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Discover Ecuador ~ The Galapagos Islands

The uniqueness of Galapagos is largely due to the remoteness of the Archipelago, which has never been connected to the lands of the South American continent. This has left the animals, plants, bird life, reptiles and marine life, which have either migrated or arrived by sea, to develop somewhat differently to their mainland brothers and sisters. For example, the various types of reptiles inhabiting the islands are all exclusive to the islands while 25% of the nearby shore fish and over 50% of all plants are also unique only to the islands and found nowhere else.

Another interesting facet of the Galapagos is the sheer fearlessness of the wildlife, for instance you can easily swim eye to eye with sea lions, penguins and other marine life without them blinking an eyelid or go follow a giant tortoise as it makes it way through the lands. In fact, the islands were completely uninhabited by man until 1535 and for the wildlife living there man was just another species washed up upon the shore and nothing to fear. It is also a paradise for snorkeling and you can view several multicolored glistening fish and invertebrates including rays, turtles and sharks.

For natural historians or those interested in geological and wildlife development. The islands are a paradise and a step back into time where little has changed for hundreds of thousands of years, they are not, however, for the sun worshiper or seeker of beaches because the scenery is more volcanic with barren wilderness and more serene in nature and is not for loud party types or regular mainland tourists.

Over the past few decades several larger land mammals have been introduced by man, but before these more recent times the reptiles had no fear of such mammals because they didn't exist on the island. It was of course Charles Darwin in 1835, who based his theory of evolution by recognizing the uniqueness of species and plant life was exclusive to the islands, which laid the basis for his various scientific papers and thesis as a result of the Archipelago's remoteness from outside life.

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