About Galapagos

Galapagos lies on the equator, about 1000 km (600 miles) west of Ecuador, and consist of 13 major islands and many smaller islands. The Galapagos Archipelago is famous for its fearless and unique wildlife. Here you can swim with sea lions, float eye to eye with a penguin, stand next to a blue footed booby feeding its young, watch a giant tortoise lumbering through a cactus forest, and try to avoid stepping on iguanas scurrying over the lava. There are few places in the world where it is possible to find such a variety of species, both plant and animal, which shows such a high degree of evolutionary changes in such a restricted area. Due to that, The Galapagos Islands have often been called a "laboratory of evolution". Its most famous visitor was Charles Darwin, who visited the islands in 1835.

WHAT MAKES GALAPAGOS SO SPECIAL?

Geology

The islands were formed by volcanic eruptions due to underwater topography. The Galápagos islands are located on the Nazca Plate close to its junction with the Cocos Plate, the spreading of these plates in relation to each other, make the islands move slowly south and eastwards at a rate of one kilometer every 14,000 years, which is a considerable movement by plate tectonic standards. Therefore the oldest islands are in the eastern part of the archipelago. The western islands were formed more recently, showing that all the recent volcanic activity occurred on the western part.

The "Hot spot Theory" states that in certain places around the earth (below the moving tectonics plates) there are superheated areas, which remain stationary. The heat from these hot spots causes the earth's crust to melt in some places producing a volcanic eruption which in turn causes molten lava to rise above the ocean surface. That accumulation of lava out of the surface forms the islands.

Marine Currents

The islands are located in a tropical zone where the climate is influenced by two main sea currents, the Panama and the Humboldt.

Therefore, there are two main seasons, each of which has a dramatic effect on the flora and fauna. The warm and wet season, caused by the Panama current from January to June has warm air temperatures (the average sea temperature is 25 °C) and the sky is usually clear with occasional heavy rain showers. The cool dry (garúa) season from June to December, caused by the Humboldt Current, has cooler air and the sky is often lightly overcast (the average sea temperature is 22 °C). These two different currents produce the variety of life that exists on the islands. During the Panama season (warm water and rain), most of the animals find their food on land allowing them to reproduce. During the Humboldt season, the cold waters bring lots of food for the species that feed off the sea. In some years, the flow of warm water is much greater than normal and an "El Niño" phenomenon results. Surface water temperatures are higher and rainfall can increase greatly.

Plants, animals, geology and weather have all interacted, and continue to interact in a multitude of ways to create the Galápagos as we know them.

Evolution

Once organisms reached the Galapagos Islands, they became isolated from the continent. Additionally, islands within the archipelago are distant enough to produce a similar isolation. This effect produces the development of independent biological units - more or less, self contained ecosystems in every island or islet. So each island is often inhabited by different species within a genus.

Unique species which differ from their common ancestors or even within islands are called "endemic". In other words, endemic species are found only there and nowhere else. Perfect examples of these evolutionary changes are the 13 species of finches, which originally supposed to have one common ancestor; or the different types of giant tortoises. Galapagos has over 50% of endemism making the islands so special and unique.

When to visit Galapagos

Due to sea currents effect, every month there is something special going on among the wildlife living in the islands. Galapagos can be visited and enjoyed all year round. However there are some variations:

Between May and December the islands are affected by the cold Humboldt current producing a soft drizzle and mist on the high part of the islands resulting in slightly colder days.

Between December and May is the warm Panama current that influences weather in the archipelago. At this time, there are some short heavy rains followed by sunny clear skies.

The climate directly affects live on the islands, so each season has specific influences among the wildlife and plant life in the archipelago. The cold Humboldt current brings lots of nutrients for species that feed off the sea like marine iguanas, sea lions, sea birds, etc allowing them to reach their reproductive stage. Better water visibility and marine life is also richer.

During the Panama current the rain will turn the islands into lush green terrain with lots of food for organisms depending on land nutrients such as land birds, giant tortoises, land iguana, etc.

As you can see, each season has amazing and unique things going on. We believe the best times to visit Galapagos are the transition months between the Humboldt and Panama currents. Therefore May and December could be the priority and afterwards April and June as well as November and January.

Main events calendar

January

* Beginning of the rainy season
* Land birds start nesting
* On Española the adult male marine iguanas become brightly colored
* Green sea turtles arrives on the beaches of Galápagos to lay their eggs
* Land iguanas begin the reproductive cycles on Isabela
* Both water and air temperatures rise and stay warm until June
* Ideal time for snorkeling

February

* On Floreana flamingos start nesting
* Bahamas pintails start their breeding season
* Masked boobies on Española are at the end of their nesting season
* Marine iguanas nest on Santa Cruz
* The water temperature reaches a high of 25 °C (77 °F) which is constant until April
* A few penguins can be sighted in Bartolomé
* The nesting season of the Galápagos dove reaches its peak

March

* The rainy season reaches its highest precipitation
* Sporadic tropical rains, intense sun and hot climate. Air temperature can reach up to 30 °C (86 °F)
* Marine iguanas nest on Fernandina
* March 21, the beginning of the summer equinox, signals the arrival of the waved albatross to Española

April

* Massive arrival of waved albatross to Española; their courtship starts
* End of hatching season of giant tortoises
* The eggs of the green sea turtles begin to hatch
* Land iguanas hatch on Isabela

May

* North Seymour´s blue footed boobies begin their courtship
* Sea turtles are still hatching on Gardner Bay, Pta Cormorant and Pto Egas
* Most of the marine iguanas eggs hatch from nests on Santa Cruz
* Palo Santo trees begin to shed their foliage
* Band - rumped storm petrels begin their first nesting period

June

* Beginning of the "garúa" season
* Giant tortoise on Santa Cruz migrate from the highlands to the lowlands in search of suitable nesting places
* Beginning of nesting season of giant tortoises

July

* Sea bird communities are very active, specially blue footed boobies on Española
* Flightless cormorants court and nest on Fernandina
* It is possible to find oyster catchers nesting on Puerto Egas
* Lava lizards initiate mating rituals until November
* Whales are more likely to be observed, especially off the Western coast of Isabela

August

* The Galapagos hawks court on Española and Santiago
* Mask boobies and swallow - tailed gulls nest on Genovesa
* The temperature of the ocean decreases to 18 °C (64 °F) varying according to the geographic zones of the islands
* Migrant shore birds start to arrive, and stay on the island until March
* Giant tortoises return to the highlands of Santa Cruz

September

* The peak of the cold (garúa) season
* The air temperatures reaches its lowest temperature of (19 °C) (66 °F)
* Penguins demonstrate remarkable activity on Bartolomé until December
* Sea lions are very active, specially in the western and central areas of the Archipelago
* Most species of marine birds remain active at their nesting sites

October

* Lava herons nest until March
* Galápagos fur seals begin their mating period
* Boobies raise their chicks on Española
* Giant tortoises still lay their eggs

November

* Sea lion pups are born
* Sea lions are sexually active on the Eastern part of the Archipelago
* Breeding season of brown noddies
* Band - rumped storm petrels begin their second nesting period

December

* Hatching of the giant tortoise's eggs begins and lasts until April
* Green sea turtles display their mating behavior
* The rainy season begins. Galápagos "turns green"
* The first young albatross hatch.