Galapagos Island Conservation overseen by the Charles Darwin Research Center
Though the English naturalist Charles Darwin was not the first scientist to visit the Galapagos, his name will always be synonymous with these enchanted islands. It is here in just five short weeks that he found the evidence he sought to bond his ideas into a theory, On the Origin of the Species, published in…
Tourism on the Galapagos Islands – The Park Management Service Plan
Tourism in the Galapagos Islands, including cruises and land tours , began in the mid-sixties, grew steadily in the seventies and exploded in the eighties. The advent of ecotourism was part of a larger phenomenon explained by a values and lifestyle typology developed by SRI International in 1978. Its “VALS” study of consumer types demonstrated…
Protecting the Galapagos Islands Wildlife and Habitat from Disease
While most people think of shrinking habitats and pollution as the major threats to wildlife, disease can also have a catastrophic impact. Even as tourists visit the Galapagos Islands by tour and cruise, scientists from around the world are working to prevent the importation of diseases to the Galapagos Islands. Disease could devastate island wildlife…
Penguins, Penguins Everywhere
Four penguin species are considered temperate. Of these, three inhabit the oceans surrounding South America, either the Pacific or the Atlantic, or both. These are the Magellanic Penguin Humboldt Penguin species that burrow to make their nests, and the Galapagos penguin that has figured out how to keep cool in the tropics. This species stays…
The Galapagos Penguin
Standing a little over a foot and a half tall, the adult Galapagos penguin weighs about six pounds and has a black face and body feathers with a white front. Its black feet and jaw are tinged with pink. It has shorter feathers than other penguin species, helping it to survive in warmer conditions. Living…
The Galapagos Penguin on Tour
To minimize wildlife disturbance, the Galapagos National Park Service limits tourist travel in the islands to designated visitor sites. Therefore, if observing penguins is high on your Galapagos wildlife wish list, it is wise to study itinerary options to make sure you will be visiting the specific areas where the species tends to congregate. To…
Galapagos Island Whale Watching
Many baleen whale species pass through the waters of the Galapagos Islands from time to time, including blue, sei, humpbacks and southern minkes. Of the baleens, Bryde’s whales are the most likely species that visitors will see during their travel to the Galapagos Islands. Humpbacks stop by in June during their winter migration. Orcas, short-finned…
