Galapagos vacations. Sea Lions. Galapagos Islands tourism. Making the journey

A tour of the Galapagos Islands provides an amazing opportunity to get in touch with nature. You will see endemic animals: sea and land iguanas, giant turtles, sea lions, penguins, blue-footed booby and magnificent frigates. The flora and fauna of the islands is not too rich, but it is extremely unusual. The Galapagos Islands got their name from the giant sea turtles living on them, in Spanish called in the plural "galapagos" - "water turtles".

The brightest page in the annals of the Galapagos is associated with the name of the great Darwin, who lived here for five weeks in 1835. Darwin is the main star and hero of the Galapagos. On all the islands there is a street named after him, several monuments and busts of the scientist have been installed.

Seals in the general opinion of travelers is the most important and indelible impression of the Galapagos. They are incredibly adorable and sweet. In Kurt Vonnugut it was they who became the successors of humanity on Earth after all people on all continents died out. They are very similar to people, or rather to the kids, expressive eyes, constantly frolic and play, and sleep all the rest of the time. Cute-clumsy on the ground, in the water they are swift and elegant. But unlike shy fish and slow-moving turtles, they often eagerly allow a human diver to chase them, often behaving like a dog running around the owner.

People are actually guests here, and the real owners of the islands are seals. They are so numerous, omnipresent and beautiful. They are not embarrassed by visiting guests and do not scatter at the slightest rustle, and the guests behave decently. For animal photographers here is a real paradise. Bright lighting, blue sky, numerous as if posing objects for shooting.

Only nine species of mammals live here, but all of them are found only in the Galapagos archipelago. Galapagos is the cradle of life, the lost world, with a unique ecosystem. The world in which animals are not afraid of people and, despite all the difficulties, continue to live. Funny sea lions, unlike Galapagos tortoises, are found throughout the archipelago. Sociable and curious youngsters often approach boats with tourists, and especially arrogant climb aboard, asking for sweets in the form of sardines.

The Galapagos Sea Lion is one of three types of Californian sea lions. Type of non-migratory. The main habitat is the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos species is somewhat smaller than the Californian one; the weight of the males is about 250 kg. The greatest danger to these animals are sharks and killer whales. Galapagos sea lion feeds mainly sardines. By nature, they are very sociable and playful. They belong to endangered species.

Until the middle of the 20th century, the Galapagos sea lion was considered as a subspecies of the Californian, later it began to be considered as a separate species. Males guard the territory of the harem of several females (usually from 5 to 25). Sea lions breed from January to May. Adult individuals and young live in a large colony. Females protect their own and other young when the other animals go in search of food.

Incredible scenery. The authorities of the Galapagos Islands strictly ensure that tourists in any case did not bring any plants and animals. All this is done in order to preserve the unique ecosystem of these places. Export of any natural souvenirs is also prohibited. Even the crab shells will not be allowed by customs officials to take to the mainland with them. There are very few natural predators in the Galapagos Islands. One of the major local predators is the Galapagos Buzzard. It is an endemic species of the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, inhabiting open fields, coast, forests and mountains.

When a jet of molten rock rises from the mantle, it can create a volcanic island and swell the earth's crust for hundreds and thousands of kilometers. Gradually, a new patch of sushi conquers life. Over time, the island may sink or move along with the tectonic plate, but a new portion of magma will create a new one. The life cycle of volcanic islands is about the same everywhere, but the duration of their existence can vary from several million to tens of millions of years.

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