Galapagos Island Facts
When it comes to learning things, the best and quickest way to do it is still by using online means. The online search could result to the best and reliable quick facts about anything, as long as you verify them with the right authorities. That said, here’s an article that will elaborate on some of the important facts that you may be interested to know about Galapagos Islands. There’s so much information out there about this, so what we’re going to do is give you a compressed and yet concise information list of those important facts. Let’s start.
1. One important but fun fact about Galapagos Islands is that it is home to the endangered but unfearful wildlife, which can get the visitors some of the rarest animals on the planet. You can get to see them without worrying if you’re going to get hurt by the animals because they’re all kept in a secure place where you can watch them.
2. Another important fact about Galapagos Islands is that it once was the home of the only surviving Pinta tortoise in the world. This tortoise is considered to be a giant and was named “Lonesome George” because of its being alone. It died last June of 2012.
3. It’s also interesting to note that Galapagos Islands right now is a convergence of major currents in the ocean. Three major currents surround the islands, and this is the reason why Galapagos Islands have so much marine life diversity.
4. It would also be relevant to say here that the Galapagos marine iguana is now endemic, and it’s the only lizard today that can swim in the ocean. Or the only lizard today that we know of.
5. Did you know that Charles Darwin’s research in Galapagos Islands was the one that led him to the groundbreaking theory that was the roots of his work in The Origin of Species like the Red-Footed and Blue Footed Boobies?
6. Another important fact that you may not be able to know yet about Galapagos Islands is that in 1978, UNESCO already designated Galapagos as the first World Heritage site on the planet.
7. Film buffs would also enjoy knowing that the movie Captain and Commander were shot and filmed in Santiago and Bartholomew, which are islands in Galapagos.
8. The name Galapagos also came from the old Spanish word “saddle”, which was a title that originally came from and used by Bishop Tomas and his crew to describe the giant tortoises. Since then, the name is stuck.
9. Because of the presence of various explorers in the islands, the Spanish and English names of the islands remain.
10. Another fun fact that you can learn about Galapagos islands is that it is the destination of many travelers because of the fact that there’s so much to see. Its fun amusement centers and tourist spots lure in so many tourists because of the natural resources that the country offers.
11. Did you know that Galapagos Islands are located on the end coast of Ecuador? It is located in a three-way tectonic junction plate, making Ecuador a 13-major-island composition, with 40 islets and six minor islands in the Pacific Ocean. These islands are a result of many volcanic eruptions, 13 of which happened around the last 100 years.
12. While the mention of Galapagos Islands may bring images of exotic wildlife and diversity, you must be remiss to forget that there are right now 25,000 human inhabitants living in the islands. These people are spread over the islands and live an organic and wonderful lifestyle that is far from the metropolitan urban-heavy landscape of the West.
13. The Equatoria, Panama, Humboldt, and Cromwell are the ocean currents that converge in Galapagos Islands, that give it its most unpredictable patterns of tides and varied water temperatures.
14. It is also a known fact that Galapagos Islands is the home of anomalies. One of those anomalies is the existence of Galapagos Penguins, which are one of their kind in the entire Northern Hemisphere. It is also the home of the Marine Iguana, which is the only lizard in the world that can swim. Plus, be reminded that Galapagos Islands is the place where you can find the world’s single and only existing colony of booby, which has a red foot. It’s also the home of the carnivorous 30cm centipede that will not spare you when it wants to bite.
Conclusion:
There’s so much to know about Galapagos islands and its impact on the world. The ones we listed here are just a start. They’re just appetizers to the rich banquet of facts and information that people may still want to research more about Galapagos Islands. With this article, you can now have a guide on where to start when researching about the nature, components, and impact of Galapagos Islands to the world we live in.
Source links:
https://www.galapagosislands.com/info/fast-facts.html
https://www.life-in-ecuador.com/galapagos-island-facts.html