Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Abstract

Galápagos Islands are isolated in the Pacific Ocean, 1100 km west of Ecuador, at the confluence of three ocean currents. The islands are subject to volcanic and seismic activity and are a natural museum of geological, ecological, and evolutionary processes. Their varied climates, oceanographic regimes, and extreme isolation have produced one of the world’s highest concentrations of endemic species, including unusual animals such as the land and marine iguanas, giant tortoises, and the finch that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution following his visit in 1835. No other site in the world can offer the experience of diving with such a diversity of marine life. It was the first site to be declared World Heritage by UNESCO.