“The natural history of this archipelago is very remarkable: it seems to be a little world within itself.”
Charles Darwin - the Voyage of the Beagle 1835
“The natural history of this archipelago is very remarkable: it seems to be a little world within itself.”
Charles Darwin - the Voyage of the Beagle 1835
Galapagos are magical and extraordinary, speechless to describe the abundant biodiversity that house the islands. Environmental conditions make the Galápagos an exceptional ecosystem, where unique species are only found here, like the Galapagos penguin, or the flightless cormorant. In a short period of time you can see blue and red footed booby birds or marine iguanas. You can walk in black lava fields escorted by prehistoric land iguanas and giant tortoises. Dramatic landscapes are part of this pristine scenario, where time has stopped.
The strange mix of tropical and temperate climates and the extreme isolation, among other factors, have created a laboratory for the evolution of an unusual mix of plant and animal species.
The archipelago’s aquatic ecosystem is considered one of the richest in the world, where snorkeling and playing with sea lions or diving with massive schools of hammerhead sharks is rather common! This ecosystem is one of a kind!
Galapagos Colonists
The human history of the Islands is fascinating and uninvestigated. Thus, we would like to share with our readers part of the book ‘’Both Sides of the Coin’’ for the enjoyment of our story lovers!
‘’The first permanent residents in the Galapagos Islands settled on Floreana Island. Patrick Watkins, an Irishman, was probably the first settler in the islands. “Irish Pat” lived on Floreana, near Black Beach, where he grew vegetables that he bartered with whaling crews and where he, apparently, spent a good deal of time drinking rum. Watkins was marooned, or had requested to be left, on Floreana in 1805. He abruptly vacated Galapagos in 1809, leaving in his wake a flurry of stories about his voyage to the mainland aboard the Black Prince, as he left the islands accompanied, but arrived in Guayaquil alone.”
Several writers have reconstructed the legend of Irish Pat from verbal and written tales and “Pat’s Landing” was a feature on Floreana for whalers.
By Peter Oxford, and Graham Watkins. Galapagos: Both Sides of the Coin, 2009.