The Galápagos: The History of the Famous Pacific Islands and Their Unique Ecosystem

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents A white seabird with a teal beak dappled with pink and orange colors and a set of apple-red webbed feet hops from one branch to another with all the grace of a toddler learning to take his first steps. Not far from this charming bird, the red-footed booby, a majestic lizard the size of a plump house cat with coral-pink scales and black stripes, scuttles across the earth and ducks underneath a shrub for some much-needed shade. Feet away from the aptly-named pink iguana, a scolopendra centipede lies in wait. The long, slender insect, about the size of a large twig, has a chocolate-colored, ribbed shell for a body, its fiery orange-tipped legs piercing into the sand as it scours its surroundings for unsuspecting lava lizards and rice rats. Unaware of the impending bloodbath, a pocket-sized penguin, no more than 19 inches long, emerges from the crystal-clear waters and splashes about with its stubby flippers before waddling onto the beach. These are only a handful of the seemingly whimsical creatures that reside in the gorgeous Galápagos Islands, a fantastic paradise of an archipelago brimming with life and unexpected heterogeneity. Come nightfall, this natural nirvana is equally, if not more disarmingly spellbinding. Unperturbed by the poisons of pollution, the charcoal-black canvas is almost completely dotted with dazzling constellations from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, a mesmerizing panorama unique only to this beautiful nest of islands. On the surface, the Galápagos could have been plucked out of the imagination of a vastly creative author of adventure fiction, or perhaps a starry-eyed spinner of fairy tales. But of course, the astounding archipelago is indeed real, a picturesque product of Mother Nature's endless mastery, and the archipelago has become almost synonymous with British naturalist Charles Darwin, who produced several groundbreaking theories about natural selection and evolution based on his time there. Darwin discovered that the mockingbird species varied from each island in the Galápagos, which served as the catalyst for his theory on natural selection, published nearly 30 years later in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. While Darwin’s theories are taken for granted today by scientists and most people, Darwin had to overcome strong criticism and the earlier scientific rejection of similar concepts such as the transmutation of species. Given the fame Darwin brought the islands with his legendary work, it is no surprise people continue to be fascinated by the islands. Hollywood has profited from the beauty of these islands time and again, with the Galápagos appearing as a scenic backdrop in multiple films and TV shows over the years (the most notable of them being the 2003 period war-drama Master & Commander). The Galá The History of the Famous Pacific Islands and Their Unique Ecosystem examines the geography of the islands, the different species there, and famous events that took place in the Galápagos. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Galápagos like never before.

Genres: Nonfiction

62 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2019

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Margaret Crampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which gave me insight into, not only the animals,but the history, exploration and geography this group of islands made famous by Charles Darwin

[Jerry Jares · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Galapagos Islands are 21 islands (18 of them are major islands) off the coast of Ecuador.  I was eager to read this because, although I'd heard of the islands, I didn't remember anything about their locale or importance.  Although, in this book, there are more images of the men important to the area, the color and sepia photos of the animals/reptiles/mammals are striking.  This book tells of their fascinating emergence millions of years ago as the result of volcanic activity.

The islands are about 600 miles west of South America.  The islands were only discovered by pirates about 500 years ago.  Whalers discovered the islands were great breeding grounds for sperm whales, tortoises, and fur seals.  Probably the most famous visitor was the naturalist Charles Darwin.  Don't miss the story about the 'World's Most Unusual Post Office.'

There's a fascinating vignette about Captain Alessandro Malaspina, an Italian explorer who should have been as famous as Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci.  He charted the geography, flora, and fauna of Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, the Pacific Northwest, and the Galapagos Islands with many journals of his discoveries.  However, when he ran afoul of the Spanish Empire, he was thrown in prison and his journals were destroyed.

There are more than 15 pages of references in this book.  It is fascinating reading throughout.  Enjoy.

[Benedikt Johannesson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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