EXPLORE GALAPAGOS
geography | status and management | human history | charles darwin and the beagle | animal life | plant life | conservation issues
The islands lie in the Pacific Ocean about 1,000 km from the South American coast and straddling the Equator. There are 13 large islands, 6 smaller ones and 107 islets and rocks, with a total land area of about 8,000 square kilometres. The islands are volcanic in origin and several volcanoes in the west of the archipelago are still very active. Galapagos is a province of the Republic of Ecuador and five of the islands are inhabited, with a total population of around 18,000 people. The capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island, although the largest town is Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz.
In 1959, Ecuador designated 97% of the land area of Galapagos as a National Park, and then in 1986 the Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve was established, protecting the waters around the archipelago. The Galapagos Marine Reserve was created in 1998, by the Special Law for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Galapagos Province. The islands have been recognised internationally as a Man and Biosphere Reserve, and as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In December 2001, the Marine Reserve was also designated a World Heritage Site.
According to most recent data, the Galapagos Marine Reserve covers roughly 138,000 square kilometres (the increase over the past years is due to improving precision with respect to coastline mapping). This area includes the inner waters (enclosed by the base-line, i.e. the hypothetical line linking the outer edges of the islands) plus 40 nautical miles measured from the 'base-line'. The coastline totals 1667 km. In addition, around the 40-mile-zone, there is a 20-mile-zone of 'minimum protection'.
The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) was contracted by the Government of Ecuador over 40 years ago to provide the scientific input into the management of the Galapagos National Park. The Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station (the scientific arm of the CDF) have collaborated closely over the years in a successful example of co-operation between national and international agencies. Their offices are within walking distance of each other in Puerto Ayora. The Galapagos Conservation Trust and the other Friends of Galapagos organisations are affiliated to the CDF.
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Galapagos had no aboriginal inhabitants and was only officially discovered in 1535 by Tomas de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panama, when his ship was becalmed and carried there by currents. During the 17th and 18th centuries, buccaneers and pirates used the islands as a staging post, stocking up on water and giant tortoises which they stowed alive on board their ships for fresh meat, before carrying out raids on the South American coast. During the 19th century whalers and fur sealers further exploited the islands. Galapagos was annexed by Ecuador in 1832 and small colonies were gradually established on several of the islands. In the 1930's several mysterious deaths and disappearances among the European community on the island of Floreana put Galapagos in the news. Most of the present-day inhabitants moved to the islands from the Ecuadorian mainland during the last 20 years - until the Special Law for Galapagos was passed the population was increasing at more than 8% per annum.
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In 1835 Captain Fitzroy and HMS Beagle visited Galapagos as part of a five-year voyage to make navigational charts for the Royal Navy. On board was a young, unknown naturalist named Charles Darwin. Darwin made extensive collections of the plants and animals and was struck by the fact that closely related species were found on different islands, although he didn't realise the significance at the time and in some cases failed to label his specimens with their island of origin. After many years of research and thought he published The Origin of Species in 1859, which put forward the concept of evolution by natural selection. The importance of this theory, and of Galapagos, in the history of science cannot be over-estimated. As Darwin wrote; 'in that little world within itself...we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great fact - that mystery of mysteries - the first appearance of new beings on this earth.'
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Galapagos is home to many unique, endemic animals, most of which are fearless due to the lack of natural predators. One of the best known, the giant tortoise, has evolved into fourteen distinct forms on the different islands of the archipelago. Other reptiles include the marine iguana which grazes on seaweed, land iguanas, lava lizards, geckos and snakes. The only terrestrial mammals are rice rats and two species of bat. The 13 species of small, brownish finches are adapted to a range of different foods and are known collectively as Darwin's finches. They have been important to scientists trying to understand how evolution occurs, and include the tool-using woodpecker finch. Other endemic (only found in Galapagos) land birds include a hawk, dove, flycatcher, rail and four species of mockingbird.
Among the endemic sea birds are a flightless cormorant, two species of gull, and the only penguin species which lives in tropical waters. The waved albatross breeds solely on Española Island, while colonies of blue-footed, red-footed, and masked boobies are found alongside frigatebirds. Sea lions and fur seals are found around the coasts, while dolphins, whales and sea turtles are common. Over 300 species of fish have already been described from the rich ocean waters around the archipelago. There are also at least 1,600 species of insects, 80 spiders, 300 beetles, 150 mites, 80 land snails, 650 sea shells and other molluscs, 200 starfishes and urchins, 120 crabs, and many other smaller animals.
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The plants of Galapagos are equally fascinating. In the highlands are many species of endemic Scalesia ('tree daisies') as well as tree ferns, bromeliads and orchids. Around the coasts are giant prickly pear and candelabra cacti while tiny Brachycereus cacti grow on barren lava flows. On the shores can be found vivid morning glories and mats of bright red sesuvium. Galapagos also has its very own, endemic species of cotton, tomato, pepper, guava and passion flower. Many kinds of plants, particularly those belonging to the daisy family, have evolved on the different islands into whole arrays of endemic species, providing scientists with classic examples of what is known as 'adaptive radiation'.
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Today the Galapagos islands are the best preserved tropical archipelago in the world. Despite its almost pristine nature, it faces challenges that threaten the unique biodiversity of the islands.
Invasive species still pose the major threat to native terrestrial biodiversity. Today a myriad of invasive plants (including quinine, guava and blackberry) and animals (including goats, pigs, dogs, cats, rats and fire ants) inhabit the islands. Some 24% of the endemic plant species and 50% of the vertebrate species are considered endangered. Some of these problems have existed for more than a century, but many are new situations that have arisen over the past 20-30 years.
The Galapagos is undergoing an accelerating cycle of economic and population growth pushed by external markets. External pressures bring with them increased threats to local biodiversity that are challenging conservation efforts, among them the arrival of invasive species, over-harvesting of marine resources, and more frequent pollution events. There are also rising potential threats to biodiversity from phenomena that have already caused significant damage in other areas, such as avian malaria, West Nile Fiver and bird flu.
Many of the new and growing demands on the biodiversity of the islands are fed from the international markets for tourism and marine resources. These global forces are driving business growth in Galapagos and acting as a catalyst for the expansion of the local human population. This has, in turn, resulted in demands for greater local access to natural resources and public services to keep pace with the increasing human population, creating new social and political stresses in the islands.
Economic and population growth in Galapagos has also given rise to increased local conflict. In particular, there are perceptions of lack of equity in the distribution of the costs and benefits arising from the protected areas in the islands. For instance, tourism was regulated at an early period in a way that allowed for substantial economic growth within the sector. This regulatory framework, however, did not keep up with the growth and did not address the impact of external markets on biodiversity conservation. At the same time, it made little attempt to ensure that there was distribution of the benefits at the local level.
To meet these conservation challenges we will be supporting:
- Prioritised management oriented research that incorporates biological and social sciences.
- The international scientific knowledge base in Galapagos.
- The building of local and national institutional and individual capacities for conservation and effective management.
- Sustainable and equitable businesses.
- Environmental education and communication activities to inspire stewardship and an island culture.
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