GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

The Galápagos Islands, situated 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador on the equator, are largely the product of volcanic and geologic forces that remain as active as ever. The islands sit on the Nazca tectonic plate, which is moving toward mainland South America at about three inches per year. (If you wait about twelve million years, the islands may be close enough for a bridge to be built.) As they move, the islands pass over a geologic "hot spot." Those islands over the hot spot, such as Santiago, have had volcanic activity within the last century. The easternmost islands, however, have already passed over the hot spot and their volcanoes are now extinct. On the right are two pictures showing the black lava produced by the volcanic activity. The top picture, of South Plaza Islet, shows the shoreline. The next picture down shows Santiago and part of the 140 square kilometers that was added to its territory when its volcano erupted in the 1840's. Although the new lava field looks sterile, already "pioneer plants" are beginning to take root. Eventually they will break down the lava and, through their own decay, provide organic matter that will allow other plants and later animals to move in.
	The photo on the left shows Pinnacle Rock, a famous landmark in the islands, as seen from the 114 meter summit of Bartolomé Island. Across the bay is Santiago Island.
On the right is an opuntia cactus, one of many that populate the islands. Their adaptation is also readily apparent. On islands where tortoises live, the cacti develop a tough outer bark-like covering to protect their soft, juicy core from the tortoises (the "bark" actually consists of paddles of the cactus that have hardened). On islands where land iguanas are present, which also like to feed on cactus, the opuntia has developed very strong and sharp needles to discourage the lizards. On those islands where iguanas do not exist, however, the needles have been reduced to nothing more than a soft hair that one can easily touch without injury. Other plants have also adapted in unique ways to the environment. For example, some of the bushes in the Galápagos orient their leaves vertically so as not to absorb too much of the harsh rays of the equatorial sun. Most plants also have very small leaves to prevent the loss of moisture, which no doubt contributed to Darwin's assessment of them as "wretched-looking little weeds."

Charles Darwin visited the Galápagos Islands in 1835 and wrote in his Voyage of the Beagle
          a description of the place that so far has eluded most tourists:

Nothing could be less inviting than the first appearance. . . . The dry and parched surface, having been heated by the noonday sun, gave the air a close and sultry feeling, like that from a stove: we fancied even the bushes smelt unpleasantly. Although I diligently tried to collect as many plants as possible, I succeeded in getting only ten kinds; and such wretched- looking little weeds would have better become an arctic, than an equatorial Flora....

Little has changed (although I must confess that I did not notice that the bushes "smelt" badly). These are desert islands and it is hard to believe at first glance that they possess the varied and fascinating wildlife that they do. For me, the Galápagos was a magical place that I cannot recommend too highly to anyone interested in nature or evolution, which is readily visible here.

The best way to see the islands is to spend at least several days on a boat. I spent a week on the Beluga (pictured at the upper right) and I can highly recommend it. We generally traveled from one island to another either at night or after dinner. The boat carried Monica, a very knowledgeable guide, who conducted both onshore and snorkeling expeditions. As far as I know, it is mandatory that one be accompanied by a licensed guide before going ashore on most of the islands. Also, the areas that one can hike to on any given island are strictly controlled. I think the Ecuadorian government is serious about preserving these unique islands (which I, for one, was happy to see).
To the right are some of the creatures you will certainly meet if you visit. The first, a Sally Lightfoot crab, can be seen almost everywhere scurrying over the lava rock. One of their main predators is the octopus, which lies in wait among the rocks for a crab to venture into the water. For this reason, the crabs are very reluctant to enter the water and, when forced, will paddle so furiously that they are actually able to "run" a short distance across the surface.
The other creature is the Galápagos tortoise, after whom the islands are named ("galápagos" means "tortoise" in Spanish). The tortoises are differ in various ways on the different islands, having evolved to take best advantage of their particular surroundings.
If you go to the islands, I highly recommend the snorkeling. We saw white tipped sharks (which were harmless), various rays, starfish, sea turtles, sea lions (which were a lot of fun) and thousands of colorful fish that I couldn't begin to identify, let alone list.