Brief History of the Galapagos Islands

• 1485 It's believed that a northern culture from Peru ruled by the Incas, the Chimu, were the first visitors.
• 1535 The Bishop of Panama, Fray Tomas de Berlanga, was in route to Peru. His ship drifted off course by the ocean currents and "discovered" the Galapagos Islands.
• 1593 - 1710 The Galapagos Islands were pirate’s favorite hideout and supply base for water and meat (particularly the giant tortoises).
• 1793 - 1870 Industrial revolution had changed and rather than Spanish gold, seafarers searched oil which came from whale's blubber. This exploitation on the Galapagos brought the tortoise, fur seals and sperm whales, near extinction.
• 1835 The Beagle visited the Galapagos Islands. Charles Darwin studied and noted the similarities and differences of the flora and fauna. He concluded that the species, to survive, would gradually alter based on environmental conditions.
• 1859 After 20 years of his life gathering supporting evidence, Darwin published "The Origin of the Species by Natural Selection".
• 1892 Galapagos is officially names "Archipielago de Colon" in honor of Christopher Columbus's discovery of American 400 years earlier.
• 1959 100th Anniversary of the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species, the Galapagos Islands became Ecuador's first National Park and the non-profit Charles Darwin Foundation was established to assist the in preservation of the islands.
• 1978 The Galapagos Islands are declared “World Heritage” site by UNESCO underlining its universal value for mankind.