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ECUADOR
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS part 1 (May 2007)   photos

My 2 week excursion to the famous islands was an unforgettable experience.  Those volcanic islands rose out of the Pacific and were never connected with the continent.  Over many years, plants and animals migrated from overseas and adapted themselves to new conditions.  As a result, many species are not found anywhere else in the world.  Even within Galapagos, there are different species on different islands.  Darwin noticed this fact when he visited the islands in 1835, working on his theory of evolution.  Because large mammals couldn´t reach Galapagos, the islands were dominated by reptiles.  They never encountered humans until recently, and still show little fear of man.

All this makes Galapagos a very unique place and one of the best wildlife destinations in the world.  Some of the most spectacular species I saw were giant tortoise, sea tortoise, marine iguanas, hammerhead sharks, manta rays, sea lions, pelicans, flamingos, frigate birds, blue footed boobies, all in startling close-up.