Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands Galapagos Archipelago I , I The oldest island in the archipelago is Espanola. Scientists believe that this island is about 3-5 . million years old. There are many underwater mountains nearby this island. These mountains uses to be islands long before today's islands formed. The middle-aged islands are in the middle of the group, and have soil and support life. The youngest island, Fernandina, is in the northwest. It is about 7oo,ooo years old. There are still new • I islands that are slowly forming underwater beyond this island. Some of the Galapagos islands still have active volcanoes on them. More than 6o eruptions have occurred in the last Map of the Galapagos Islands , I 200 years. The most recent / eruptions have occurred on the island of Isabela. Geography of the Galapagos The Galapagos islands are in an interesting spot cause at hit the islands. These currents affect the imate of the Galapagos. From December to May, e Panama Current carries warm water south. 1en, the water joins with the South Equational lrrent. These currents make the islands warm and iny during this time. From June to November, the Limholt current causes the islands to have cool d dry weather. The Cornwall current travels deep Lderwater along the equator. The cold water from is current surfaces close to the Galapagos, which ings food to many endemic animals. This image demonstrates the current around the Galapagos Island. ow Did Plant and Animal Life Arrive? ANIMALS &- - Plant and animal life arrived on the Galapagos .lands in many ways. One way plant and animal GALAPAGOS ISLANDS fe arrived on the islands is through trade winds. rade winds are strong winds that come from the asy across North and South America. Many )ecies of birds traveled on these winds. Another ay plants and animals came to the Galapagos is rough floods and storms. Animals would cling to trk and be blown away with the storm. MAJUNI!CtiANA Habitats in the Galapagos The Galapagos Islands are home to many unique 1 pecies of plants and animals. This is due to the fact 1at there are many different habitats on the ralapagos. One habitat in the Galapagos is big, reen, grassy hills with lots of leaves, ferns and lants. A second habitat is lots of big sandy hills, hich make a good habitat for turtles - the hills are good place for turtles to build nests and lay eggs. nother habitat is muddy, shallow water. This is a )Od habitat for the Galapagos Giant Tortoise. A urth aking a good home for many species of fish. astly, there are many shallow waters, which are a )Od habitat for stingrays. This is a sandy beach habitat in the Galapagos. Above is a bird's eye view ofthe ocean habitats in the Galapagos. Why Are the Galapagos Special? The Galapagos Islands are unique for many reasons. One reason why the Galapagos is unique is because of it's animals and how they have adapted. The beautiful blue waters of the Galapagos Islands. Another reason the Galapagos is unique is because it is an archipelago. A third reason is that the Galapagos was made by a lot of volcanoes. A fourth reason why the Galapagos is unique is because the Galapagos islands are very old - the youngest island is 7oo,ooo years old and that's still old!! A cute Galapagos Sea Lion is resting on rocks by the water. / Galapagos Great Frigate Bird I You can commonly see the Frigate bird following I I 1e Frigate bird is special for many reasons. I fishing boats and looking for leftover fish. The best time to see the Frigate bird is in March and April rigate bird has a huge wingspan and can fly for : because this is mating season. During mating several days at a time and can sleep while it is : season, you will be able to see the big red stomach • of the female Frigate bird. · eggs, jellyfish, and squid. :1e Frigate bird is the only sea bird with ficant color differences between the males and les. The females have a big, red belly that can =e but everything else is black. The males are y black with some green on the head and le on the wings. I Galapagos Sea Lions The Galapagos Sea Lion is unique for many Galapagos Sea Lions live in coral reefs and asons. One reason the sea lion is unique is that sunbathe on rocks. Sea Lions hunt deep under e sea lion is the largest endemic animal of the water and go between 4o-1oo meters below the alapagos. Another reason the sea lion is unique is surface to get food. Baby sea lions are called pups at it has think fat layers of skin that protect it and are always very playful. Pups often live in )m serious injury from predators. A third reason nursery pools to have protection from sharks and e sea lion is unique is that the male sea lions will orcas. ht Adult sea lions spend their days lazing at the beach. A female adult sea lion is called a cow. The cow stays with her pups for 5 days after they are born and then returns to the ocean to hunt for fish The Blue Footed Boobie Hunting: They can dive for fish from more than 5 1aracteristics: The Blue Footed Boobie is known ft. about the water. When they dive into the water, r it's bright blue feet. It has a long neck, pointed ll, and brown wings. The body of the Boobie is the Blue-Footed Booby has it's wings partially folded to catch fish and can catch flying fish still i 1ite and the head is brown and white. the air. When there is plenty of food, the Blue Footed Boobie is opportunistic and is quick to gather food. The Blue Footed Boobie fishes in inshore waters. To avoid competition with other ze: The Blue Footed Boobie is a little under 3 t ighs abitat: The Blue Footed Boobie lives in tropical types of Boobie's. Mating: The mating ritual of blue footed boobies · Ld subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. About unique because they preform a dance, pointing Llf of all breeding pairs of the Blue Footed Boobie their wings and tails upwards. During mating st on the Galapagos Islands. rituals, male birds show off their feet to prospectiv mates a high stepping strut. They show off their ow They Walk: The name boobie is thought to feet with exaggerated footsteps, which means they want to show off their feet. The Blue Footed Boobil •me from the Spanish word bobo, which means own. The Boobie has gigantic blue foot and walks . a silly way. s interesting because it is one of the flue birds tha ays eggs on the ground. The Galapagos Giant Tortoise The Galapagos Islands are named after the Galapagos Giant Tortoise. When explorers first : came to the islands, they saw the Giant Torloises and thought that their backs looked like Spanish saddles. The Spanish word for saddle is GALAPAGOS. What it looks like: The Galapagos Giant Tortoise that it is the largest living species of tortoise. It ca weigh up to 4oo kg. (882 lbs.), and be as long as meters (6 feet!) Habitat: The Galapagos Giant Tortoise lives in muddy, shallow marshes. 1.8 Endangered Animals: There are only between 2o,ooo and 2S,ooo Giant Galapagos Tortoises that live on the islands today. People hunt the Galapagos Tortoise for their oil and meat. Communication: The Galapagos Tortoise communicate through each other through groans t: (mostly males) and through behavior- who stands sses, flowers, and cactus fruits. Also, they are taller is able to defend itself and therefore, gets e to reach taller plants and food due to longer territory and the females. I ks vive up to a year without food or water. imal Interaction: Tiny birds hide in the folds. of Tortoise's ks. The Galapagos Finch cleans parasites from skin of the tortoise. , Marine Iguana The Marine Iguana is endemic to the Galapagos 1d is unique because it is the only type of Iguana Lat can swim in the water. Marine Iguanas have lapted to life in the Galapagos by using their tails 1 swim in order to catch food. They are able to alk on rocks both above and under water by using Leir claws to grip onto the rocks. Before going into the water to catch food, arine Iguana raise their borly temperature by ying on rocks in the hot sun.. Then, Marine uanas gae. However, they can only stay underwater for minutes before the water gets to cold for them. Marine Iguanas are about 4-5 feet in length when Lll grown. This is as big as a human child! The Galapagos Petrel 'le Galapagos Petrel is an endemic bird that is ngered. The Galapagos Petrel make their nests ky rs, sink holes, or lava tunnels. The Galapagos 1 is the only native bird that nests in the upper ns. Petrels are synchronized flyers, which LS they do the same thing at the same time. are also very fast fliers. trel's to each other with loud screeches to warn of er. Lastly, the Galapagos Petrel is related to lbatross, another endemic bird of the )agos.