This is the place where Darwin and God broke up, and it is also the warmest and loneliest imagination on earth.
Hello everyone, I'm Uncle Sue.
I haven't introduced you to the destination for a long time, but today I want to talk to you about a place that was once isolated from the world, but has changed the world - the Galapagos Islas galapagos.
1
Longitude 90° West, spanning the equator.
Dozens of islands are lying peacefully in the arms of the Pacific Ocean. If you don't zoom in on the hilarious map, you may not be able to find her presence.
Image source: google map
In fact, the archipelago itself is more lively than many places in the world.
Looking at the changes in the Earth's crust millions of years ago, the Galapagos Islands are located in the northernmost part of the Nascar Plate, bordering the Pacific Plate and the Cocos Plate, and the earth's crust moves with each other, is subjected to force fractures, and faults are "obscenely developed".
Image source: Network
At this time, the magma inside the earth is not willing to be lonely, gushing out, struggling to rush out of the sea, and then constantly solidifying, and finally forming this volcanic island group.
Source: Documentary "Galapagos Islands"
Until now, the movement of the Earth's crust has never stopped. The Nazca Plate acts like a slow conveyor belt, allowing the islands to move southeast at a rate of 6 centimeters per year after formation.
So what we are fortunate enough to see today is nothing more than a trivial microcosm for a long time.
2
In 1535, the Bishop of Panama encountered a huge wave on his way to Peru, and the ship was forced to deviate from its original direction. When everyone woke up from the panic of the wind and waves, they found themselves in a land that had never been seen before.
The surface of the earth is like a solidified black wave, piled up with ash, and there is no grass.
"God seems to have rained a fierce rain of stones here", this is the earliest legend about the Galapagos Islands.
But later, the "people with hearts" found her out of the lost waves and reintroduced her to the world in a special way.
This man was Charles Robert Darwin. The world-shaking Book On the Origin of Species is set in everything he saw on the Galapagos Island.
Darwin was still a young man without a white beard
3
If the bishop had come in a slightly better season and been able to turn all the islands around like Darwin, perhaps he would have lamented the wonder of the land.
Because this is a real-life version of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
It's the only iguana in the world that can live in the sea.
They look like they can frighten children, and at first glance they think they are godzilla prototypes.
图源：@ visit ecuador and its galapagos islands
The longest can be more than 1 meter 5 meters, the skin is like a reef, and when it inhabits the sea, it often merges with the coast. However, such a mighty beast is actually a gentle herbivore.
Seaweed is their favorite, and with its strong tail, they are able to forage flexibly in the water and can dive as deep as 30 meters under the sea.
Between their nostrils and their eyes, there is a salt gland that stores the salt they eat when they eat. Once the salt levels exceed the standard, they will raise their heads, sneeze, and transform into "salt sprinklers" to expel excess salt.
What's even more interesting is that during courtship, the black body of the sea iguana will begin to turn red or green. Depending on the season or the island, you will see different colors.
The most iconic star of the Galapagos Islands is the giant turtle, and the name galapagos is taken from the Spanish word for "tortoise".
Once upon a time, there were tens of thousands of tortoises living here, the largest of which was more than 250 kilograms, about the weight of four adult males.
They feed on tender cacti and drink fresh water. However, the galapagos has very few freshwater resources, so you will often see a slow-moving tortoise, carrying a shell of up to 150 centimeters, climbing over the mountains in search of water.
It is also the tempering of the environment, they have the ability to not drink water for several months and still be fine.
And what's surprising is that penguins can be seen at the equator.
Due to the influence of the Peruvian Cold Current and the Cromwell Current, temperatures in the Galapagos are much lower than in other equatorial regions, which allows these elves, which can only survive in antarctica, to eat, drink and breed here.
The Kashima ring penguin is relatively small, with a faint yellow at the bottom of the slender fins, and it is still a cute appearance in our impression when it walks.
In addition to these, there are many animals you can see in this almost lost paradise.
For example, the albatross with a wingspan of two meters, feathers like waves, and a lifelong tidal wave that does not change mates:
The courtship dance of the albatross is very much like hip hop
On land, a pair of big blue feet roam the streets proudly, and on the surface of the sea, they transform into blue-footed that are fishing athletes who quickly enter the sea:
Find a place to rest anytime, anywhere, and then the sea lions that lie down lazily:
Source: Ctrip photographer Yao Shun
Flamingos traveling here from the Caribbean:
It can be said that the Galapagos is a living biological museum.
4
However, the abundance of species was not enough to enlighten Darwin's ideas about evolution. As he traveled through the archipelago, he found that each island was unique.
High-altitude islands, which rain all year round, are lush with vegetation, and many elephant tortoises with round shells live, because this makes it easier to pass under the low-hanging branches;
On the low-altitude, almost non-rainy island, there are no plants on the ground, and the shells of tortoises are curved arched, so that they can extend their necks to obtain food.
Local experienced people can tell which island it belongs to through different shell shapes.
But it was not the turtle that drew Darwin's in-depth study, but the finches scattered on different islands.
Source: Official Tourist Office of Ecuador
Although these birds are similar in appearance, their beaks are distinctly different, with different lengths, widths and narrownesses. Some are used to crush seeds, some are used to suck nectar, and some are used to catch insects.
Thus, Darwin seemed to gradually discover the mysteries of nature. Different geological ecologies have bred different lives, and these lives have to force themselves to evolve and upgrade to adapt to the changing ecology.
So you can see the traces of molten slurry flowing and solidifying after the eruption of Fernandina Volcano,
Lava that flows during volcanic eruptions
Pregnant land iguanas can also be seen competing for ash-rich locations in order to find suitable places to lay their eggs;
You can see the dense forest of Santiago Island, hiding the Eden-like freshwater river,
You can also see the frigate birds changing their former domineering ways, and the ducks happily frolicking on the surface of the water...
These are not only the magic of nature, but also the perfect projection of the truth of life.
5
At the beginning, Darwin boarded the Galapagos with the task of mapping, so that the world re-acquainted with this lost island;
Nowadays, more and more people are coming to find a unique holiday experience in the name of exploring nature.
The development of tourism has made the Galapagos less lonely, and the island's inhabitants, tourists and animals that have lived here for a long time have gradually reached a new harmony.
It's also worth making on the list of must-see places in life.
Black lava in the north, mangrove forest in the south, cliffs in the west, white cloud beaches in the east... It seems that you can see all the wonders of the earth in one visit.
Not to mention the excitement of animals. The world's only tortoises, sea iguanas, Kashima ring penguins, and countless birds, Darwin has seen you can see them one by one;
The most worth mentioning is diving. As one of the world's top diving sites, galapagos is rich in marine life that makes every ride lively. Sea lions, hammerhead sharks, green turtles, eagle rays... It's all your playmates.
In short, as you get closer to this archipelago, the magical journey begins.
6
The way to the Galapagos Islands is now mainly divided into planes and cruises.
Choosing a plane is usually from Guayaquil, ecuador's economic hub, and then heading to the island you want to go to.
Cruises are more suitable for friends who want to play multiple islands at once. It's a hassle-free time to explore the island during the day and a cruise ship to take you to the next island at night.
For example, uncruise adventures focus on deep exploration routes in the Americas
However, in order to protect the ecology of the island, the Ecuadorian government has strictly controlled the number of tourists visiting the islands.
So if you have the opportunity to travel to such a wonderful place, please be sure to be her guardian.
Well, that's it for today. If you have any destinations that you want to hear about Uncle Su, welcome to leave a message at the end of the article, the day when you can't travel, we will have fun in this way.
illustrate:
Most of the material in this article is derived from the documentary "Galapagos Islands", which is hereby acknowledged;
Some of the pictures come from the Internet, if there is infringement, please contact us to delete it.
Recommended reading
Ctrip Cruises, travel with you in the clouds