Galapagos Islands

 Galapagos Islands are the place to go to experience the sheer force and beauty of nature. It is here that you can see evolution take place just as Charles Darwin did more than a century ago! The slow ambling Giant Tortoise, the squawking Blue-footed Booby, the grunting sea lions, and the swift marine iguanas, all call the Galapagos Islands their home.

The Galapagos Islands are so remote that the animals have evolved without the fear of humans. They have evolved without invasive species disrupting their evolution, and it is the perfect place to witness it. Galapagos Islands animals are an attraction for the wildlife enthusiasts, who get an excellent introduction to the wonderful and weird wildlife here!

Here is a guide for travelers seeking a journey to one of the most remote places on earth – the Galapagos Islands.

You Should Visit The Galapagos Islands

Here are some Galapagos Islands facts that will really raise your curiosity to explore this place:

• The Galapagos Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage Site which have been tagged by them as a ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’.
• The islands in Galapagos is where Charles Darwin wrote his famous book ‘Origin of Species’ which kickstarted the theory of evolution.
• The Galapagos Islands map feature the tiny volcanic archipelago of 19 islands and over 107 rocky islets which are teeming with wildlife.
• The islands have the highest percentage of endemic animal species which you cannot see anywhere else in the world!
• The remote islands are a part of Ecuador and you can combine your visit with a trip to the mainland to sample its authentic South American culture and heritage.
• The islands are at a confluence of three tectonic plates creating a unique geographical location.

Best Time To Visit The Galapagos Islands

The best time to visit Galapagos depends on what you want to see and experience. The specialty of the islands is that you can sight wildlife all year round at various stages of their life cycle.

There are two main seasons on the islands:

Cold and dry season (June to November):

The colder season brings the plankton up to the surface of the ocean attracting seabirds like Albatross and Penguins. The seas are also much rougher, but you can sight the humpback whales and the birth of baby sea lions in August.

Warm and wet season (December to May):

In December, you can spot the hatching of giant tortoises, while February to March is the primary breeding season on the island. The seas are also much calmer at this time and great for underwater activities. Showers are not too much, and there are short drizzles daily.

How To Reach The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are a part of Ecuador and most airlines will have a connection via Ecuador’s capital city Quito. Tame, Avianca, and LAN are the local airlines that have flights to Galapagos Islands from Quito via Guayaquil. There are five inhabited islands in the Galapagos Islands – Baltra, Floreana, Isabela, San Cristobal, and Santa Cruz. However, Santa Cruz is the most popular as a base for tours and activities and hence it’s a good idea to travel to Galapagos Islands by first flying into Santa Cruz.

Top Places To Visit In Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands is somewhere you can get closer to the nature and wildlife. Here are some of the most interesting places to visit for the nature lovers. Make sure you do not miss out any of these places on your visit.

1. Charles Darwin Research Station

Galapagos Islands & Darwin go hand in hand and most people first learn of the Galapagos Islands as a part of their science classes. The research station is a great place to understand the local ecology and watch the animals. Over 200 researchers and scientists work out of the station in a bid to conserve the island wildlife.

2. El Chato Tortoise Reserve

Most Galapagos Islands tours make a pitstop at the El Chato Tortoise Reserve where you can sight the giant Galapagos Tortoise in their natural habitat. It is a great place to observe the prehistoric-looking creatures going about their business. It is best to go with a guide as the area is expansive and one can easily get lost in the thick vegetation.

3. Los Tuneles

One of the main Galapagos Islands points of interest is the area of Los Tuneles on the island of Isla Isabela. The area has several lava formations that appear like tunnels and have become a sanctuary for the local wildlife. You can access the area only through a boat ride and ideally you can snorkel and swim here and will have the opportunity to see manta rays, turtles, sea horses, and even white-tipped sharks.

Top Things To Do In Galapagos Islands

Your trip to Galapagos Islands brings to you countless activities to look forward too. These include tours and other water and land adventure activities. Be a sport and experience all of them.

1. Wildlife tours

The Galapagos Islands animals are mostly endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else in the world. The unique animals that are on the wishlist of most travelers are the Giant Tortoise and Marine Iguanas. The area is also famous for its birdlife, and some of the unique species are Blue-Footed Booby, Galapagos Penguin, Waved Albatross, and Darwin’s Finches.

2. Snorkeling and diving

The Ocean is as rich in wildlife as the land on the islands of Galapagos and water activities like snorkeling and diving are the best ways to explore the region. You can sight interesting sea animals like fur seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, and Green Sea Turtles.

3. Hiking on the islands

Few of these islands are small without much infrastructure, and hence access to some of the best places is on foot. You can hike in the world’s second largest crater of Sierra Negra on Isabela Island or explore the Lava Tunnels on Santa Cruz Islands. Every island has unique hiking spots and walking trails.

Blue footed boobies

 Galapagos is always on first to go place in list for travel after my 35’s  and for this i keep on searching new facts about Galapagos . This Blue footed booby is one of them .

One of the most iconic of all the Galapagos Islands creatures is the intriguing blue footed booby. While blue footed booties are not endemic to the Galapagos Islands, they nonetheless arouse great interest due to their remarkable bright blue feet. 

The population of blue footed boobies in Galapagos has decreased in recent decades. In the 1960s there were an estimated 20,000 birds, but as of 2012 this figure had dropped to approximately 6,400. It appears that this has been caused by a lack of sardines and other similar fish, which reduces reproduction rates in this bird. Nonetheless, blue footed boobies are fairly ubiquitous in the Galapagos Islands, which has the world’s largest population of this bird, and visitors have a good chance of observing them whether on a Galapagos Islands Cruise or on a Galapagos land-based trip.

Galapagos blue footed booby characteristics

Blue footed boobies are birds that live in flocks and have a life expectancy of approximately 17 years in the wild. They weigh approximately 3.25 pounds and they have a wingspan that extends for 32 to 34 inches, or in other words, nearly 5 ft. 

They are not a creature that is facing extinction, and in fact are rated as “least concern” due to the fact that their population is considered relatively stable. Blue footed boobies have brown wings, a dark beak, a white chest and a mottled white and brown head and neck. They are mostly characterized by their bright blue feet. It would be an unusual on a Galapagos Islands Cruise or Galapagos land-based trip if you did not get to see one of these birds.

Why do blue footed boobies have bright blue feet?

The bright blue feet that blue footed boobies have comes about as a result of carotenoid pigments. These occur due to the bird’s nutrition, and its diet is comprised of fresh fish. The blue within the feet is important as it is attractive to a mate. This is because blue footed boobies that have a good, healthy diet have feet that are more colored than those that do not. For other blue footed boobies this is an indicator of health, and prospective mates are considered based on the blueness of their feet!

Blue footed boobies Galapagos Mating Dance

One of the highlights of a Galapagos Islands cruise or Galapagos land-based trip for some, is observing the mating dance of blue footed boobies. This dance is important as it allows the males to demonstrate their fine, blue feet to possible mates. The best time to observe this ritual dance is between June and August, which is typically mating season. 

The ritual commences with the male offering the female a small object such as a stone or stick. The male then tips his beak, wing tips and tail towards the sky and makes a whistling noise, parading around the female using large steps to show off the feet. Once the male attracts and secures a female, it is common that blue footed boobies mate for life.

Blue footed boobies behavior

Blue footed boobies feed on fish, and they are known to be excellent divers. They tend to prefer small fish and they hunt for schools of sardines or anchovies, among others. They are able to dive from a height of 80 feet, but they can also perform a sitting dive, allowing them various options to catch their prey. 

     They may sometimes hunt in groups, and sometimes alone, but they generally start looking for their prey when day breaks, returning to the land to roost at night. Boobies move better in the air than on the land. It is believed that the name “booby” comes from the Spanish word “bobo” which means stupid. This may have been due to their somewhat clumsy appearance when moving around on land. 

Aside from the remarkable blue footed booby mating dance, there are other behaviors that are interesting in the blue footed booby. 

Blue footed boobies in Galapagos do not build nests as other birds do.

 Rather, they lay their eggs simply on the ground, and they create a circle of excrement around the eggs so that other birds know that this is their territory. The female will lay between one and three eggs, and the parents take turns to nurture the young. 

Blue footed boobies in the Galapagos Islands also use their bright blue feet to keep their eggs warm. They do this for approximately four weeks to keep the eggs warm and insulated. The blue feet are good for this because they have a bigger blood supply during this time and up to a month after the eggs have hatched, so that the chicks can be kept warm.

Where to see blue footed boobies in the Galapagos Islands

If on a Galapagos Islands cruise, there are plenty of places where blue footed boobies can be observed. One of the most optimal is North Seymour, and this is also a good place to observe the mating dance, as there is a large breeding ground there. However, there are also possibilities to see them at breeding grounds on other Galapagos Islands. These include Espanola, Fernandina, Floreana, Isabela, Pinzon and, for those Galapagos land-based visitors, on Santa Cruz Island.