Avelo Airlines will launch flights to Puerto Rico from Delaware this fall, expanding its presence in the state. It will be the first carrier to offer nonstop flights to destinations outside the continental United States from the state.
25.07.2023 - 10:42 / matadornetwork.com
There’s only one place on Earth where you can see swimming iguanas, lava lizards, and giant tortoises: the Galápagos Islands. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, the archipelago off the shore of South America is a must-visit destination for anyone with a passion for fauna and flora, and their protection. 97 percent of the land was designated as a national park in 1959, and over 51,000 square miles of ocean around the islands have been a protected marine reserve since 1986, making for a destination where you’re a guaranteed to be immersed in nature and observe unique wildlife.
The Galápagos Islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, almost directly on the Equator. The islands are around 620 miles (1000 kilometers) from the South American coast.
The Galápagos Islands are a province of the South American country of Ecuador.
Every Ecuadorian province has its own flag, and so do the Galápagos Islands whose flag consists of three horizontal bands of equal size and three different colors: green, white, and blue.
Photo: npavlov/Shutterstock
The Galápagos is an archipelago that consists of 13 major islands, as well as some smaller islands and rocky islets. Figures about the total number of islands differ from source to source.
The 13 major islands of the Galápagos are:
According to UNESCO, there are around 30,000 people living on four of the main islands: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela Island, and Floreana. However, The Galápagos Conservancy, a non-profit organization whose goal is to protect the flora and fauna of the islands, estimates that there are less than 20,000 inhabitants spread around the same islands.
The islands were formed by seismic and volcanic activities that occurred along the boundary of the Nazca tectonic plate. The islands are simply layered piles of volcanic lava. There are still active volcanoes on the islands like Cerro Azul, Wolf, and Sierra Negra on Isabela Island, and Fernandina on Fernandian Island.
Not all the islands of the archipelago were formed at the same time. Española and San Cristóbal islands are believed to be between 3 to 5 million years old, while Isabela and Fernandina islands are less than one million years of age.
The islands were discovered in 1535 by Fray Tomás de Berlanga, the then Bishop of Panama. While he was on his way from Panama to Peru, Fray Tomás’ ship unintentionally landed on the islands that were, at the time, devoid of humans.
The most well-known animal living on the archipelago is the giant tortoise. Giant tortoises are the largest living tortoise in the world and they can only be found in the Galápagos. It is not a coincidence that the term “galápago” in Spanish means “tortoise”.
Other iconic species of the islands are:
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Avelo Airlines will launch flights to Puerto Rico from Delaware this fall, expanding its presence in the state. It will be the first carrier to offer nonstop flights to destinations outside the continental United States from the state.
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