Galapagos is a living museum

The Dhaka Times Desk Galapagos is a living museum. Although it sounds like a fairy tale, there is actually such an archipelago. Today's article contains the story of those islands.

Charles Darwin's famous book is called 'On the Origin of Species'. The book was published in 1859. And he got the information to write this book from the islands, named Galapagos. The main animal of the Galapagos Islands is the giant tortoise. They have been living there for millions of years. They have not changed in all these years. About six hundred miles west of Ecuador are the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Islands formed from volcanoes. Some islands are still under construction. This island was discovered by Christopher Columbus. He went out with the ship talking about the discovery of India. Some islands are still forming here. The names of most of the islands are reminiscent of Christopher Columbus, America's acknowledged discoverer. Some of the islands are named Pinta and Santa Maria - after one of the caravel ships. Columbus' home Italy also has an island named Genoa. There is also the name of King Ferdinand of Spain. There are Baltra and San Cristobal. But it was actually a hideout of Spanish pirates. People weren't like that. Still only thirty thousand people live in these islands. Most of them work in the sea to catch fish and sharks. Tourists come for a fee of 2 lakhs a year. That is the attraction and source of income of the Galapagos.

View Larger Map

However, the name of Galapagos has been unforgettable for one of the world's naturalists, British citizen Charles Darwin. The Galápagos is the foundation of his unforgettable career. Charles Darwin came here in 1885. Aboard a British Navy ship named HMS Beagle. His research station is still preserved here. Galapagos also means tortoise in Spanish. And because of his world-famous research, today so many tourists come to this island to see the strange fauna here. But it also has its dangers. Environmental pollution has occurred here. A variety of insects, mosquitoes and even cattle have arrived by air, which is hostile to the native fauna of the country. Ship oil is dumped here. Tourists and residents generate various wastes. The sharks off the coast are hunted by pirates to sell the expensive food shark fins in the Chinese market. These sharks are generally not aggressive. That's why Galapagos is also famous for scuba diving. Apart from this, there are no ferocious carnivores in this archipelago.

In fact, these islands are a remarkably quiet laboratory of nature. That's why UNESCO declared it a 'World Heritage' to protect the endangered islands and its fauna and listed the islands and their animals as endangered.

The Galapagos Islands belong to the Galapagos Province of Ecuador and are part of the country's national park. The main language of the people of the islands is Spanish. The islands have many endemic and rare species. The species is found nowhere else except in the Galapagos. The first perfect navigational map of the island was made in 1684. The map was made by Ambrose Cowley of Buccaneer. He named various islands in the archipelago after his fellow pirates. He also named several islands after English aristocrats who aided him in his voyages. Currently, the Ecuadorian government has given different Spanish names to almost all the islands. Although Spanish names are used in official and government work, many still refer to them as Old English names.

This was roughly the story of the Galapagos Islands. The island is home to giant tortoises, similar animals, giant chameleon iguanas, duck-like two-legged albatross, penguins and seals. Seals are not afraid of humans. You can also go there if you want. Source: Online.