The Sally Lightfoot crab takes on bright red and blue hues when it reaches adulthood. It can be found throughout the Galápagos and on much of the western coast of South America. They are incredibly agile as they jump across the rocks and move in every direction — and are said to be named after the equally agile Caribbean dancer, Sally Lightfoot.

One of the smaller islands in the Galápagos, Floreana has quite a colorful history. Whalers set up a post office here in the 18th century, and an Irishman became the first person to live in the Galápagos in 1807. Ecuadorians used it as a penal colony in 1832. In the early 20th century, Norwegian and German immigrants arrived, and a small population of about 100 still lives on the island.

Venezuelan-born Simón Bolívar was an important figure in the move to liberate South America from European control. He led revolutions against the Spanish in Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. His connection with the latter helps to explain why the waters that separate Fernandina and Isabela Islands are known as the Straits of Bolívar. It is a popular area for whale watching.

The Galápagos racer is a type of snake endemic to the islands. Usually dark brown with either stripes or spots, depending on the subspecies, they do not pose a threat to humans. They prey mainly on reptiles, small mammals, and young birds. The exact number of racer species on the islands is unknown, but they are now thought to be extinct on the island of Floreana.

Wolf Volcano, also known as Mount Whiton, is located on Isabela Island. Reaching 5,580 feet above sea level, it is the highest peak in the Galápagos. Wolf Volcano is still an active volcano — it most recently erupted in January 2022 and, prior to that, in 2015.

The magnificent frigatebird has a variety of other names. Charles Darwin nicknamed it “the condor of the ocean” for its giant wingspan and lengthy sea flights. To the Spanish, it was “the pirate bird” because it steals food from other birds. It is easy to spot the male frigatebird by their jet-black feathers and bright red throat. During mating season, the males inflate their red throat pouch to attract females.

As its name suggests, the marine iguana is the only lizard in the world that can forage for food in water. Although other species of iguanas can swim, marine iguanas are the only ones that can spend prolonged periods of time underwater and that make tidal waters their main habitat. Because they eat algae, they can filter the excess salt from seawater and sneeze it out.

Darwin’s finches are fascinating evidence of how one species can adapt based on its environment. They formed a key role in proving Darwin’s theory of evolution. The 13 types of finch all evolved from one feathered ancestor, but as the descendants settled in different Galápagos habitats, they developed into 13 distinct species — with different coloring, beaks, and diets.

The vivid beaches of Rabida provide visitors with a clue about the island’s geology. Like many of the islands, Rabida is volcanic in origin. The ash left from eruptions contains a large amount of iron, and as a result, the island’s sand is a deep red color. The uninhabited island is a rich environment for many species of birds and seals.

The Galápagos penguin is one of the smallest penguin species, measuring an average of 19 inches in height. Sadly, the species is currently considered endangered after climate events in the 1980s decimated the population. The Galápagos penguin makes its home on several of the islands, including the northern point of Isabela which crosses the equator. This makes it the only penguin species to live wild in the Northern Hemisphere.

Santa Cruz, the second-largest island in the Galápagos, also has an English name. In 1812, the HMS Indefatigable visited the islands, and the island was named Indefatigable Island in its honor. A relatively large number of Americans and Europeans came to live on Santa Cruz Island between the two World Wars. Today, with a population of 12,000, it is the archipelago’s main tourist hub.

There are 29 species of cormorants around the world. However, the species endemic to the Galápagos is the only one that has evolved so that it cannot fly. A lack of natural predators and a readily available supply of food allowed them to adapt for swimming rather than flying. Their wings are only about a third of the size of a typical cormorant wingspan.

Possibly the best-known creature of the Galápagos Islands is the giant tortoise — indeed, the islands were originally named for them. Twelve different species live on the islands. They once numbered 250,000 or more, but only about 15,000 remain. The heaviest Galápagos tortoise on record weighed a whopping 573 pounds.

With its vividly colored feet, the blue-footed booby is a common draw for visitors to the Galápagos Islands. There are two other booby species resident on the islands: the red-footed and Nazca varieties, which are less numerous than their blue-footed cousins. The booby’s name is derived from the Spanish word for clown. Their large colorful feet and clumsy way of walking are reminiscent of a circus entertainer.

Covering an area of 2,249 square miles, Isabela Island is the largest of the Galápagos Islands. The island is largely volcanic, with two of its five craters still active. While Isabela crosses the equator at its northernmost tip, most of the island’s residents live in the southern town of Villamil.

As a province of Ecuador, the official language — and the most widely spoken language on the Galápagos Islands — is Spanish. Approximately 93% of Ecuadorians have Spanish as their primary language. Quechua is the next most common language, the primary tongue of 4.1% of the population. Many Ecuadorians are bilingual, speaking both.

Charles Darwin studied theology but decided to pursue his love of natural history as a career. In 1831, he set sail on the HMS Beagle to collect samples of flora and fauna along the South American coast. The voyage and the samples he collected led to a scientific breakthrough. Darwin wrote “On the Origin of Species” theorizing evolution and natural selection. His work also helped to draw popular attention to the Galápagos.

Some of the first Spanish explorers to visit the Galápagos Islands believed them to be magical and called them “Las Islas Encantadas” (Enchanted Isles). The islands were first included on a world atlas in 1570, labeled as the Galápagos. The name came from the old Spanish word for saddle and referred to the number of giant tortoises who lived on the islands.

The Galápagos Islands can be found in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Pacific is the largest ocean on Earth, covering one-third of the Earth’s surface. Stretching 62.5 million miles, the Pacific Ocean is home to thousands of islands of varying sizes.

A province of Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands are located approximately 600 miles west of the Ecuadorian mainland. Ecuador, located in the northwestern part of South America, has a total population of 18.2 million. Approximately 25,000 of those residents live on the Galápagos Islands.