Giant four-foot tortoises march proudly across the beaches. Sea-lion pups and penguins play in the sun. Blue-footed boobies show off their odd feet to their mates. And seahorses and hammerhead sharks swim in the surrounding sea.
There is no place else on earth with the peculiar variety of life found in the Galápagos (Gah-la-pa-goes) Islands, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. No wonder that when they were first discovered by a Spanish bishop in 1535, he called them Las Encantadas--the Enchanted Isles.
A Living Laboratory
Most of the lizards and insects and about half the birds and plants on the islands are found only in the Galápagos. Among them: Galápagos penguins, waved albatross, seagoing iguanas and Scalesia trees, which are giant relatives of sunflowers.
The islands were formed by undersea volcanoes. They were never part of any continent. That is one reason why so many of the animals and plants have developed their own unique characteristics.
Because of the wonderful variety of species, scientists consider the Galápagos to be a valuable natural laboratory. It's a perfect place to learn how animals and plants evolve. A visit to the islands in 1835 inspired the naturalist Charles Darwin to come up with his theory of evolution.
The theory explains how species change over time in response to their environment. Darwin was especially interested in the tortoises and the 13 kinds of Galápagos finches. Each type has a slightly different-shaped beak, perfectly adapted for eating a certain kind of food.
A Human Invasion
But now a new species is causing trouble in the Galápagos: humans. Tourists have flocked to the islands to see the natural wonders. The tourist business has attracted Ecuadorian people, who work in hotels and restaurants or as fishermen. The population of the islands has grown from 2,000 in 1970 to nearly 15,000 now.
The human invasion has disturbed this special habitat. People have killed tortoises for food. They have polluted the land and water. Settlers also brought goats, dogs, burros and other animals that are making life difficult for native species.
The goats, for example, are gobbling up plants that tortoises depend on for food. The burros trample on the tortoises' nests. On part of the island of Isabela, dogs have eaten most of the land iguanas. And insects like fire ants and wasps, which are not native to the islands, are taking over.
Meanwhile, fishermen are killing sharks for their fins and wiping out native populations of sluglike sea cucumbers. Shark fins and sea cucumbers are sold in Asia as gourmet treats.
The Ecuadorian government has tried to protect the Galápagos wildlife. In 1959 it declared 97% of the islands to be a national park. It passed laws limiting fishing. The waters in and around the islands have been declared a marine sanctuary that must be respected by all nations.
Finding A Solution
The islanders say the rules are unfair. The laws make it hard for them to earn a living. In September a group of islanders invaded national-park offices and the research station to protest the laws.
Last week tour operators and government officials met to discuss the problems. Both groups agree that the people have a right to earn their living. Still, no one wants to see this extraordinary place damaged further. Scientists say the human population must be limited. Foreign animals must be kept out. And park rangers need more money and help to protect the habitat. If there is one place in the world worth saving, says Matthew James, a paleontologist and expert on the islands, "it's the Galápagos."