Galapagos Islands: A Journey Through Time

As I anticipate the opportunity to visit the Galapagos in 2026, I’ve started my research early because it is such a different and unusual destination. While I’m enthralled by the opportunity to see the giant tortoises and blue footed boobies, I found there’s so much more than wildlife to create fascination with this destination, which inspires this week’s article…

Galapagos Islands: A Journey Through Time

Isolated more than 590 miles from the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands archipelago is perhaps the most unique region on Earth. A place of volcanic landscapes and endemic wildlife, with weird and wonderful creatures such as tortoises the size of sheep and iguanas that dive beneath the waves to feed.

The uniqueness of the Galapagos Islands came about through a set of geological and geographical circumstances that have shaped the history of this island chain. We’ll chart this story to understand how the Galapagos came to be the incredibly diverse place that we know it as today.

Formation and Evolution

The Galapagos Islands were born from volcanic activity that began millions of years ago, as the Earth’s tectonic plates shifted. Specifically, the Galapagos owes its existence to the movement of the Nazca Plate. During tectonic activity, magma bubbled up through the ocean floor, creating this new chain of islands as it cooled. And this was not a one-off process, the Galapagos Islands are still an epicenter for volcanic activity today. The island of Isabela, for example, still sees semi-regular eruptions, although others such as Pinta have remained dormant for centuries.

Key Volcanic Features

The Galapagos archipelago is dominated by shield volcanoes, which are characterized by a broad, domed shape. This is in contrast to a stratovolcano such as Mount St Helens in Washington state, which is characterized by steeper sides and a more conical shape.It is the thickness of the lava flow from a volcano that determines its shape. Low-viscosity lava that spreads out over a large area will create a shield volcano, while stratovolcanoes are created by more explosive and thicker lava. This lava doesn’t flow too far from the caldera, cooling and forming steep-sided volcanos. 

Some of the most notable shield volcanoes in the Galapagos are Sierra Negra and Alcedo Volcano on Isabela. Sierra Negra is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. It last erupted in 2018, an eruption that occurred over 58 days and spread lava over a 11 square mile area.

Alcedo Volcano is better known for its lava tubes than for its size. Lava tubes are tunnels formed by flowing lava that has since cooled and solidified. In many volcanic areas, exploring lava tubes can make for a thrilling and unique experience for travelers.

Although the Galapagos remains one of the most volcanic places on Earth, with eruptions of some sort happening every few years, travelers need not be alarmed. Not only does the slow-moving lava of the shield volcanoes give plenty of time for evacuations, should they be necessary, but the Galapagos has a sophisticated early warning system, and all of its volcanoes are carefully monitored at all times for seismic activity.

Unique Landscapes

The Galapagos is comprised of 13 large islands and around 60 smaller islands, and each of these is completely unique to its neighbors. From barren rocky outcrops to arid areas dominated by cactus and lush green highlands, the archipelago is home to a surprising array of biomes.

On Rabida island, there are red beaches, formed by the iron-rich volcanic materials that were spewed to the surface over millennia. On San Cristobal, the lofty freshwater lake of El Junco formed in an extinct volcanic crater and is now surrounded by lush vegetation. And on Isabela, volcanic activity has lifted the coastline of Urbina Bay above the water level, leaving coral reefs stranded on the land. No corner of the Galapagos is alike!

Impact on Biodiversity

The Galapagos Islands are a case study in evolution – in fact it was here that Charles Darwin developed his ground-breaking theory by studying finches on the islands.

Isolated from any other landmass for millions of years, the wildlife on the archipelago has evolved to thrive in this unique landscape. The survival of the fittest ensured that only creatures with the best adaptations to living in this inhospitable place could survive and breed, passing their traits on to the next generation. And evolution has taken place island to island, not just in the Galapagos archipelago as a whole.

Take the emblematic Galapagos tortoise. There are known to have been 15 different subspecies (three are now extinct), that have evolved to thrive on their specific island. For example, the tortoises on Espanola have arched shells that allow them to lift their heads higher to reach vegetation. As a drier island, there is less food available on the ground, which has forced this adaptation. On Santa Cruz, which is a wetter, lusher island, the tortoises instead have domed shells, because they have no need to reach upwards to feed.

Other unique creatures of the archipelago include the marine iguana, which has evolved to feed in the ocean, where there is more food. And we must consider Darwin’s finches. The famed scientist noticed on an expedition that these simple birds looked different on different islands, which is how he came to pen his theory of evolution. The common cactus finch, for example, has a long, pointed beak designed to feed on the nectar and seeds of the cacti. While the large ground finch has a much chunkier beak, perfect for cracking open the seeds and nuts that are common in its home. Once upon a time, finches that didn’t have these adaptations would likely have starved, unable to breed and pass on their traits. Only the winners could breed, which is how evolution takes place over generations.

Conclusion

The Galapagos is a unique place, created thanks to a unique set of circumstances. The archipelago’s isolation allowed natural processes to flourish and a diverse set of landscapes and species to develop. Today, most of the archipelago is conserved for nature, to ensure we never lose this wonderful place.

Join us on this amazing bucket list trip:
 
https://www.recess4grownups.com/galapagos-cruise-2026/