Except for maybe Antarctica, no other place on earth offers such spectacular and easily accessible wildlife experiences. With its unique natural wonders and the rare and intriguing wildlife that played such an important role in Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection, it is no wonder the


this natural treasure, UNESCO declared the islands a World Heritage Site in 2001. Straddling the Equator about 600 miles off Ecuador’s west coast, the Galapagos have attracted visitors since their initial dis- covery in 1535. However, most of the early visitors were whalers and buccaneers who


‘NO other PLACE ON EARTH offers such SPECTACULAR and easily accessible WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES’


Galapagos Islands are one of the most celebrated places on earth. Since the islands rank high on many cruisers’ “must see” list, the Ecuadorian gov- ernment designated 97 per cent of the archi- pelago and the surrounding waters a national park in 1959. In an effort to further protect


basically used the islands as a giant larder. They slaughtered an estimated 300,000 giant tortoises and thousands of other ani- mals for food. By the time Darwin arrived, a number of the region’s unique species had already become extinct, including some giant tortoises.


No animal is more synonymous with the Galapagos than the giant tortoise. The islands got their name from the tortoise’s giant saddle-shaped shell that reminded early Spaniards of a woman’s riding saddle, called a galapago.


f the original 15 tortoise species, three were extinct by the time Dar- win arrived. Today, only 10 species remain (not counting the sole surviving Pinta Island tortoise). The islands also lost a number of bird, mammal and marine species, and presently have 15 species on the critically endangered list (including the fl ightless cor- morant, mangrove fi nch and penguin). Five of the 13 main islands are populated and most cruises depart from Baltra, Santa Cruz and the San Cristóbal islands. In order to protect the park’s fragile ecosystems,


O  Summer 2010 I WORLD OF CRUISING 83


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