109 NGK0315galapagos5-6.v12

DID YOU
KNOW...?
Just as marine iguanas
sneeze to get rid of
excess salt, green turtles
shed large tears of salt
from special glands
behind their eyes!
Galápagos
mockingbird
Found on most islands in the
archipelago, the Galápagos
mockingbird played an important
part in developing Charles
Darwin’s ‘theory of evolution by
natural selection’ (see column,
opposite). But while this bird eats
fruit, nectar, insects and other
birds’ eggs, it also has a taste for
ticks (parasites) living on land
iguanas. It’s even been seen
drinking the blood of wounded
iguanas on Santa Fe island. Yikes!
Galápagos green turtle
These graceful creatures are the only species of sea
turtle that lay eggs on the Galápagos Islands. “They
don’t want to put them all in one basket, though,”
says naturalist Carlos King, “so to give their hatchlings
a better chance of survival they lay eggs in several
places over the course of a week.” Each nest can hold
at least 70 eggs! Smaller than other green sea turtles,
but still weighing up to 150kg, Galápagos’ green
turtles feed on seaweed and jellyfish and are often
spotted swimming alongside snorkellers in the sea. The
Galápagos is one of the few places in the world where
they come ashore to bask (rest) in the sun. Super chilled!
Galápagos hawk
Perched on rocks, tree branches, lava fields
or clifftops, scouring the distance for food,
these majestic birds of prey aren’t picky about
what they eat. They’ll hunt rodents, lava
lizards, baby turtles, small birds, snakes,
insects and even marine iguanas. “Marine
iguanas come inland to breed and the hawks
know this,” explains Carlos. “They nest at the
same time, and will feed young iguanas to
their chicks.” But sadly, there are now only
about 400-500 adult hawks left across the
archipelago and the bird is extinct on several
islands. Experts think this is because the
birds have been seen as pests by some people
living on the Galápagos and they even have to
compete with humans’ pets for food.
Galápagos sea lion
These cute critters love lounging around on
sandy beaches, welcoming visitors to the islands
with a friendly bark! Relatives of the Californian
sea lion (and distant relatives of dogs!), they’re
strong swimmers, sometimes travelling 15km
out to sea in search of food. Pups stay in crèches,
swimming and playing in shallow water until
they can start fishing for themselves. And if
pesky flies start ruining their afternoon siesta
in the sun, they needn’t worry – hungry
lava lizards will
dart over and eat
them off. Brilliant!
THE MYSTERY OF
LIFE
In 1831, a young naturalist
called Charles Darwin
boarded a ship called the
HMS Beagle and set out on
a fantastic five-year voyage
around the world to study
and collect animal, plant
and rock samples. Darwin
was amazed at the variety
of species he saw on his
adventure. The Beagle
visited the Galápagos
Islands and while he was
there Darwin collected
specimens and made
notes that would eventually
change the way people
thought about the world...
Creature clues
Darwin noticed that
although the different
islands had similar creatures
and plants, many seemed
to have adapted to suit
their local environments.
Charles
Darwin…
… noticed that
the finches...
… on each island
were unique!
Finches (a type of bird), for example, had
different beaks on each island, suited to eating
the particular seeds or insects found there! He
also noted remarkable differences between
the mockingbirds found on San Cristobal,
Floreana and two other islands. When he
returned to England he devoted his time trying
to figure out why they varied from place to place.
The mystery solved
In 1858, Darwin revealed his ‘theory of
evolution by natural selection’, to explain
how animals adapted to their environment to
survive. And the following year, he published
On The Origin Of Species – a book that would
change the world forever! Darwin explained
how species can ‘evolve’ (change or develop)
over time through a process called ‘Natural
Selection’. This shocked everyone because,
until then, it was widely believed that all the
animals on the planet had been made at the
same time by one creator. Some people still
believe that today. But Darwin scientifically
proved all the species on Earth had evolved
from earlier species – and that includes us!
Galápagos hawk and fish market © Tim Herbert.
All other images: Getty Images UK.
18 National Geographic Kids
Cheeky sea
lions are
regulars at
the fish market
in Puerto
Ayora, Santa
Cruz island!
NG KIDS cruised around the
Galápagos Islands on board Yacht La Pinta, one
of the most family-friendly yachts in the
Galápagos. Their eight-day / seven-night
Western Isles Itinerary starts from £5,047 for an adult and £3,775 for a child, based on a family
of four including flights from the mainland. To find out more about Yacht La Pinta, its exciting
Pirates Aboard Programme for children aged 6-12, and to book a trip yourself, head to journeylatinamerica.co.uk
ISLANDS IN PERIL!
Sadly, many of the Galápagos islands’
native creatures are now endangered.
Over the centuries, people moving there
brought with them cats, dogs, goats
and other ‘invasive’ animals which
have hunted the native species or
eaten their food. New diseases have also
been introduced, which can be deadly
to wildlife. Thankfully, YOU can help!
Find out more by visiting the
Galapagos Conservation Trust’s kids’
website – discoveringgalapagos.org.uk