Facts about the Galapagos Islands

Read time: a bit over 1 minute

You can see blue-footed boobies shake their tail feathers and imagine that Charles Darwin might be just around the corner. The sheer number of creatures, big, small, weird and wild, will Blow. Your. Mind. It’s nature’s playground and it’s spectacular.

1. MILES FROM HOME

The Galapagos is home to the only breeding penguins in the Northern Hemisphere.

2. SPANGLISH

The word “Galapagos” is Spanish for turtle.

3. IMPRESSIVE IGUANAS

Galapagos marine iguanas are the only lizards in the world that can swim in the ocean.

4. HOT WATER

Galapagos Islands are essentially volcanic rock and the volcanoes are still active today.

5. FAMOUS, NOT FIRST

Charles Darwin wasn’t the first human to set foot on the islands, that happened about 300 years earlier.

6. RAT-EATING CENTIPEDES

The scolopendra centipede grows up to 30cm long and has been known to eat small rats.

7. TWO FOR FINCHING

Darwin realized that finches had different beaks for different food, depending on the island. We’re guessing he had better than 20/20 vision.

8. GOING POSTAL

One of the oldest, and most remote post offices in the world is here. You can drop a letter off and pick one up to deliver in your home country.

9. LONESOME GEORGE

The last of the giant Pinta Island Tortoises died just a few years ago. He was thought to be over a hundred years old.

10. YOU SAY ENDEMIC, WE SAY WOW

There are 28 endemic bird species on the islands. For those endemically challenged, that means you won’t find them anywhere else in the world.