Monday, July 24, 2006

The Galapagos Islands


Sit out in the Pacific Ocean, 965km West of Ecuador.
A long way from anywhere else.
A Mecca for zoologists, environmentalists, conservationists, ecologists, evolutionary theorists ..... and fat American tourists.

When Charles Dawin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835 in the Beagle, he saw some weird and wonderful animals that would change his thinking, and change the world.

It is the remoteness and isolation of the islands that drives the evolutionary machinery. It was the isolation that made Darwin think about all these species, and their origin....


I admit that it was the part of my trip that I had looked forward to the most. It has been a dream for a long, long time.
And it was everything I dreamed it would be.


Sandra with Mum and Pup


Marine Iguanas


Penguins


Up close and personal


Local beauties...


Red Crab


Genovesa pinnacle


Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis)


They just bubbled up out of the sea...

Blue Footed Booby


Masked Booby chick


Magnificent Frigate Bird

Giant Land Tortoises


On the Road...

Cute


Genovesa Straight