Situated off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands have been a national park since 1959 however was only classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
It is a small collection of volcanic islands that have been shielded from predators because of the vast ocean surrounding it. And until a man, called Charles Darwin, discovered it in 1535, it was untouched by human hands. This lack of contact and human settlement has enabled a girth of wildlife to flourish. Furthermore, each island has its own unique flare as cross-pollination was nye impossible due to the large seas between the formations leading to more than 2,000 endemic animals!
Popular activities in the Galapagos include scuba diving, with warmish water in summer, reaching anywhere between 18-30 degrees! Watching the wildlife is also a large part of tourism, as with so many native species - you're guaranteed something different on every island!
These islands were formed through lava seeping from underneath the earth's crust, and through the mantle. The volcanic hot spot that is these islands continue to be made as the tectonic plates continually shift northward.
These islands are an amazing place to travel, and I'm glad I got to experience the liveliness of the wildlife both on the ground and under the water. (My biggest spot being a 4m hammerhead, and although they're harmless I was out of the water very fast!)
My only concern for is travel destination would be the cost, not to mention the rules and regulations restricting items you can bring onto the island, because of the limited number of tourists a year allowed each year, week trips on boats can cost around $5,000 each.
However, even in light of the cost, I still rated this holiday a 9/10 because of it's sheer beauty!
Thanks for reading!
- Xavier
Tune in tomorrow to read about Alvin's experiences in Emerald, Queensland!
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