Pinta
(Abingdon)
Marchena
(Bindloe)
Isabela
(Albemarle)
Santiago
(James)
Genovesa
(Tower)
Fernandina
(Narborough)
Santa Cruz
(Indefatigable)
San Cristóbal
(Chatham)
Española
(Hood)
Santa Fe
(Barrington)
Floreana
(Charles)
Pinzón
(Duncan)
WelcometoaspecialeditionofExplorer magazine!Throughthesepages,you’lltraveltoaplaceunlikeanyother:theGalápagos Islands.
TheislandsweregivenbothSpanishandEnglishnamesbyearly visitors.
EarlySpanishsailorscalledtheislands“LasEncantadas.”Itmeans“theenchanted.”Howperfectforaplacethatalmostdisappearsinthe mist!
Theislandswerediscoveredin1535bySpaniardTomásdeBerlanga.HisshipwasboundforPeru.But,itwascarriedoffcoursebystrong currents.
Fromthe1500stothe1800s,piratessailedtotheGalápagos,lookingforgoldandsilver.Whalerssailedtotheislands, too.
Theseislandsteemwithlife.Frigatebirdssoar.Sealionscalltotheiryoung.Gianttortoiseslumber along.
Takeacloserlookatthemapabove.Ithelpstellthetaleofhowtheislandscametobe.Youwilllearnthenaturalhistoryoftheplace.Youwillreadaboutafamousvisitor,CharlesDarwin.Andyou’lllearnabouttheislands’mostmemorablespecies,thegiant tortoise.
Wehopethisissuewillinspireyoutolearnmoreaboutthe Galápagos!
Brenna Maloney,
managing editor,Explorer
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