The galapagos islands map of the galapagos islands
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Galapagos Marine LifeThe combination of warm tropical waters and the upwelling, nutrient rich, Humboldt Current allows the Galapagos Islands to support a wide array of marine life. These waters are home to sharks, sea turtles, sea lions, and 306 species of fish, 25% of which are endemic. There are few reef building corals in these waters but numerous crevasses in the lava serve some of the same functions as a reef in other environments. Smaller fish and invertebrates make their home in the lava and larger fish live near the lava area where they feed on the smaller fish. Viewing the Marine LifeDiving in the Galapagos has been rapidly increasing in popularity over the last few years. These trips often visit some of the remote island areas, like Darwin and Wolf, where land visits are not possible, but diving is exceptional. The highlight of these trips is viewing the Galapagos' big animals including Whale and Hammerhead Sharkes. Natural history cruises offer snorkeling excursions in place like the Devil's Crown, a submerged volcano, which offers an experience similar to that of swimming in a tropical fish tank. Sea TurtlesThe Pacific Green Sea Turtles spend most of their lives in the ocean. Adults grow to more than 3 ft (1 m) in length with a body weight of up to 400 lbs. (180 kg). These cousins to the tortoise mate in the waters near the Galapagos and are often seen near Caleta Tortuga Negra on Santiago. Males never leave the sea, but females come ashore on beaches to nest. Green Sea Turtles are an endangered species. Turtle nests are destroyed and the eggs are eaten by humans, pigs, rats and dogs. Hawks, herons, mockingbirds, and frigatebirds prey on young hatchlings. If the young turtles make it to the sea, large fish and sharks hunt them. Whales & DolphinsDuring the19th century whale oil was an important source of lamp oil and used around the world. Whales, dolphins and porpoises all have a blubbery layer of fat around their body which allows them to stay warm in cold waters and provides them with extra energy during long migrations. It was this blubber the whalers sought and they would melt it down to produce whale oil. Due to the richness of the seas near the Galapagos Islands, whales migrate here to feed and for a time these island were the center of the whaling industry in the Pacific Ocean. The practice of whaling has nearly stopped and many of these large mammals still visit the Galapagos during their migrations. Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises make up the family of Cetaceans which can be divided into 2 groups; those with teeth and those with Baleen Plates. Baleen Plates are large, horny triangular pieces of whalebones that grow on the upper jaws of toothless whales. Baleen whales push seawater through these plates straining out the plankton, shrimp, sardines and other small creatures on which they feed. Baleen whales are the world’s larger animals and include the Blue, Finback, Sei, Humpback, Bryde's and Minke Whales, all which can be seen in the Galapagos waters. Toothed Cetaceans are a more diverse group and include the Sperm Whale, Orca, False Killer Whale, Short Finned Pilot Whale, and several species of Dolphins. All are frequently seen in the waters surrounding the Galapagos. Bottled Nosed and White Bellied Dolphins are common here and may often be seen riding the bow wave in front of boats. White
BirdsLong known as a haven for birders, the Galapagos Island's native bird life includes 57 residents almost half of which are endemic. Darwin's Finches include 13 species that have adapted to their specific island setting. Other endemics include the Lava Gull, Galapagos Penguin, Dark-Rumped Petrel, Galapagos Flightless Cormorant, Lava Heron, Galapagos Martin and Galapagos Dove. In addition to the permanent residents more than 700,000 migratory sea birds can be seen in the islands. The Galapagos is home to almost 1/3 of the world’s Blue Footed Booby population, the highest concentration of Masked Boobies and the largest colony of Red Footed Boobies. Darwin's FinchesThe Galapagos Islands is home to 13 species of finch, belonging to 4 genera. These finches are thought to have all evolved from a single species similar to the Blue-Black Grassquit Finch Volatina jacarina commonly found along the Pacific Coast of South America. Once in the Galapagos these finches adapted, over time, to their specific habitats and the size and shape of their bills reflect their specializations. The Vegetarian and Ground Finches have crushing bills, the Tree Finch has a grasping bill and the Cactus, Warbler and Woodpecker Finches have probing bills. All of Darwin's Finches are sparrow sized and similar in appearance with gray, brown, black or olive feathers. They have short rounded wings and a rounded tail that often appears cocked to one side. They vary in diet, some eating seeds and others insects. Ground Finches eat ticks they remove with their crushing beaks from Tortoises, Land Iguanas and Marine Iguanas and they have been known to kick eggs out onto rocks where they feed on their contents. On Isla Wolf the Sharp Beaked Ground Finch is known as the "Vampire Finch" as it has been known to jump onto the backs of Masked and Red-Footed Boobies pecking at their flesh and feeding on their blood. Woodpecker and Mangrove Finches sometime use small twigs and cactus spines as tools to probe for insect larva under bark and in dead tree branches. Though each species of finch has adapted to a specialized feeding pattern, most are generalized eaters. These specialized adaptations are of survival importance during the dry season and in times of drought when little of their preferred food is available. It is during these stressful times that these specialized tools allow the birds to compete for limited food resources with other birds and animals.
Waved Albatross - April-May with some eggs in June-July Blue-Footed Booby - January-December Masked Booby - August-February with some eggs in March, May, and July Red-Footed Booby - September-January, March-July Flightless Cormorant - March-September with some eggs October-February Magnificent Frigatebird - June-September with some eggs October-May Great Frigatebird - January-December Lava Gull - Some eggs February, April-May, July-August, and October-November Swallow-Tailed Gull - January-December Brown Noddy - November-July with a some eggs August-September
Hawaiian Petrel - February-March and June-July with some eggs in August Band-Rumped Storm Petrel - May-June and November-December with some eggs January-February, April, and July Wedge-Rumped Storm Petrel - May-June with some eggs February-March Red-Billed Tropicbird (Plaza) - September-January with some eggs February, June, and August Red-Billed Tropicbird (Tower-Daphne) - January-December Brown Pelican - January-December Audubon's Shearwater - January-December Galapagos Islands Bird List 1. Galapagos Penguin Spheniscus Mendiculus___________________________________________________ 2. Pied-Billed Grebe Podilymbus Podiceps _____________________________________________________ 3. Waved Albatross Diomedea Irrorata ________________________________________________________ 4. Black-Browed Albatross Diomedea Melanophris ______________________________________________ 5. Black-Footed Albatross Diomedea Nigripes __________________________________________________ 6. Southern Fulmar Fulmarius Glacialoides____________________________________________________ 7. Cape Petrel Daption Capense ______________________________________________________________ 8. Dark-Rumped Petrel Pterodroma Phaeopygia _________________________________________________ 9. White-Winged Petrel Pterodroma Leucoptera ________________________________________________ 10. Parkinson’s Black Petrel Procellaria Parkinsoni ______________________________________________ 11. Wedge-Tailed Shearwater Puffinus Pacificus ___________________________________________________ 12. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus Griseus ___________________________________________________________ 13. Audubon’s Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri _____________________________________________________ 14. Flesh-Footed Shearwater Puffinus Carneipes ____________________________________________________ 15. White-Vented Storm-Petrel Oceanites Gracilis __________________________________________________ 16. White-Faced Storm-Petrel Pelagodroma Marina _________________________________________________ 17. White-Bellied Storm-Petrel Fregetta Grallaria __________________________________________________ 18. Wedge-Rumped Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma Tethys _______________________________________________ 19. Band-Rumped Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma Castro _______________________________________________ 20. Leach’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma Leucorhoa __________________________________________________ 21. Markham’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma Markhami _______________________________________________ 22. Red-Billed Tropicbird Phaethon Aethereus _____________________________________________________ 23. Brown Pelican Pelecanus Occidentalis_________________________________________________________ 24. Blue-Footed Booby Sula Nebouxii _____________________________________________________________ 25. Masked Booby Sula Dactylatra _______________________________________________________________ 26. Red-Footed Booby Sula Sula ________________________________________________________________ 27. Flightless Cormorant Nannopterum Harrissi ______________________________________________________ 28. Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata Magnificens ______________________________________________________ 29. Great Frigatebird Fregata Minor ________________________________________________________________ 30. Great Blue Heron Ardea Herodias _______________________________________________________________ 31. Great Egret Egretta Alba _______________________________________________________________________ 32. Snowy Egret Egretta Thula _____________________________________________________________________ 33. Lava Heron Butorides Sundevalli ________________________________________________________________ 34. Cattle Egret Bubulcus Ibis_______________________________________________________________________ 35. Black-Crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax Nycticorax __________________________________________________ 36. Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa Violacea __________________________________________________ 37. American Flamingo Phoenicopterus Ruber _________________________________________________________ 38. Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna Autumnalis ______________________________________________ 39. White-Cheeked Pintail Anas Bahamensis____________________________________________________________ 40. Blue-Winged Teal Anas Discors __________________________________________________________________ 41. Galapagos Hawk Buteo Galapagoensis______________________________________________________________ 42. Osprey Pandion Haliaetus _______________________________________________________________________ 43. Peregrine Falcon Falco Peregrinus ________________________________________________________________ 44. Galapagos Rail Laterallus Spilonotus _______________________________________________________________ 45. Paint-Billed Crake Neocrex Erythrops _____________________________________________________________ 46. Common Moorhen Gallinula Chloropus ____________________________________________________________ 47. Purple Gallinule Porphyrula Martinica _____________________________________________________________ 48. American Golden-Plover Pluvialis Dominica ________________________________________________________ 49. Black-Bellied Plover Squatarola Squatarola _________________________________________________________ 50. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius Semipalmatus ______________________________________________________ 51. Killdeer Charadrius Vociferus ____________________________________________________________________ 52. Wilson’s Plover Charadrius Wilsonia ______________________________________________________________ 53. Surfbird Aphriza Virgata ______________________________________________________________________ 54. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria Interpres _____________________________________________________________ 55. Black Turnstone Arenaria Melanocephala _________________________________________________________ 56. Solitary Sandpiper Tringa Solitaria ______________________________________________________________ 57. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa Flavipes ________________________________________________________________ 58. Greater Yellowlegs Totanus Melanoleucus __________________________________________________________ 59. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis Macularia________________________________________________________________ 60. Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus Incanum ___________________________________________________________ 61. Willet Catoptrophorus Semipalmatus ______________________________________________________________ 62. Red Knot Calidris Canutus_______________________________________________________________________ 63. Least Sandpiper Erolia Minutilla _________________________________________________________________ 64. Baird’s Sandpiper Erolia Bairdii _________________________________________________________________ 65. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris Melanotos _____________________________________________________________ 66. Semipalmated Sandpiper Ereunetes Pusillus _________________________________________________________ 67. Western Sandpiper Erenetes Mauri ________________________________________________________________ 68. Sanderling Crocethia Alba_______________________________________________________________________ 69. Stilt Sandpiper Micropalama Himantopus __________________________________________________________ 70. Whimbrel Numenius Phaeopus ___________________________________________________________________ 71. Marbled Godwit Limosa Fedoa ___________________________________________________________________ 72. Short-Billed Dowitcher Limnodromus Griseus _______________________________________________________ 73. Black-Necked Stilt Himantopus Himantopus ________________________________________________________ 74. Wilson’s Phalarope Steganopus Tricolor ___________________________________________________________ 75. Red Phalarope Phalaropus Fulicarius ______________________________________________________________ 76. Red-Necked Phalarope Lobipes Lobatus ____________________________________________________________ 77. Great Skua Catharacta Skua _____________________________________________________________________ 78. Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius Pomarinus ___________________________________________________________ 79. Laughing Gull Larus Atricilla ____________________________________________________________________ 80. Franklin’s Gull Larus Pipixcan ___________________________________________________________________ 81. Lava Gull Larus Fuliginosus _____________________________________________________________________ 82. Swallow-Tailed Gull Creagrus Furcatus ___________________________________________________________ 83. Common Tern Sterna Hirundo ___________________________________________________________________ 84. Sooty Tern Sterna Fuscata ______________________________________________________________________ 85. Royal Tern Sterna Maxima _____________________________________________________________________ 86. Brown Noddy Anous Stolidus ____________________________________________________________________ 87. White Tern Gygis Alba _________________________________________________________________________ 88. Eared Dove Zenaida Auriculata __________________________________________________________________ 89. Galapagos Dove Zenaida Galapagoensis ___________________________________________________________ 90. Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythrophthalmus _____________________________________________________ 91. Dark-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus melacoryphus_________________________________________________________ 92. Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris __________________________________________________________ 93. Barn Owl Tyto Alba ____________________________________________________________________________ 94. Common Nighthawk Chordeiles Minor _____________________________________________________________ 95. Belted Kingfisher Ceryle Alcyon __________________________________________________________________ 96. Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus Rubinus _________________________________________________________ 97. Large-billed Flycatcher Myiarchus Magnirostris _____________________________________________________ 98. Purple Martin Progne Subis ______________________________________________________________________ 99. Southern (Galapagos) Martin Progne Modesta _______________________________________________________ 100. Sand Martin Riparia Riparia ____________________________________________________________________ 101. Barn Swallow Hirundo Rustica __________________________________________________________________ 102. Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon Pyrrhonota ___________________________________________________________ 103. Hood Mockingbird Nesomimus Macdonaldi _______________________________________________________ 104. San Cristobal Mockingbird Nesomimus Melanotis ___________________________________________________
106. Charles Mockingbird Nesomimus Trifasciatus_______________________________________________________ 107. Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum ____________________________________________________________ 108. Yellow Warbler Dendroica Petechia ______________________________________________________________ 109. Summer Tanager Piranga Rubra ________________________________________________________________ 110. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea _______________________________________________________________ 111. Large Cactus-Finch Geospiza Conirostris _________________________________________________________ 112. Sharp-Billed Ground Finch Geospiza Difficilis _____________________________________________________ 113. Medium Ground Finch Geospiza Fortis ___________________________________________________________ 114. Small Ground Finch Geospiza Fuliginosa _________________________________________________________ 115. Large Ground Finch Geospiza Magnirostris ________________________________________________________ 116. Cactus Finch Geospiza Scandens _________________________________________________________________ 117. Woodpecker Finch Camarhynchus Pallidus ________________________________________________________ 118. Small Tree Finch Camarhynchus Parvulus _________________________________________________________ 119. Medium Tree Finch Camarhynchus Pauper ________________________________________________________ 120. Large Tree Finch Camarhynchus Psittacula ________________________________________________________ 121. Mangrove Finch Camarhynchus Heliobates ________________________________________________________ 122. Warbler Finch Certhidea Olivacea _______________________________________________________________ 123. Vegetarian Finch Platyspiza Crassirostris __________________________________________________________
An excellent way to prepare for your visit to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands is to read about them. Knowing something about the history, culture, people, food, shopping, wildlife and places of interest can make your trip more enjoyable and provide you with a much richer experience. Novels written by indigenous authors often give valuable insights into the people and their cultural and social values. Not specific to Ecuador or the Galapagos but a really excellent book that will provide much information is "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond. 1999. W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0-393-31755-2. I rate this as one of the best background books I have ever read. The following is list of authors and titles that you may wish to consider reading in preparation for your expedition. Beebe, William Galapagos: World's End. New York: Dover Publications, 1924. The romantic account of a scientific expedition sponsored by the New York Zoological Society. Crow, John. The Epic of Latin America. Third Edition, 1980. A big book on a big topic, but you can pick and choose the chapters.
Darwin, Charles The Origin of Species. London: John Murray, 1859. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, Irenaus Galapagos: The Noah's Ark of the Pacific. New York: Doubleday, 1961. Farb, Nathan, and Michael Jackson. Galapagos. New York: Rizzoli International Publications Inc., 1989. Maybe the best photos of the big photo books. Also, at $60, the most expensive. Fjeldse, Jon, and Niels Krabbe. Birds of the High Andes. The Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen, 1990. 850 pages, for the serious birder. Grant, Peter R. Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches. Princeton University Press, 1986. Green Clive. Birding Ecuador. Available through the American Birding Association. A guide to the top birding spots around Ecuador, including bird lists for each. Grove, Jack Stein and Robert J. Lavenberg The Fishes of The Galapagos. Stanford University Press, 1997. An extraordinary record, twenty years in the writing; 936 pages, 521 illustrations. $125.00. Harris, M.P. A Field Guide to the Birds of the Galapagos. London: Collins, 1974. Hickin, N. Animal Life of the Galapagos . Quito, Ecuador: Libri Mundi, 1979. Hilty, Steven L., and William L. Brown A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, Princeton University Press, 1986. Until there's a guide to Ecuador, this is the one to use. Humann, Paul. Galapagos: A Terrestrial and Marine Phenomenon. Quito: Ediciones Libri Mundi, 1988. Jackson, Michael H. Galapagos - A Natural History Guide, Calgary, Alberta: The University of Calgary Press, 1985. Lewin, R. and S.A. Thompson Darwin's Forgotten World. London: Bison Books, 1978. Melville, Herman. "The Encantadas, or Enchanted Isles," The Shorter Novels of Herman Melville. New York: Fawcett Publications, 1967. He found them more cursed than enchanted. Merlin, Godfrey. Field Guide to the Fishes of Galapagos. London: Wilmot Books, 1988. Miller, Tom. The Panama Hat Trail. New York: Vintage Books, 1986. About the only book around that gives you a glimpse of the life and times of modern Ecuador. Nelson, Bryan. Galapagos: Islands of Birds. New York: William Morrow. All about the life and times of the sea birds of Galapagos. Patzett, Erwin. Fauna del Ecuador. Quito: Banco Central del Ecuador, 1988. Only available in Quito, and as you may have noticed, in Spanish. But it's all there is at the moment on the animals of the area. Perry, R. The Galapagos Islands. New York: Mead, Dodd, 1972. Perry, R., ed. Galapagos - Key Environments. Oxford: Pergamon, 1984. Rogers, Barbara Radcliffe. Galapagos. Mallard Press, 1990. A coffee-table photo book, with very informative text as well. Salwen, Peter. Galapagos: The Lost Paradise. Image Bank, 1989. Coffee-table photo book. Schofield, Eileen K. Plants of the Galapagos Islands. New York: Universe Books, 1984. A field guide to the plants. Thorton, Ian. Darwin's Islands: A Natural History of the Galapagos. New York: The Natural History Press, 1971. Weiner, Jonathan. The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time. New York: Knopf, 1994. Two biologists study and record evolution in action among Darwin's finches. Wiggins, Ira L. and Duncan M. Porter. Flora of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1971. Wittmer, Margaret. Floreana. Shropshire, England: Anthony Nelson Ltd., 1989. An account of the mysteries of Floreana, by the grand dame of Galapagos. BEWARE OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE PRODUCTSGUIDELINES FOR TOURISTS, Prepared by TRAFFIC (U.S.A.) Some attractive items offered for sale abroad are made from the hides, shells, feathers and teeth of endangered wildlife. Although some of these may legally be bought in other countries, U.S. and international laws may make it a crime to bring them back into the U.S. Before buying wildlife items, exotic pets, or plants, check to be sure that it is legal to import it into the U.S. Illegal items may be confiscated by U.S. customs or wildlife inspectors and significant fines levied. The following information provides some guidelines with regard to illegal wildlife and wildlife products that may be for sale abroad.
Products made from skins of crocodiles are common in European and Asian marketplaces, but most may not be imported into the United States. These include products of the black caiman, American crocodile, Orinoco crocodile from Latin America and the Caribbean, the Philippine crocodile, the Chinese alligator and the African Nile crocodile. Products made from Latin American caimans and crocodiles are also very common in Europe, but are likely to be illegal. Caimans are protected in most of the countries in which they occur. Caiman products made from skins originating in Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname may be legal. However, the illegal quantities of skins from this region far outweigh the legal quantities. Most South American lizard skin products may be brought into the U.S. Exceptions are those originating in Brazil and Paraguay, which ban their export. A number of Asian countries, including India, Nepal and Pakistan, protect lizards, so products from Asian lizards, especially the popular monitors, may be illegal. Snakeskin products made from large, boldly patterned species like boa constrictors, anacondas and pythons, as well as from smaller snakes, are popular here and abroad. In general, you may import snakeskin products. However, Latin America, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Paraguay prohibit the export of snakeskin, making it illegal to import products made from skins originating in these countries. You may also encounter problems with skins from certain Asian countries, such as India, which permit only a limited trade in products finished in that country. All sea turtle species are protected under U.S. and international law. Sea turtle shells, shell jewelry, leather, eggs, meat, and creams made with sea turtle oil cannot enter the U.S. legally. Furs - Furs from ranched animals that may be brought into the U.S. include mink, chinchilla, nutria, ermine and some fox. Furs of wild beaver, raccoon, opossum, fox, coyote, North American river otter, bobcat and lynx may also be imported into the U.S. Furs from large spotted cats such as jaguar, leopard, snow leopard and tiger, and from smaller spotted cats such as ocelot, margay and tiger cat, may not be imported into the U.S. In fact, very few spotted cat skins can enter the U.S. legally. Birds and Feathers -The importation of wild bird feathers, mounted birds and skins (with or without feathers) is prohibited by U.S. Law. -Many large parrots, including certain macaws and cockatoos, are protected in their country of origin and may not be imported into the U.S. Birds originating in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and a number of Caribbean countries may not enter the U.S., nor may many birds of Indonesian origin. Check carefully the legal status of colorful birds before you buy. -Live birds, if they can be imported into the U.S., must go into quarantine under regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Ivory -Ivory from animals, including whale, walrus and elephant, is barred from import into the U.S. Coral -Many countries either prohibit or restrict the collection, sale and export of corals, whether in raw form or worked into jewelry. Plants - Plants, such as cycads, orchids and cacti, are either prohibited from import into the U.S. or their import is restricted. Whether endangered or not, all plants must undergo inspection by the Department of Agriculture and be accompanied by documents certifying they are free of disease and pests.
TRAFFIC (U.S.A.) - Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce - is a program of World Wildlife Fund-U.S. and part of an international TRAFFIC network cooperating with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources to monitor the international trade in wild plants and animals. Cable: PANDAFUND Telex: 64505 © World Discovery Safaris 2830 Acton PL Birmingham, AL 35243 Feb. 2004 |