What in the world did our planet look like before man got involved? Everywhere we see the hand of man. Big cities, industrial plants, trash on the side of the road. We have our National Parks which are fairly pristine, but we do see the hand of man in our parks. Ranchers are allowed to graze their cattle, there are roads and bathrooms and markers to explain the significance of a particular area. What if there was a place where you could see the hand of our Creator more than the hand of man? See His creations in their natural environment up close and not behind a glass partition. Our Creator, in His infinite love and wisdom, created a fine-tuned universe for us that is “very good” and based on laws that do not change. Steed, God of Wonders, A daily Devotional, 2012.
Such a place is the Galapagos Archipelago. The Galapagos Archipelago was visited by Charles Darwin while he was on his five-year journey surveying the world. He spent five weeks on the islands in 1835. His observations led to the theory of evolution by natural selection and has inspired a century and a half of scientific exploration.
“During the four and a half centuries since their discovery, the Galapagos Islands have had a rich and varied history. Buccaneers, whalers, fur seal hunters, scientists, the military, convicts, fishermen, farmers and homesteaders have all left their mark on the island and their biota.” Jackson, Galapagos, A Natural History, 1993. The islands were discovered in 1535 when the Bishop of Panama’s ship was carried by the currents while in route to Peru. He provided the first descriptions of the giant tortoises and iguanas and also the tameness of the birds. Pirates used the islands for refuge as well as a base for their raids. It is believed that rats were first introduced onto the islands by pirates.
The first scientific expedition was in 1790 by the Spanish. in 1793 the English arrived to investigate whaling and created the first accurate navigational charts. The whaling industry lasted for a century and a half with devasting results. At the same time the fur seals were hunted to near extinction. The tortoises were also decimated, and several species were hunted to extinction. Whaler logs show that 15,000 tortoises were captured between 1811 and 1844 (Townsend 1925). It is estimated that over 100,000 tortoises were taken. The introduction of domesticated animals and non-native plants have had a devasting effect on the wildlife. The Charles Darwin Research Station has been successful in reintroducing the Giant Tortoise and the species is now off the endangered list.
The islands were declared as a national park in 1959.
It is thought that the first resident in 1807 was a result of a shipwreck. in 1813, a U.S. warship was dispatched to destroy the British whaling fleet. Goats were accidently released on Santiago Island at this time
The islands were annexed by Ecuador in 1832. Subsequent to annexing a small colony was established but turned into a penal colony. Over the next century failed attempts for colonization were common. During World War II, the US was allowed to construct and airbase on Batra Island. Currently, there is an airport on San Cristobal Island. The four inhabited islands are Isabela, Floreana, Santa Cruz and San Crisobal each having a small settlement.
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:7-12
The Galapagos Island remain well preserved as a natural environment in large part due to the National Park rules. Rules include: nothing can be removed from the islands or brought to the islands. Check your shoes or boots for dried mud before leaving the boat. No pets allowed; bring no food to the uninhabited islands: do not touch wildlife; no feeding wildlife. All groups have to be accompanied by a qualified guide approved by the national park. The park is divided into different zones where the public is restricted or prohibited. Boat captains and guides must have permits. There are no bathrooms on the islands and access is only by boat. When I was visiting, the guides explained to us that each group was only allowed in one area at a time and each group had a maximum amount of time allowed in that area.
“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Ps. 17:8, NIV
Research and conservation on tortoises, vegetation, etc., on targeted islands
Breeding and rearing tortoises of threatened species
Repopulation of islands where tortoises went extinct
Research and management of tortoise-human interactions and conflicts.
This ambitious initiative builds on a half century of tortoise research and conservation carried out by the Charles Darwin Research Station, the GNPD, and numerous visiting scientists and volunteers. Since its establishment in 1985, Galápagos Conservancy has supported much of this work. Giant tortoise species, along with the endemic rice rats, were the most historically decimated species in the Galápagos Islands. Humans, primarily buccaneers and whalers, exploited them as a food source during the 18th and 19th centuries. They were later harvested for oil. Today, limited poaching of tortoises still occurs in some areas. Introduced species (primarily rats, pigs, dogs, and the Solenopsis ant) prey on tortoises (particularly eggs and hatchling tortoises); others (goats, cattle, donkeys, and invasive plants) damage or destroy tortoise habitat.
A total of 15 tortoise species have been identified. According to the IUCN Red List, six are considered Critically Endangered, three Endangered, three Vulnerable, and two Extinct. In the case of the Fernandina tortoise, it is probably extinct but anecdotal information suggests that a few individuals may remain. The fifteenth species, from Santa Fe Island, went extinct in the mid-1800s; as there is no complete museum specimen, only pieces, the species was never officially described or named.
Iniciativa Galápagos (formerly known as the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative) is a collaborative effort led by Galápagos Conservancy and the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD). The long-term goal of the initiative is to restore tortoise populations to their historical distribution and numbers across Galápagos, including on islands where tortoises went extinct. This historic effort is composed of four main components:
Research and conservation on tortoises, vegetation, etc., on targeted islands
Breeding and rearing tortoises of threatened species
Repopulation of islands where tortoises went extinct
Research and management of tortoise-human interactions and conflicts.
This ambitious initiative builds on a half century of tortoise research and conservation carried out by the Charles Darwin Research Station, the GNPD, and numerous visiting scientists and volunteers. Giant Tortoise Restoration in the Galápagos Islands | Galápagos Conservancy (galapagos.org)
Given that the historical population throughout the Archipelago was between 200,000-300,000 tortoises, and the current population is 10-15% of that, this recovery will be a long, slow process. The primary method to rebuild these populations as quickly as possible is by collecting eggs and/or hatchlings from natural nests and rearing the young in captivity, by-passing the years of highest mortality before releasing them back into the wild.
Rearing young tortoises in captivity to approximately 5 years of age prior to releasing them into the wild is a vital tool in rebuilding population numbers quickly. Tortoise mortality in the wild is highest over the first couple of years, often due to lack of food or water as well as tortoise hatchlings being easy prey for both endemic and invasive predators. Once a tortoise reaches five years old, it is more likely to survive to maturity. Captive rearing has been used in Galápagos since 1965 to help restore threatened tortoise populations of 9 of the 11 surviving species. Improvements in nesting areas and incubation and rearing techniques over the decades has made this one of the most successful conservation programs in Galapagos. The long-term goal of the Giant Tortoise Restoration Initiative is to restore all tortoise populations to their historical distribution and numbers. When the Galapagos National Park was established in 1959, there were 11 surviving tortoise species. Some were on a path to extinction. Others, while vulnerable or threatened, could survive without human intervention. Giant Tortoise Restoration in the Galápagos Islands | Galápagos Conservancy (galapagos.org)
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