Geography
The Galápagos archipelago (officially named the Archipiélago de Colón )
is in a constant state of change due to tectonic activity: volcanic
eruptions form and reshape islands, while sea-floor spreading pushes them
toward the continent. The Galápagos officially encompass a total land mass
of 7880 sq. km (4900 sq. miles) divided among thirteen large islands, six
smaller islands, and over forty officially named islets. The major islands
all have an area greater than 10 sq. km, the largest of which is the western
island of Isabela at 4588 sq. km (2850 sq. miles), more than half of the
total land area in the Galápagos. Isabela also contains the archipelago's
highest point, Volcán Wolf, with an altitude of 1701 meters (5600 feet).
Besides their unique geological history, the Galápagos receive much of
their scientific—as well as tourist—fame for their extreme geographic
isolation. The islands straddle the equatorial line at the 90 th meridian
west, a point in the Southeast Pacific Ocean . The nearest continental land
mass is mainland Ecuador, which is almost 1000 kilometers (620 miles) to the
east. Costa Rica 's Cocos Island is archipelago's nearest neighbor, lying
about 720 kilometers (450 miles) to the northeast.
The Galápagos Islands are generally categorized and clumped according to
their relative positions in the archipelago at cardinal points on the map.
The northern islands—Genovesa, Marchena, and Pinta—are those that are
outlying to the north, above the equatorial line. The central islands are
all islands within a limited radius (a few hours in transit) of the main
thoroughfare islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz , which include Daphne, North
Seymour, Santa Fé, North and South Plazas , Bartolomé, Santiago , Sombrero
Chino, and Rábida. The southern islands encompass the three large islands in
the lower archipelago—Floreana, Española, and San Cristóbal . And the
western islands are the young islands closest to the geological hot
spot—Isabela and Fernandina.
The location of the archipelago also coincides with the meeting point of
three major oceanic currents: the cold Humboldt Current arriving from the
southeast, the warm Panama current from the northeast, and the cold Cromwell
countercurrent from the central Pacific. The convergence of these currents
has a profound influence on marine temperature schema, manifesting in five
distinct sea surface temperature zones: one around the central island of
Santa Cruz, one in the warmer northern islands, one in the cooler southern
islands, one in the cold western sector of the Galápagos, and a fifth
transition zone where mean temperatures have the most dramatic seasonal
fluctuations.
Four of the islands— Santa Cruz , San Cristóbal , Isabela, and
Floreana—have human populations. Two of these islands—Santa Cruz and
Isabela—have their port towns of Puerto Ayora and Puerto Villamil located on
the islands' southeast side, a strategic positioning that takes advantage of
south-east trade winds that bring cool air and water currents from the
continent.
The wildlife you will see on your Galapagos tour are completely
unaffected by Galapagos travel visitors . For this reason, there is a
restricted number of visitors permitted into the Galapagos each year, as
part of a joint effort to protect the delicate environmental and ecological
equilibrium. The most sensible method of Galapagos travel is via our cruise
ships. The M/V Galapagos Legend provides 3 night, 4 night and 7 night
cruises to select from, which can also be easily merged with Galapagos
travel visits to neighboring South American locations