Angermeyer Cruises Blog

Untouched by man they sit alone in the vast Pacific Ocean, 960km off the coast of South America, born of fire from the depths of the sea, these are the Galapagos Islands.  They are the Islands that changed the world forever, an untainted laboratory of life and home to some of the strangest creatures on earth like the sneezing marine iguanas and the diving flightless cormorant. 

The 13 major islands, 6 smaller ones and numerous islets were accidently discovered by ships becalmed off the coast of South America, who found themselves drifting west on the Humboldt current into the waters of the Galapagos Islands.  The first recorded discovery was made by the Bishop of Panama, Tomas de Berlanga, in 1535 en route to Lima. 

The archipelagos unique location on the equator and the upwelling of ocean currents have created one of the most unique places on earth, where penguins and sea lions live in the tropics and the nutrient rich waters are a paradise for seabirds and marine wildlife.  It is a place where the birds and animals have evolved without predators and fear no man, and where the only way to survive is to be different.

The colours of these untouched islands tell the story of life, reflect the changing currents and reveal a snapshot in time of a never-ending geological journey.