EarlySpanishsailorscalledtheislands“LasEncantadas,”meaning“theenchanted.”Whatbetternameforagroupofislandsthatseemedtosometimesdisappearinashroudof mist?

Theywerediscoveredbyaccidentin1535byaSpaniardnamedTomásdeBerlanga.HisshipwasboundforPeru,buthewascarriedoffcoursebystrong currents.

Fromthelate1500stotheearly1800s,theGalápagossawmanyapirate,buccaneer,andwhaler.TheSpanishwereseekinggoldandsilverfromPeru.TheBritishwereintentonstealingthislootfromtheSpanish.Itwasn’tuntil1832thatEcuadorofficiallytookpossessionofthe islands.

Theseislandsteemwithlife.Frigatebirdssoar.Blue‑footedboobiesdiveintotheocean.Sealionscallouttotheiryounginshort,honkingblasts.Giantlandtortoiseslumberalong.Marineiguanasclingtoslipperyrocks.Galápagospenguinszippastthemlikerockets.Wavedalbatrossesclacktheirbeakstogetherlikesabers.SallyLightfootcrabsskitteralongthe beach.

Takeacloserlookatthemapabove.Referbacktoitoften.Ithelpstellthetaleoftheseislandsandhowtheycametobe.Thisplacewasbornoftheelements—offire,wind,andwaves.Onceyouunderstandthebirthoftheseislands,you’llbegintoseewhatlivesthereandwhy.Thenyou’llreadofafamousvisitor—naturalistandexplorerCharlesDarwin—andwhathisjourneytotheislandsmeanttoscience.WithDarwin’stheoriesinhand,you’llexploretheplantsandanimalsthatlivetherethatdon’tbelong.Andfinally,you’lllearnaboutoneoftheislands’mosticonicspecies:thegiant tortoise.

Itisn’tpossibletotellyoueverythingyouneedtoknowabouttheGalápagosIslands.Butwehopethesestorieswillstartyouonalifelongjourneytoknowmoreaboutthismagical place.

BrennaMaloney,managing editor,Explorer