Galapagos Islands - Cradle of Endemics

Уникальный и величественный архипелаг, раскинувший свои мощные просторы в не менее впечатляющем пространстве Тихого океана, – это, конечно, Галапагосские острова. Они находятся всего в одной тысяче километров от Южной Америки, представляя собой цепочку островов, которые имеют вулканическую историю своего происхождения. Также острова перемежаются множеством скал и совсем маленьких островков, некоторые из которых до сих пор на стадии своего развития. Периодические извержения создают «горячую» репутацию данных островов. Но извержения происходят лишь на двух островах архипелага, остальные же вулканы уже давно сформированы и недееспособны.

Galapagos Islands are part of a beautiful state called Ecuador. There are many different species of unique animals that are endemic here. Endemics are representatives of flora and fauna that live exclusively in small limited areas. Thus, in the Galapagos Islands, endemic representatives are giant tortoises, some types of penguins, as well as huge iguanas. Smaller representatives of small classes in this area are many different birds and small animals. The flora of the islands is also a wonderful sight - it is unique and rich in its elegance, and also attractive to tourists because it is not found in other terrestrial territories.

Turning to the history of the discovery of the Galapagos Islands, one can understand that they were discovered quite by accident. A Spanish priest in the distant sixteenth century, sailing his usual route from Panama to Peru on a huge ship, lost the power of the wind - a calm suddenly reigned in the Pacific Ocean, and the movement of water nailed the ship to the chain of the majestic Galapagos Islands.

Each island is a bright representative of this huge archipelago and is distinguished by something special. Each of them has its own name, its population and its representatives of the animal and plant world. Each island differs from its neighbor strikingly and fundamentally. There are, of course, common features for all the islands of this chain. For example, land tortoises, also called elephant tortoises. These turtles are simply amazing! They reach two meters in length and weigh about 400 kilograms. Their life spans up to one and a half hundred years. But even this common feature of all the Galapagos Islands in its various expanses has its own specific subspecies.

Currently, a national park has been organized on this archipelago, which is distinguished by the fact that its size exceeds all possible parks spread over the territory of Ecuador. It occupies about 90% of all the islands. This park can please with beautiful animals, interesting landscapes, beautiful vegetation and the magnificence of its expanses. But for tourists there are strict rules that prohibit travel on unauthorized trails, deviation from the routes is unacceptable. But all those sixty paths and roads that are allowed for tourist movements will fully satisfy even the most sophisticated travelers!