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Galapagos Islands
History Of The Islands
History of the Islands
· The Galapagos were discovered in 1535.
· They didn’t appear on maps until the 16th century and they were named “the islands of the tortoises”.
· Ecuador added the Galapagos Islands with them in 1831.
· The Islands became famous after the Beagle ship arrived with Charles Darwin on board.
Galapagos Facts
The name Galapagos comes from the old Spanish word "saddle", which was a name used by Bishop Thomas to describe the tortoises found there. Since many English and Spanish people went to the Islands, the islands now have a Spanish and an English name. The only giant surviving tortoise lived there until 2012.
Animals on the Islands
The tortoises in the Galapagos can weigh up to 595 lbs. At the top of the food chain in the Galapagos are reptiles, which is rare in many other food chains. Turtles are still common in the Galapagos. There are 400 species of fish in the islands, 41 are unique. Galapagos Islands are known for having gigantic turtles/ tortoises.