The Galàpagos Islands are a hotspot for many tourists and very popular to visit. It is an impressive nature reserve with many special animal species, including the giant tortoise.
General introduction
The Galàpagos Islands are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Galàpagos is Spanish for “Giant Tortoise”, which these islands are also known for. The islands belong to the country of Ecuador in South America. Spanish is therefore spoken. The number of inhabitants is around 23,000, but the number of animals exceeds the number of people. In total, the Galàpagos islands consist of about 13 large islands and many more smaller islands. Not all these islands are accessible to tourists because it is important to maintain the nature and number of animals here.
The emergence
The Galàpagos Islands were created by various volcanic eruptions about 2 million years ago. Most of the volcanoes on the islands are still active.
climate
Due to the influence of the sea currents, there are seasonal differences in the climate:
- January to May: the hottest months with temperatures between 24 and 28 degrees.
- June to December: in these months there is a lot of wind and the maximum temperature is about 20 degrees.
- September and October: these are the two months in which it rains a lot.
Nature reserve
The Galàpagos Islands are actually a nature reserve and marine biological area in one. The islands have a lot to offer. In terms of nature you will not find palm trees (as you might expect), but Mangroves and Savannah areas.Furthermore, you will find endless (special) animal species here, both on land and in the water. The animals you can encounter are for example:
- Giant tortoises
- Marine iguanas
- Frigate birds
- Penguins
- Flamingos
- Albatrosses
- Hammerhead sharks
It is even said that there are more animal species living on the islands (and in the water around them) than humans.
Nature reserve and tourism
Care is taken to ensure that tourism does not damage the wildlife and animal population. With the money that is earned from tourism, the areas are protected and nature is preserved.