The isles of the Galapagos are surely on every wildlife enthusiast's dream-list of places to visit. Join us for a cruise around these 'enchanted isles', and why not combine this with a trip to the fabulous cloud-forests of the Andes or rainforests of the Amazon, with a dazzling array of birds.
Lying 600 miles away from the continent of South America, the remote isles of the Galapagos have played a central role in the history of man's ideas. Named 'The Enchanted Isles' by the first sailors because of the mist that often hid them from sight, they have had a long history as a haven for both explorers and pirates. But it was Charles Darwin's observations of the relationships between the islands' species, inspiring one of the most revolutionary of scientific theories, that ultimately caused the human species to look at itself quite differently.
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Today the scientific value of these isles in providing a natural laboratory of ecology and evolution is probably greater than ever. The Galapagos Islands are one of the most remarkable wildlife sites in the world. As well as their 26 endemic bird species and amazing seabird colonies, they have many unique creatures, including Giant Tortoises and Marine Iguanas. Formed by volcanic action, never joined to any continent, and still very isolated, these islands display a classic evolutionary history. Colonisation, almost at random, followed by the evolution of the few colonising species into a variety of often strangely adapted forms has produced an incredibly distinct and characteristic assemblage of life forms. The islands today form a fascinating but fragile evolutionary laboratory, and are still the subject of intense biological study. But it is probably the tameness and abundance of the birds and other wildlife that make the Galapagos uniquely attractive to anyone with an interest in the natural world.
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Their position in the cold Humboldt current flowing north from the Antarctic, and bringing nutrients to the surface, make the surrounding waters rich in fish and plankton, and account for the huge numbers of seabirds here, including, amazingly on the equator, Galapagos Penguin. The underwater world is no less fascinating, and, although the water can be surprisingly cool, there will be a chance to snorkel over the reefs and submerged volcanoes around the Galapagos shores, looking for huge Manta Rays, sharks including Hammerhead, turtles and other marine life.
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Galapagos Sealions
Marine Iguanas
