   #copyright

Galápagos Islands

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

   Orthographic projection centred over the Galápagos
   Enlarge
   Orthographic projection centred over the Galápagos
   Map of the Galápagos archipelago showing the names of the islands.
   Map of the Galápagos archipelago showing the names of the islands.

   The Galápagos Islands (Spanish name: Archipiélago de Colón or Islas
   Galápagos, from galápago, "saddle"- after the shells of saddlebacked
   Galápagos tortoises) are an archipelago made up of 13 main volcanic
   islands, 6 smaller islands, and 107 rocks and islets. The very first
   island is thought to have formed between 5 and 10 million years ago, a
   result of tectonic activity. The youngest islands, Isabela and
   Fernandina, are still being formed, with the most recent volcanic
   eruption in 2005.

   The Galápagos archipelago is part of Ecuador, a country in northwestern
   South America.

   The islands are distributed around the equator, 965 kilometres (about
   600 miles) west of Ecuador (recently found to have 3 volcanos in the
   centre island, all of them active) ( 0° N 91° W).

   They are famed for their vast number of endemic species and the studies
   by Charles Darwin that led to his theory of evolution by natural
   selection.

   The adjective "Galápagan" may be used to describe things from or
   related to the islands.
   Galápagos Land Iguana
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   Galápagos Land Iguana

Conservation

   Galápagos Tortoise
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   Galápagos Tortoise

   Though the first protective legislation for the Galápagos was enacted
   in 1934 and supplemented in 1936, it was not until the late 1950s that
   positive action was taken to control what was happening to the native
   flora and fauna. In 1955, the International Union for the Conservation
   of Nature organized a fact-finding mission to the Galápagos. Two years
   later, in 1957, UNESCO in cooperation with the government of Ecuador
   sent another expedition to study the conservation situation and choose
   a site for a research station.
   Marine Iguana
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   Marine Iguana

   In 1959, the centenary year of Darwin's publication of The Origin of
   Species, the Ecuadorean government declared 97.5% of the archipelago's
   land area a national park, excepting areas already colonised. The
   Charles Darwin Foundation was founded the same year, with its
   international headquarters in Brussels. Its primary objectives are to
   ensure the conservation of unique Galápagos ecosystems and promote the
   scientific studies necessary to fulfill its conservation functions.
   Conservation work began with the establishment of the Charles Darwin
   Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in 1964. During the early years,
   conservation programs, such as eradication of introduced species and
   protection of native species, were carried out by station personnel.
   Currently, most resident scientists pursue conservation goals; most
   visiting scientists' work is oriented towards pure research.
   Blue-Footed Booby
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   Blue-Footed Booby

   When the national park was established, approximately 1,000 to 2,000
   people called the islands their home. In 1972 a census was done in the
   archipelago and a population of 3,488 was recorded. By the 1980s, this
   number had dramatically risen to more than 15,000 people, and 2006
   estimates place the population around 30,000 people.

   In 1986 the surrounding 70,000 square kilometres (43,496 sq mi.) of
   ocean was declared a marine reserve, second only in size to Australia's
   Great Barrier Reef. In 1990 the archipelago became a whale sanctuary.
   In 1978 UNESCO recognised the islands as a World Heritage Site, and in
   1985 a Biosphere Reserve. This was later extended in December 2001 to
   include the marine reserve.
   The Galápagos land iguana is one of the signature animals of the
   Galápagos islands.
   Enlarge
   The Galápagos land iguana is one of the signature animals of the
   Galápagos islands.
   Sea lions in the Galápagos are tame and curious.
   Enlarge
   Sea lions in the Galápagos are tame and curious.

   Noteworthy species include:
     * Galápagos land iguana, Conolophus subcristatus
     * Marine iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus (only iguana feeding from
       the sea)
     * Galápagos tortoise (Galápagos Giant tortoise), Geochelone
       elephantopus, known as Galápago in Spanish, it gave the name to the
       islands.
     * Blue-footed Booby Sula nebouxii
     * Galápagos Green Turtle, thought to be a subspecies of the Pacific
       Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas agassisi
     * Sea cucumber, the cause of environmental battles with fishermen
       over quotas of this expensive Asian delicacy Holothuria spp.
     * 13 endemic species of finch, popularly called Darwin's finches
     * Woodpecker Finch, Camarhynchus pallidus
     * Galápagos Penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus, present because of the
       frigid Antarctic Humboldt Current.
     * Flightless Cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi
     * Galápagos Hawk, Buteo galapagoensis
     * Galápagos Sea lions, Zalophus californianus, closely related to the
       California Sea Lion, but smaller.

Environmental threats

   Introduced plants and animals, such as feral goats, cats, and cattle,
   brought accidentally or willingly to the islands by humans, represent
   the main threat to Galápagos. Quick to reproduce, these alien species
   decimate the habitats of native species. The native animals, lacking
   natural predators on the islands, are defenseless to introduced species
   and fall prey.

   Some of the most harmful introduced plants are the Guayaba or Guava
   Psidium guajava, avocado Persea americana, cascarilla Cinchona
   pubescens, balsa Ochroma pyramidale, blackberry Rubus glaucus, various
   citrus ( orange, grapefruit, lemon), floripondio Datura arborea,
   higuerilla Ricinus communis and the elephant grass Pennisetum
   purpureum. These plants have invaded large areas and eliminated endemic
   species in the humid zones of San Cristobal, Floreana, Isabela and
   Santa Cruz. Also, these harmful plants are just a few of introduced
   species on the Galapagos Islands. There are over 700 introduced plant
   species today. There are only 500 native and endemic species. This
   difference is creating a major problem for the islands and the natural
   species that inhabit them.

   Many species were introduced to the Galápagos by pirates. Heyerdahl
   quotes documents that mention that the Viceroy of Peru, knowing that
   British pirates ate the goats that they themselves had released in the
   islands, ordered dogs to be freed there to eliminate the goats. Also,
   when colonization of Floreana by José de Villamil failed, he ordered
   that the goats, donkeys, cows, and other animals from the farms in
   Floreana be transferred to other islands for the purpose of later
   colonization.

   Non-native goats, pigs, dogs, rats, cats, mice, sheep, horses, donkeys,
   cows, poultry, ants, cockroaches, and some parasites inhabit the
   islands today. Dogs and cats attack the tame birds and destroy nests of
   birds, land tortoises, and marine turtles. They sometimes kill small
   Galápagos tortoises and iguanas. Pigs are even more harmful, covering
   larger areas and destroying the nests of tortoises, turtles and
   iguanas. Pigs also knock down vegetation in their search for roots and
   insects. This problem abounds in Cerro Azul volcano and Isabela, and in
   Santiago pigs may be the cause of the disappearance of the land iguanas
   that were so abundant when Darwin visited. The black rat Rattus rattus
   attacks small Galápagos tortoises when they leave the nest, so that in
   Pinzón they stopped the reproduction for a period of more than 50
   years; only adults were found on that island. Also, where the black rat
   is found, the endemic rat has disappeared. Cows and donkeys eat all the
   available vegetation and compete with native species for the scarce
   water. In 1959, fishermen introduced one male and two female goats to
   Pinta island; by 1973 the National Park service estimated the
   population of goats to be over 30,000 individuals. Goats were also
   introduced to Marchena in 1967 and to Rabida in 1971.

   The fast growing poultry industry on the inhabited islands has been
   cause for concern from local conservationists, who fear that domestic
   birds could introduce disease into the endemic and wild bird
   populations.

   The Galápagos marine sanctuary is under threat from a host of illegal
   fishing activities, in addition to other problems of development. The
   most pressing threat to the Marine Reserve comes from local, mainland
   and foreign fishing targeting marine life illegally within the Reserve,
   such as sharks (hammerheads and other species) for their fins, and the
   harvest of sea cucumbers out of season. Development threatens both land
   and sea species. The growth of both the tourism industry and local
   populations fuelled by high birth rates and illegal immigration
   threaten the wildlife of the Archipelago. The recent grounding of the
   oil tanker, Jessica, and the subsequent oil spill brought this threat
   to world attention.

   Currently, the rapidly growing problems development, tourism, and a
   human population explosion are further destroying habitats.

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Main Islands

   Satellite photo of the Galápagos islands overlayed with the Spanish
   names of the visible main islands.
   Enlarge
   Satellite photo of the Galápagos islands overlayed with the Spanish
   names of the visible main islands.

   The archipelago has been known by many different names, including the
   "Enchanted Islands" because of the way in which the strong and swift
   currents made navigation difficult. The first crude navigation chart of
   the islands was done by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684, and in
   those charts he named the islands after some of his fellow pirates or
   after the English noblemen who helped the pirates' cause. The term
   "Galápagos" refers to the Spanish name given to the Giant Land
   Tortoises known to inhabit the islands.

   The main islands of the archipelago (with their English names) are
   (alphabetically):

Baltra (South Seymour)

   During WW II Baltra was established as a US Air Force Base. Crews
   stationed at Baltra patrolled the Pacific for enemy submarines as well
   as providing protection for the Panama Canal. After the war the
   facilities were given to the government of Ecuador. Today the island
   continues as an official Ecuadorian military base.

   Until 1986, Baltra was the only airport serving the Galápagos. Now one
   of two airports, the other located on San Cristobal Island, most
   flights operating in and out of Galápagos still fly into Baltra.

   During the 1930's scientists decided to move 70 of Baltra's Land
   Iguanas to the neighboring island of North Seymour as part of an
   experiment. This move had unexpected results for during the WWII
   military occupation of Baltra, the native iguanas became extinct on the
   island. During the 1980's iguanas from North Seymour were brought to
   the Darwin Station as part of a breeding and repopulation project and
   in the 1990's land iguanas were reintroduced to Baltra.

Bartolomé

   View from Bartolomé Island, Galápagos Islands, March 2002
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   View from Bartolomé Island, Galápagos Islands, March 2002

   Named for Lt. David Bartholomew of the British Navy, this small island
   is located just east of Santiago. Desolate Bartolome is one of the most
   visited and photographed islands in the Galápagos and served as the
   backdrop for the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

   Bartolomé is an extinct volcano and has a variety of variably colored
   volcanic formations, including a tuff cone known as Pinnacle Rock. This
   large black partially eroded cone was created when lava reached the
   sea. Contact with seawater resulted in a phreatic explosion. The
   exploded molten fragments fused together forming a welded tuff.

   Bartolomé is inhabited by Galápagos Penguins, sea lions, nesting marine
   turtles, white-tipped reef sharks and a variety of birds.

Darwin (Culpepper)

   This island is named after Charles Darwin. It has an area of 1.1 square
   kilometres (0.4  mi²) and a maximum altitude of 168 metres (551  ft).
   Here fur seals, frigates, marine iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, sea
   lions, whales, marine turtles, dolphins, red footed and Nazca boobies
   can be seen.

Española (Hood)

   Waved Albatross on Española
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   Waved Albatross on Española

   Its name was given in honour of Spain. It is also known as Hood after
   an English nobleman. It has an area of 60 square kilometres (23 mi²)
   and a maximum altitude of 206 metres (676 ft).

   Española is the oldest island at around 3.5 million years and the
   southernmost in the chain. The island's remote location has a large
   number of endemic fauna. Secluded from the other islands, wildlife on
   Española adapted to the island's environment and natural resources.
   Marine iguana's on Española are the only ones that change colour during
   breeding season.

   The Waved Albatross is found on the island. The island's steep cliffs
   serve as the perfect runways for these large birds which take off for
   their ocean feeding grounds near the mainland of Ecuador and Peru.

   Española has two visitor sites. Gardner Bay is a swimming and
   snorkeling site as well as offering a great beach. Punta Suarez has
   migrant, resident, and endemic wildlife including brightly colored
   Marine Iguanas, Española Lava Lizards, Hood Mockingbirds,
   Swallow-tailed Gulls, Blue Footed Boobies and Nazca Boobies, Galápagos
   Hawks, a selection of Finch, and the Waved Albatross.

Fernandina (Narborough)

   The name was given in honour of King Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored
   the voyage of Columbus. Fernandina has an area of 642 square kilometres
   (248 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 1,494 metres (4,902 ft). This is
   the youngest and westernmost island. In May 13, 2005, a new very
   eruptive process began on this island when an ash and water vapour
   cloud rose to a height of 7 kilometers (4.4  mi) and lava flows
   descended the slopes of the volcano on the way to the sea. Punta
   Espinosa is a narrow stretch of land where hundreds of Marine Iguanas
   gather largely on black lava rocks. The famous Flightless Cormorant
   inhabits this island and also Galápagos Penguins, Pelicans and Sea
   Lions are abundant. Different types of lava flows can be compared and
   the Mangrove Forests can be observed.

Floreana (Charles or Santa María)

   It was named after Juan José Flores, the first president of Ecuador,
   during whose administration the government of Ecuador took possession
   of the archipelago. It is also called Santa Maria after one of the
   caravels of Columbus. It has an area of 173 square kilometres
   (66.8 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 640 metres (2,100 ft). It is one
   of the islands with the most interesting human history and one of the
   earliest to be inhabited. Pink flamingos and green sea turtles nest
   (December to May) in this island. The "patapegada" or Galápagos petrel
   is found here, a sea bird which spends most of its life away from land.
   At Post Office Bay, since the 18^th century whalers kept a wooden
   barrel that served as post office so that mail could be picked up and
   delivered to their destination mainly Europe and the United States by
   ships on their way home. At the “Devil's Crown”, an underwater volcanic
   cone, coral formations are found.

Genovesa Island (Tower)

   The name is derived from Genoa, Italy where it is said Columbus was
   born. It has an area of 14 square kilometres (5.4 mi²) and a maximum
   altitude of 76 metres (249 ft). This island is formed by the remaining
   edge of a large crater that is submerged. Its nickname of “the bird
   island” is clearly justified. At Darwin Bay, frigatebirds,
   swallow-tailed gulls, which are the only nocturnal of its species in
   the world can be seen. Red-footed boobies, noddy terns, lava gulls,
   tropic birds, doves, storm petrels and Darwin finches are also in
   sight. Prince Philip's Steps is a bird-watching plateau with Nazca and
   red-footed boobies. There is a large Palo Santo forest.

Isabela (Albemarle)

   This island was named in honour of Queen Isabela who sponsored the
   voyage of Columbus. With an area of 4,640 square kilometres
   (1,792 mi²), it is the largest island of the Galápagos. Its highest
   point is Wolf Volcano with an altitude of 1,707 metres (5,600 ft). The
   island's seahorse shape is the product of the merging of six large
   volcanoes into a single landmass. On this island Galápagos Penguins,
   flightless cormorants, marine iguanas, boobies, pelicans and Sally
   Lightfoot crabs abound. At the skirts and calderas of the volcanos of
   Isabela, Land Iguanas and Galápagos Tortoises can be observed, as well
   as Darwin Finches, Galápagos Hawks, Galápagos Doves and very
   interesting lowland vegetation. The third-largest human settlement of
   the archipelago, Puerto Villamil, is located at the south-eastern tip
   of the island.

Marchena (Bindloe)

   Named after Fray Antonio Marchena. Has an area of 130 square kilometres
   (50 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 343 metres (1,125 ft). Galápagos
   hawks and sea lions inhabit this island, and it is home to the Marchena
   Lava Lizard, an endemic species.

North Seymour

   Its name was given after an English nobleman called Lord Hugh Seymour.
   It has an area of 1.9 square kilometres (0.7 mi²) and a maximum
   altitude of 28 metres (92 ft). This island is home to a large
   population of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. It hosts
   one of the largest populations of frigate birds.

Pinta (Abingdon)

   It got its name from one of the caravels of Columbus. Has an area of 60
   square kilometres (23 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 777 metres
   (2,549 ft). Swallow-tailed gulls, marine iguanas, sparrow hawks, fur
   seals can be seen here. Also home to the world's rarest living
   creature, the Pinta giant tortoise. An aged male named Lonesome George
   is the only known survivor. Since there is little hope of finding
   another specimen, his species is doomed to extinction.

Pinzón (Duncan)

   Named after the Pinzón brothers, captains of the Pinta and Niña
   caravels. Has an area of 18 square kilometers (7 mi²) and a maximum
   altitude of 458 metres (1,503 ft). Sea lions, Galápagos hawks, giant
   tortoises, marine iguanas, and dolphins can be seen here.

Rábida (Jervis)

   It bears the name of the convent of Rábida where Columbus left his son
   during his voyage to the Americas. Has an area of 4.9 square kilometres
   (1.9 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 367 metres (1,204 ft). The high
   amount of iron contained in the lava at Rábida give it a distinctive
   red colour. White-Cheeked Pintail Ducks live in a salt-water lagoon
   close to the beach, where brown pelicans and boobies have built their
   nests. Up until recently, flamingos were also found in the salt-water
   lagoon, but they have since moved on to other islands, likely due to a
   lack of food on Rábida. Nine species of Finches have been reported in
   this island.

San Cristóbal (Chatham)

   It bears the name of the Patron Saint of seafarers, " St. Christopher".
   Its English name was given after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. It
   has an area of 558 square kilometres (215 mi²) and its highest point
   rises to 730 metres (2395 ft). This islands hosts frigate birds, sea
   lions, giant tortoises, blue and red footed boobies, tropicbirds,
   marine iguanas, dolphins, swallow-tailed gulls. Its vegetation includes
   Calandrinia galapagos, Lecocarpus darwinii, trees such as Lignum vitae,
   Matazarno, and the Cork's Apple (Malus germicana). The largest fresh
   water lake in the archipelago, Laguna El Junco, is located in the
   highlands of San Cristóbal. The capital of the province of Galápagos,
   Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, lies at the southern tip of the island.

Santa Cruz (Indefatigable)

   Given the name of the Holy Cross in Spanish, its English name derives
   from the British vessel HMS Indefatigable. It has an area of 986 square
   kilometres (381 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 864 metres (2834 ft).
   Santa Cruz is the island that hosts the largest human population in the
   archipelago at the town of Puerto Ayora. The Charles Darwin Research
   Station and the headquarters of the Galápagos National Park Service are
   located here. The GNPS and CDRS operate a tortoise breeding centre
   here, where young tortoises are hatched, reared, and prepared to be
   reintroduced to their natural habitat. The Highlands of Santa Cruz
   offer an exuberant vegetation and are famous for the lava tunnels.
   Large tortoise populations are found here. Black Turtle Cove is a site
   surrounded by mangrove which sea turtles, rays and small sharks
   sometimes use as a mating area. Cerro Dragón, known for its flamingo
   lagoon, is also located here, and along the trail one may see land
   iguanas foraging.

Santa Fe (Barrington)

   Named after a city in Spain, has an area of 24 square kilometres
   (9 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 259 metres (850 ft). Santa Fe hosts a
   forest of Opuntia cactus, which are the largest of the archipelago, and
   Palo Santo. Weathered cliffs provide a haven for swallow-tailed gulls,
   red-billed tropic birds, shear-waters petrels. Santa Fe species of land
   iguanas are often seen, as well as lava lizards.

Santiago (San Salvador, James)

   Its name is equivalent to Saint James in English; it is also known as
   San Salvador, after the first island discovered by Columbus in the
   Caribbean Sea. This island has an area of 585 square kilometers
   (226 mi²) and a maximum altitude of 907 metres (2976 ft). Marine
   iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, land and sea turtles, flamingos,
   dolphins and sharks are found here. Pigs and goats, which were
   introduced by humans to the islands and have caused great harm to the
   endemic species, have been eradicated (pigs in 2002; goat eradication
   is nearing finalization). Darwin Finches and Galápagos Hawks are
   usually seen as well as a colony of Fur Seals. At Sullivan Bay a recent
   (around 100 years ago) pahoehoe lava flow can be observed.

South Plaza

   It is named in honour of a former president of Ecuador, General
   Leonidas Plaza. It has an area of 0.13 square kilometers (0.05 mi²) and
   a maximum altitude of 23 metres (75 ft). The flora of South Plaza
   includes Opuntia cactua and Sesuvium plants, which forms a reddish
   carpet on top of the lava formations. Iguanas (land and marine and some
   hybrids of both species) are abundant and there are a large number of
   birds that can be observed from the cliffs at the southern part of the
   island, including tropic birds and swallow-tailed gulls.

Wolf (Wenman)

   This island was named after the German geologist Theodor Wolf. It has
   an area of 1.3 square kilometres (0.5 mi²)and a maximum altitude of 253
   metres (830 ft). Here fur seals, frigates, masked and red footed
   boobies, marine iguanas, sharks, whales, dolphins and swallow-tailed
   gulls can be seen. The most famous resident is the vampire finch which
   feeds on the blood of the boobies and is only found on this island.

History

   The European discovery of the Galápagos Islands occurred when Dominican
   Fray Tomás de Berlanga, the fourth Bishop of Panama, sailed to Peru to
   settle a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and his lieutenants. De
   Berlanga's vessel drifted off course when the winds diminished, and his
   party reached the islands on March 10, 1535. According to a 1956 study
   by Thor Heyerdahl and Arne Skjølsvold, remains of potsherds and other
   artifacts from several sites on the islands suggest visitation by South
   American peoples prior to the arrival of the Spanish.

   The islands first appeared on maps in about 1570 in those drawn by
   Abraham Ortelius and Mercator. The islands were called "Insulae de los
   Galopegos" (Islands of the Tortoises).

   The first English captain to visit the Galápagos Islands was Richard
   Hawkins, in 1593. Until the early 19th century, the archipelago was
   often used as a hideout by mostly English pirates who pilfered Spanish
   galleons carrying gold and silver from South America to Spain.

   Alexander Selkirk, whose adventures in Juan Fernández Islands inspired
   Daniel Defoe to write Robinson Crusoe, visited the Galápagos in 1708
   after he was picked up from Juan Fernández by the privateer Woodes
   Rogers. Rogers was refitting his ships in the islands after sacking
   Guayaquil.

   The first scientific mission to the Galápagos arrived in 1790 under the
   leadership of Alessandro Malaspina, a Sicilian captain whose expedition
   was sponsored by the King of Spain. However, the records of the
   expedition were lost.

   In 1793, James Colnett made a description of the flora and fauna of
   Galápagos and suggested that the islands could be used as base for the
   whalers operating in the Pacific Ocean. He also drew the first accurate
   navigation charts of the islands. Whalers killed and captured thousands
   of the Galápagos tortoises to extract their fat. The tortoises could
   also be kept on board ship as a means of providing of fresh protein as
   these animals could survive for several months on board without any
   food or water. The hunting of the tortoises was responsible for greatly
   diminishing, and in some cases eliminating, certain species. Along with
   whalers came the fur-seal hunters who brought the population of this
   animal close to extinction.

   Ecuador annexed the Galápagos Islands on February 12, 1832, naming it
   Archipelago of Ecuador. This was a new name that added to several names
   that had been, and are still, used to refer to the archipelago. The
   first governor of Galápagos, General José de Villamil, brought a group
   of convicts to populate the island of Floreana and in October 1832 some
   artisans and farmers joined.

   The Voyage of the Beagle brought the survey ship HMS Beagle under
   captain Robert FitzRoy to the Galápagos on September 15, 1835 to survey
   approaches to harbors. The captain and others on board including his
   companion the young naturalist Charles Darwin made a scientific study
   of geology and biology on four of the thirteen islands before they left
   on October 20 to continue on their round-the-world expedition. The
   governor of the prison colony on Charles Island told Darwin that
   tortoises differed from island to island, and when specimens of birds
   were analysed on return to England it was found that many different
   kinds of birds were species of finches which were also unique to
   islands. These facts were crucial in Darwin's development of his
   evolution theory, which was presented in The Origin of Species.

   José Valdizán and Manuel Julián Cobos tried a new colonization,
   beginning the exploitation of a type of lichen found in the islands
   (Roccella portentosa) used as a coloring agent. After the assassination
   of Valdizán by some of his workers, Cobos brought from the continent a
   group of more than a hundred workers to San Cristóbal island and tried
   his luck at planting sugar cane. He ruled in his plantation with an
   iron hand which lead to his assassination in 1904. Since 1897 Antonio
   Gil began another plantation in Isabela island.

   Over the course of a whole year, from September 1904, an expedition of
   the Academy of Sciences of California, led by Rollo Beck, stayed in the
   Galápagos collecting scientific material on geology, entomology,
   ornithology, botany, zoology and herpetology. Another expedition from
   that Academy was done in 1932 (Templeton Crocker Expedition) to collect
   insects, fish, shells, fossils, birds and plants.

   During WWII Ecuador authorized the United States to establish a naval
   base in Baltra island and radar stations in other strategic locations.

   In 1946 a penal colony was established in Isabela Island, but was
   suspended in 1959.

In Fiction

     * In the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
       (2003), one of the main locations is the Galápagos Islands, where
       naturalist Stephen Maturin discovers new animal species.

     * Kurt Vonnegut's Galápagos is an entertaining and insightful
       exploration of evolution and the absurdity of the human species,
       the setting being Guayaquil and the islands.

     * In the cartoon The Mysterious Cities of Gold, the characters first
       land on the Galapagos island before reaching the Americas'
       mainland.

     * Herman Melville's The Encantadas, or Enchanted Islands is a
       collection of ten short stories based on his own experiences on the
       South Seas. Melville knew the Islands firsthand, though he also
       relied on the stories of other sailors who had visited the
       Galapagos, as well as authorities such as David Porter's Journal of
       a Cruise Made to the Pacific Ocean (1822).

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