The islands first became famous when Charles Darwin pointed to them in his theory of evolution. As you can imagine, this area holds an amazing amount of biodiversity. The observations that Darwin made while in the Galapagos Islands helped him create his academic works.
The oldest island is Espanola, which is about 3.5 million years old. This island has its own rare species of different animals including the mockingbird and tortoise, as a result of the fact that is so removed. In addition to viewing the wildlife, there is a lot to see in Espanola. You can snorkel and enjoy the beach at Gardner Bay. Punta Suarez is another visitor site, where you can see a variety of birds, lizards and iguanas. Aside from Espanola, other popular islands to visit include Fernandina Island, Floreana Island, and Genovesa Island.
You will find that there is a lot of rain, and even cold water in this area. Many visitors incorrectly anticipate that it will be very hot, since the Galapagos Islands are located on the equator. However, the amount of rain that you will get also depends greatly on which island you are visiting and the time of year.
When it comes to the people living in the area, the largest group is the Ecuadorian Mestizos, who are the descendents of Spanish colonialists and indigenous people. Also there is a large concentration of white people of Spanish descent. As of 2006, according to estimates, there were 25,000 people living in the Galapagos region. All the residents inhabit just five of the islands, namely, Balta, Floreana, Isabela, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz.
The good news is that this region is now protected. In 1959, the government ruled that 97.5% of the area was designated as a national park. Of course, this excluded the areas that were already residential. This was declared 100 years after the publication of Darwin’s work The Origin of Species.
Currently, the main threat to the wildlife is species of plants and animals that were introduced by residents. For example, animals like feral cats and feral goats tend to wipe out natural habitats. Since the animals that are native to this region didn’t originally have any natural predators, they can’t defend themselves against elements that are introduced. Even dogs and cats end up killing tame birds and destroying their nests.
Humans also introduced harmful plans to this region. For example, guava, avocado, and citrus all wipe out endemic species. Unfortunately, there are now more introduced plant species than there are native species, and this is causing issues for the islands.
No matter what time of year it may be when you study Spanish in Ecuador, it is a good time to visit the Galapagos Islands. December through May is the rainy season. But, on the other hand, there are also more flowers and bright colors. If you attend Spanish school in Ecuador in June through November that is also an attractive time to visit the Galapagos. While it may be colder, it rains less and there are more exotic birds to see. In summary, the Galapagos Islands are amazing to behold and will be one of your most memorable experiences in Latin America.
source :http://articles.submityourarticle.com/Ken-Ingraham-7240/spanish-school-in-ecuador-243878.php
