Category: Galapagos Information

Some interesting Galapagos Giant Tortoise FactsThe Galapagos Islands are indeep very famous for its evolutionary history and diversified flora and fauna. The blue sea water, the variety of colored soils and abundance of endemic species of animals and birds are all major attractions for travelers. But nothing fascinates travelers and scientific community alike than the chance to get a close view of the giant tortoises, commonly known as Galapagos tortoises or Galapagos giant tortoises.Quick FactsGalapagos tortoises are the world’s largest tortoises. There are some types of these that exceed 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and weigh almost 550 pounds (250 kilograms). Their large bodies are covered by a protective layer of a hard shell, which is dull brown in color. Their shells are of two types; dome shaped and saddle-back. They mostly live on grasses, berries, lichens and leaves. These tortoises have a very high longevity, ranging from 155 to 175 years. They are mostly found in Isabela, Floreana, Pinta and Santa Cruz islets of the Ecuador Galapagos Islands. The longer life span of the tortoises has been a subject of great researches all over the world. The average life of these tortoises is 155 years. There are various reasons as to how they can survive for such a long time, some of which are mentioned below:  Why do they live longer?Storage of water and moisture: They acquire a lot of moisture from the sap present in the vegetation they eat and from dew. They can drink a lot of water quickly when thirsty and can store it in the root of their necks and in bladders, which work as storage tanks. Therefore, they survive for a long time without food and water, which could be even as long as 18 months.Metabolism: Another reason of such long life is their

Galapagos Islands Beaches If you are craving for a beach vacation with a little twist, a trip to Galapagos Islands beaches, Ecuador would be the ideal choice for you. Galapagos Islands beaches are truly unique. While you can rewind lying on the white sand beaches, surrounded by mangroves, you can also enjoy the beauty of the hidden cloves and black lava beaches at this place. In fact, there are beaches with green sand in Galapagos, where you can see friendly animals like pelicans, iguanas and sea lions, roaming around freely. If you are planning to visit, here's a short list of the best beaches in Galapagos that you just can't afford to miss.   Bachas Beach, Santa Cruz  With a stretch of one kilometer of blue water and white sand, this happens to be one of the most spectacular beaches of the Galapagos. Located at a distance of 2.5 km from Puerto Ayora, the beach is a nice place for surfing. Here, you can also enjoy snorkeling and other water sports and explore the amazing marine wildlife of Galapagos. If you would rather prefer a relaxing swim, you can walk to the end of the beach to reach the tranquil lagoon at Playa Mansa.   Gardner Bay Beach, Espanola Island This is a beach with spectacular views, where the tourists can expect a close interaction with the friendly sea lions. This, too, is a great place for snorkeling as you can enjoy the views of white-tipped reef sharks and countless tropical fishes. It is also a great beach for the bird watchers, especially those who love Pelicans.   Puerto Villamil, Isabela This is one of the most secluded beaches of Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, away from all the hustle-bustle of the city. This wide white-sand beach is home to a lot of

Ecuador is such a diverse location that a theme such as Ecuador Interesting Facts encompasses varied regions in the country. The Galapagos Islands, specially, are renowned for their unique flora and fauna, which is something that you will not find elsewhere in the world. Apart from playing host to some rare species of flora and wildlife, what’s interesting is that you will find most of them to be totally unaffected by the presence of humans amidst them. If you are an avid naturalist, this is the place, where you can simply enjoy the antics of iguanas, sea turtles and sea lions from close quarters, despite the warnings, given that these creatures usually cross your path, without any prior notice. Here's some interesting facts about blue and red footed boobies. Check it out.One such truly beautiful and interesting species from the bird family that you get to see here in abundance are the boobies. Boobies or booby is a name that is derived from the Spanish word ‘Bobo’, which means a clown. As boobies are clumsy and often foolish, the name is apt. If you were to witness these birds, you will understand just how well they live up to their name. There are different kinds of boobies inhabiting this archipelago and you will easily come across all of them while on your Galapagos Islands tour. However, the two main species, which we will be talking about today, are the Red footed and Blue footed boobies.Before going into detailed facts about these two species, it is interesting to note that irrespective of the type of booby that we are talking about, the females are always a little larger than the males. Moreover, while both have yellow colored irises; the iris of the female booby is smaller while the pupil is bigger,

Galapagos Islands, a beautiful archipelago in Ecuador, has always been home to some of the most exotic and rare species of flora and fauna. With nearly 500 different native species of plants in this archipelago, it is no surprise that Galapagos Islands Ecuador played a major role in influencing the work of Charles Darwin in the area of plant geography. What is special about this archipelago is the fact that the vegetation is not the same throughout the island. Rather, it’s different in different parts. Incidentally, this archipelago has three different types of vegetation zones, namely the arid desert zone, the humid zone, which are the highlands; and the coastal zone. Interestingly, most of the arid region is desert like in nature and therefore, it is only the sturdiest of plants that actually survive here. However, you will find lush and green vegetation towards the coastal areas, which give the islands a completely different look. Therefore, it is obvious that flora species found in this region are both unique and special. Here’s a look at what this land has to offer: Endemic species The special nature of Galapagos Islands Ecuador stems from the fact that nearly 40% of the flora species found here are endemic to the region. In other words, they are not found elsewhere in the world and solely belong to this region. This is another reason why the flora and natural botanical gardens of this archipelago are among the endangered and protected forests of the world. These include, but are not restricted to, special varieties of cotton, fruits like guava, tomato and pepper as well as a special variety of passion flower. Different zones Galapagos Islands, Ecuador are divided into different zones based on the amount of rainfall they receive and in turn, the kind of flora