GALAPAGOS ISLANDS



Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands

Introduction

On the Galapagos Islands, one has the exciting opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Charles Darwin on this primeval archipelago seemingly isolated from the destructive encroachment of human civilization and the ravages of time (De Roy, 2000). This isolated archipelago consists of 15 major islands, along with numerous islets, uplifts, and reefs, located on the equator about 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The “enchanted islands” reveal disturbing facts about this allegedly forgotten world of rock and life, often erroneously depicted as lost in time and enduring beyond the forces of change: The Galapagos flora and fauna struggle in the shadows of active volcanoes to survive against the increasing menaces of recently introduced species, particularly the human animal itself.

Ecological Life

Darwin's eerie “cradle of life” appears as an inhospitable world of lava flows and desolate vistas: a cluster of igneous islands looking like a group of enormous chunks of lunar landscape haphazardly floating upon the swift Humboldt Current (Darwin, 2000). When surrounded by mists and low clouds, these deceptively foreboding islands present a vivid scene reminiscent of our reconstruction of prehistoric times. In fact, this archipelago actually represents a delightful anachronism: present-day life forms eking out an existence in a pristine environment. Fortunately, the inhabitants enjoy a subtropical climate, which is cool, due to fresh trade winds and several capricious ocean currents.

The static first appearance of the Galapagos Islands is an illusion. (Weiner, 1995) An extremely strange but special place on the earth, this slowly changing archipelago testifies to the pervasive influences of evolutionary forces. This area of our planet is a geological hot spot of frequent and intensive volcanic eruptions, reflecting the restless and convulsive entrails of the earth: One sees craters, collapsed cliffs, and calderas everywhere. Within this century, wind erosion may finally cause the famous and official geological sentinel of these islands (Pinnacle Rock of Bartolome Bay, which rises 200 feet above sea level) to topple back into the ocean, which waits to once again reclaim its own. (De Roy, 2000)

The ages of these islands range from 600,000 years to at least 9 million years. (The discovery of fossil invertebrates and fishes in uplifted marine limestone layers between lava flows allows geologists to date the ancient strata of these rocks.) In fact, this entire archipelago is almost imperceptively drifting eastward on the Nazca Plate due to tectonic movement. The eastern uplift islands are oldest and may sink back into the sea, while the western volcanic islands may suddenly explode. Yet further geological building is likely to result in the eventual formation of new islands.

On the summit of a volcano on Bartolome Island, 364 feet above the ocean, one experiences the breathtaking panoramic view of a moonlike landscape of craters and spatter cones against the blue ocean. Populations of surface colonizer plants and lava cacti need only soil, moisture, and oxygen to survive in this rugged and demanding volcanic environment. (Weiner, 1995)

The Galapagos Islands were the catalyst that inspired Charles Darwin to ...