Currently, I am in Florida for a college tour. The college is Nova Southeastern University. It is so beautiful here and the weather is amazing! There is a ton of great opportunities offered here like studying at a separate island at the oceanographic center, studying abroad, and taking trips to various other places. One of them includes the Galapagos Islands. For those of you who have not heard of this island, it is a unique island that holds many species of animals and plants and some that cannot be found anywhere else.

 

Island Map                                                                    Galapagos

The Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Ocean about 800 miles left of Ecuador. The islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands. The famous trait of the area of the endemic species, or species defined to a geographical location. There is a population of about 25,000 here and the main language spoken is Spanish.

 

Blue-footed Booby      Flightless Cormorant       Batfish     Fur Seal     Penguin

One of the most popular birds at Galapagos is the Blue-footed Booby. They make high dives into the ocean to catch fish. One of the world’s rarest bird species are the Flightless Cormorant. There is less than a thousand left on the island. At the depths of the ocean, there are fish called the Galapagos Batfish. They miraculously walk on the ocean floor using their pectoral fins. The Galapagos Fur Seals are smaller and much less commonly seen. Their fur color can range dark brown to light gray. The Galapagos penguins are only nineteen inches tall and weigh about five pounds. They just look so adorable.

Island Pic

If you get the special chance to travel to the islands, I promise you will not regret it. It is amazing how there are animals living here that cannot be seen anywhere else. Just about in the middle of the ocean, these islands prove to be a wondrous and beautiful site to be at.