Galapagos National Park, The Ecuador’s First National Park

Ecuador / South America
10 Sep, 2016
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Galapagos National Park Underwater Photo

What first occurred to your mind when hearing the name Galapagos? The Galapagos National Park sounds very exotic and a paradise for environmentalists and scientists. Not only because of its geographical structure, the Galapagos National Park is also known for its diversity of flora and fauna are unique and rare that already existed millions of years ago. Expanse of barren land due to volcanic eruptions and beautiful scenery as if takes us behind the adventure through time.

Galapagos is an archipelago located in the volcanic mountain range located in the Pacific Ocean. An area of 8,010 km2 within 563 kilometers west of Ecuador. The Galapagos National Park is known for a wide variety of species. This diversity helped seize the attention of Charles Darwin. During the exploration of the Beagle, he did close observation until the birth of the theory of evolution. The first recorded visit in this area conducted by the Bishop of Panama Fray Tomásde Berlanga, in 1535 ago. When he returned to Spain, De Berlanga communicates the richness of life on the Galapagos.

The Galapagos National Park, covering an area of 7.995.4 km2 and first opened in 1968. The Galapagos National Park is the oldest national park in Ecuador. Then, in 2007, UNESCO set the status of danger in the park. The height of immigration, the rise of trade and travel in the region, threaten the survival of ecosystems that have been millions of years old.

One corner of the most interested visitors at the Galapagos National Park is Tortuga Bay is located in Santa Cruzz Islands. There, visitors can see marine iguanas, Galapagos crabs, rare birds, etc. Underwater scenery was no less riveting. If you are lucky, you can see the giant Galapagos turtles while diving.

Bartolome Island

Adventure to the Galapagos National Park is not complete without visiting Bartolome Island within a three-hour journey from Santa Cruz with Pinnacle Rock landmark on the coast. Island with stunning natural scenery with a backdrop of volcanoes red, orange, green and black as well as black volcanic beaches and blue water make this island more exotic.The clustered gulf coast is filled with dried lava millions of years ago, which was then beautifully naturally form carved with various motifs of flowers, animals and scenery.