean, piercing the crust and erupts in a torrent of lava. The hot spot remains immobile while the Nazca Plate on which the Galapagos sits moves three centimeters per year towards the continent. A quick calculation tells us these islands will be a mile-and-a-half closer to the continent within 50 years.

As this process continues the territory expands and more islands are formed with islets and rocks.

The archipelago has a landmass of 3,000 square miles which includes 19 islands that straddle the Equator. Isabela and Fernandina are two of the western islands where volcanic activity still exists today.

Vegetation patterns on the higher islands (San Cristobal, Isabela and Santa Cruz) vary from semi desert to flourishing forests. On the lower islands (Baltra and Espanola) the conditions are noticeably arid.

A (Climate) Phenomenon

Every decade or so the dreaded El Nino brings hotter temperatures to the islands increasing evaporation that result in heavy winds, thunderstorms and cloudbursts throughout the Pacific coast of South America.

This is one of the unpredictable forces that wreak havoc on the resources that the birds and wildlife (such as the boobies and sea lions) need to survive. El Nino spells doom for their food supply such as fish and organisms that retreat to the depths below in search of cooler temperatures, but too far out of reach even for diving seabirds.

Invasion of the Human Kind

Tomas de Berlanga, a Spanish bishop, arrived on the shores of the Galapagos when his vessel drifted off course while he was sailing from Panama to Peru. The date was March 10, 1535, recorded in the annals of history as the official discovery of the islands.

In an ironic twist man emerged as the predator from the 17th century decimating the once flourishing population of tortoises on the islands. Pirates, whalers, sealers, seafaring merchants and naval ships ruthlessly hunted the giant creatures to provision their ships.

Today it is chilling to read the report written in 1815 by Capt. David Porter, frigate commander of the Essex. "Here wood is to be obtained, and land tortoises in great numbers, which are highly esteemed for their excellence, and are remarkable for their size, three to four hundredweight each. Vessels on whaling voyages among these islands generally take on board from two to three hundrded of these animals and stow them in the hold, where, strange as it may appear, they have been known to live for a year, without food or water."

But this was only part of the legacy of lawlessness perpetrated by humans. The archipelago was a haven for pirates who plundered the Spanish galleons that traversed the seas between Panama and Peru, and the buccaneers brought a feral army of pigs, goats and cattle for fresh meat consumption. This only added to the further destruction of the tortoises when the eggs and vulnerable young fell victim to the goats and pigs left to roam on the islands.

The fascination grew with reports of this strange place and its distinctively unique creatures, Las Islas Encantadas, the Enchanted Isles - so called since many voyagers believed the islands were magical because the unpredictable currents would make the islands appear one moment and disappear the next.

Soon whalers were coming ashore to capture the gigantic land tortoises for their delicious meat and rich oil. The tortoise population was decimated to the point where every single turtle had disappeared on some islands.

Fortunately Charles Darwin's epic voyage on the Beagle brought him to the Galapagos, which began his persuasive, but contradictory theory of evolution from observation that culminated in the acclaimed best seller (even in those days), On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

In 1841 American author Herman Melville recorded his visit to Las Encantadas as a place with "arrested torrents of tormented lava."

By 1934 the government enacted the first legislation to protect Galapagos fauna and by 1959 all areas of the Galapagos were declared a national park, apart from the colonized areas on some of the islands.

Later scientists spent weeks at a time studying the sea lions and sea birds, rocks, marine life and plants in the Galapagos. Their field studies even included insects and parasites. Like Darwin they observed anything that could fly, swim, walk or crawl.

The beginning of colonization

At the end of the 19th century settlers started sugar cane plantations which later failed. Unfortunately, feral goats and donkeys remained and together with the wild cats, dogs, pigs, rats and mice, they threaten the island's ecological balance killing and eating the endemic plants and animals.

Into the 20th century

After the agricultural settlements were abandoned the islands became a penal colony until the first half of the 20th century.

A secret military base was built on the island of Balra by the United States during the second World War, but it was returned to Ecuador after the war.

Worldwide Recognition

The Galapagos Islands were declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1978, in recognition of its universal value to mankind.

Island Population

When Charles Darwin visited San Cristobal, Santiago, Floreana and Isabela, there were 250 people eking out a living on the islands. That number rose to more than 800 by the 1930s.

Residents of the islands now number around 11,000. In San Cristobal inhabitants number about 4,000 in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, also the site of an airport. Santa Cruz has the highest number of people living in Puerto Ayora, and approximately 1,000 islanders reside in Puerto Villamil in Isabela.

Today residents from mainland Ecuador can no longer take up residence in the islands unless they or their ancestors were born there.

Responsible tourism arrives

In 1969 the Galapagos became a travel destination with the first ship carrying 58 passengers; by the end of the year the Galapagos was visited by 4,500 people, mostly foreigners. Almost 20 years later the annual arrivals numbered more than 25,000, and has now increased to about 60,000.

To protect and preserve the island habitat large resorts do not exist in the Galapagos. Visitors are able to enjoy visiting the islands while cruising on ships or yachts. Certified guides must accompany passengers to the islands at all times.

Alas, the Enchanted Islands are no longer a secret.