GALÁPAGOS NATURAL HISTORY
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Tourism
The Galápagos Islands, the world's leading ecotourism destination, are often
bypassed by birders due to the time and expense required to twitch the 28
endemic species. Since the corrupt and incompetent government of Ecuador, mass
immigration, introduced plants, animals and diseases, and unsustainable hunting,
fishing and tourism are systematically destroying the Islands' unique wildlife,
now is the time to go.
Books about the Galápagos
Juan Freile & Robin Restall. Birds of
Ecuador. Helm (Bloomsbury). (Forthcoming November 2016.)
US |
UK |
FR |
DE |
CA |
JP |
Miles McMullan & Lelis Navarrete. Fieldbook
of the Birds of Ecuador. Fundación Jocotoco
2013. Out of print, but available online at
Bookread - must disable Adblock Plus on the page &
register with Playster. You can read it for 30 days
free, after which you have to pay $10/month! Unclear
whether it can be downloaded for use after the 30 days
expire. The only copies in American libraries listed in
Worldcat are at
Columbia U. &
Stanford U., if you have access. Neither
participates in Inter-Library Loan.
US |
UK |
iJET Weekly Travel Intelligence Report -
Ecuador. (PDF download from Amazon.com.)
US |
Andy Swash & Robert Still. Birds, Mammals & Reptiles of the
Galápagos Islands.
WorldTwitch
2001 Technical Innovation Award. This is an impressive
little guide that anyone, birder or not, visiting the Galápagos
should take along. Robert Still, a computer graphics expert, has
seamlessly combined digitally enhanced photographs onto plates.
This is the first field guide I have seen with thorough coverage
of the endemic rice rats and lava lizards. 168 pages. Second
edition 2006 (2000), with corrections and additional photos.
Yale University Press:
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA || Helm:
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
Galápagos Diary: A Complete Guide to the
Archipelago's Birdlife, by Hermann Heinzel & Barnaby Hall.
U. of California Press & Christopher Helm, 2001. 272 pages.
931 color photos.
US |
UK |
A Guide to the Birds of the Galápagos
Islands, by Isabel Castro & Antonia Phillips. Princeton U.
Press, 1996.
US |
UK |
Brinley J. Best, Tom Heijnen & Robert S.R.
Williams. A Guide to Bird-Watching in Ecuador & the Galápagos
Islands. 486 pages. Biosphere Publications, 1996.
US |
UK |
Peter K. Grant. Ecology and Evolution of
Darwin's Finches. 512 pages. 20 color illus. 117 halftones.
101 line illus. Princeton University Press. Revised edition,
1999. Updated edition taking into account new discoveries made
in the 13 years since the original publication.
US |
UK |
Jonathan Weiner. The Beak of the Finch.
Pulitzer Prize winning book about the Grants' research on
Darwin's Finches. 332 pages. Vintage Books 1995 (1994).
US |
UK |
John Kricher. Galápagos. 256 pages.
Smithsonian Natural History Series, 2002.
US |
UK
Princeton University Press reprint 2006:
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UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
Michael D'Orso. Plundering Paradise: The
hand of man on the Galápagos Islands. 368 pages.
HarperCollins 2002.
US |
UK |
Julian Fitter, David Fitter & David Hosking.
Collins Safari Guide: Wildlife of the Galápagos. 254 pages,
more than 400 color illustrations. Collins Safari Guides 2000 &
Princeton U. Press 2002.
US |
UK |
David L. Pearson, Les Beleskey, John Meyers &
John O'Neill. Ecuador & Its Galápagos Islands: the
Ecotravellers' Wildlife Guide. Academic Press, 2000.
US |
UK |
Conley K. McMullen. Flowering Plants of the
Galápagos. 384 pages. 383 color photos. Cornell U. Press,
1999.
US |
UK |
Cleveland P. Hickman, Jr. & Todd L. Zimmerman.
A Field Guide to the Crustaceans of the Galápagos. 156
pages. 230 color photos. Sugar Spring Press. December, 2000.
US |
Cleveland P. Hickman, Jr. & Yves Finet. A
Field Guide to Marine Molluscs of the Galápagos. 150 pages.
Color photos. Sugar Spring Press, 1999.
US |
Cleveland P. Hickman, Jr. A Field Guide to
the Sea Stars & Echinoderms of the Galápagos. 83 pages.
Color photos. Sugar Spring Press, 1998.
US |
Paul Humann & Ned Deloach. Reef Fish
Identification: Galápagos. 240 pages. New World Publications
2003.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
Pierre Constant. Marine Life of the
Galápagos: A Diver's Guide to the Fishes, Whales, Dolphins &
Marine Invertebrates. 280 pages. Odyssey 2002.
US |
UK |
Michael H. Jackson. Galápagos: A Natural
History. U. of Calgary Press, 1994.
US |
David Horwell & Pete Oxford. Galápagos
Wildlife. Bradt 2005.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
Jack Stein Grove & Robert J. Lavenberg. The
Fishes of the Galápagos Islands. 863 pages. 521
illustrations, 151 in color. "The only comprehensive review of
Galápagos fishes." Stanford University Press, 1997.
US |
UK |
Ira L. Wiggins & Duncan M. Porter. The Flora
of the Galápagos Islands. 998 pages. "The official text of
flora investigations within the islands." Stanford University
Press, 1971.
US |
UK |
Barry Boyce. A Traveler's Guide to the
Galápagos Islands. 280 pages. Hunter Publishing 2004.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
David Andrew. Lonely Planet - Watching
Wildlife - Galápagos Islands. 160 pages. 2005.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
Rob Rachowieki & Danny Parmerlee. Lonely
Planet - Ecuador & the Galápagos. 6th edition 2003.
US |
UK
7th edition, August 2006.
US |
UK |
DE |
FR |
CA |
Richard Keynes (ed.) Charles Darwin's
Zoology Notes & Specimen Lists from the HMS Beagle.
Transcription of Darwin's field notes, the majority of which had
been unpublished. 464 pages. 2000. Cambridge U. Press.
US |
UK |
Paul H. Barrett & Richard B. Freeman (eds.)
The Works of Charles Darwin Vol 5: The Zoology of the Voyage of
HMS Beagle, Under the Command of Captain Fitzroy, During the
Years 1832-1836 (1838-1843): Part III Birds. 264 pages. NYU
Press, 1987.
US |
UK |
Charles Darwin. Janet Browne & Michael Neve
(eds.) The Voyage of the Beagle: Journal of Researches into
the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During
the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World. 432 pages.
Penguin Books, 1989.
US |
UK |
Birds of the Galápagos
Dr.
Fernando Ortiz-Crespo's Galápagos Pages
RIT Galápagos Pages
Sea Birds
Land Birds
Darwin's Finches
Birds of the Galápagos - Gary Feldman
Endangered Birds of the Galápagos
WWF Galápagos Slide Show by Wendy Kaveney
The Albatross Project Galápagos Study
"Finch DNA shows Darwin was right." Nicholas Wade, New York Times, 11 May
1999.
Past and present ornithology in Galápagos. By Hernán Vargas & Robert
Bensted-Smith.
Ornithology Program of the Charles Darwin Research Station
Recently introduced flies may threaten Darwin's finches. Philornis downsi
and Sarcodexia lambens. B. Tessel &
S. Tebbich, Ibis 144(3):445-451 (July 2002).
"Evolution of Galápagos Birds". 6th Clark Ornithology Symposium. 19-23 March
2003. Ohio.
Galápagos Maps
Map of the Galápagos Islands (Lonely Planet)
Map of Ecuador (UN - pdf)
Galápagos Organizations
Charles Darwin
Foundation, Inc.
Index of
Galápagos related articles and publications on the Charles Darwin Foundation
website
Charles
Darwin Research Station
The
Galápagos Coalition
Galápagos Conservation Trust
Parque Nacional
Galápagos
Sea Shepherd
Galápagos News
Sea
Shepherd Targets Galápagos Security as a Priority. 1 March 2004. "What we
are seeing is the rapid Hawaiianization of the Galapagos. The push is on to
build hotels, dock cruise ships and to bring hundreds of thousands of tourists
and tens of thousands of permanent residents to these islands that many people
throughout the world actually believe are uninhabited. It is a race between
developers and fishing companies to see who will destroy the islands first."
Population Migration Threatens the Galápagos. By Captain Paul Watson. 27
February 2004. "Policing the National Park Marine Reserve has been difficult
because of increasing population pressure, increased illegal fishing, increased
development and corruption. At the same time there is a plan to Hawaiianize the
islands and speculators are looking at building major hotel resorts and these
expensive resorts will not be on the 2.5% set aside for human settlement."
Sea
Shepherd updates, 12/2003: The Sirenian has completed her annual
dry-docking in Ecuador and is back on patrol in the Galápagos. The Farley
Mowat is in drydock in Seattle until the end of January and will depart for
the Galápagos in early February.
Captured
poacher's boat brings $30,000 to the Galápagos National Park. Sea Shepherd, 10
January 2004.
Raid on
Poacher's Camp Results in Large Seizure in the Galápagos. Sea Shepherd, 6
January 2004.
Immigration puts pressure on pristine Galápagos. By Amy Taxin, Reuters, 22
October 2003.
Online in Ecuador? It's taking awhile. New York Times, 2 January 2003.
It rarely makes economic sense to do business in such a corrupt country. A
cybercafé in the Galápagos paid $50,000 to set up satellite Internet access,
then had to pay Ecuadorian officials $300,000 in bribes.
21
March 2003: Sea Shepherd's Sirenian nabs another poacher in the
Galápagos.
18
September 2002: Sirenian catches poaching vessel in Galápagos Marine
Reserve.
Captain
Paul Watson's June 2002 report -- more bad news, as the poachers continue to run
amok with full support of the corrupt government of Ecuador.
Study says oil spill ravaged iguanas. By Andrew C. Revkin. New York Times,
6 June 2002. The population of Marine Iguanas on Santa Fé declined from
25,000 to 10,000 after the Galápagos oil spill.
Ecuador Improves for 2001! (Moves up past Bolivia to rank as the second most
corrupt country in Latin America -- Transparency International)
Galápagos dolphins die in tangled fishing nets. Reuters, 5 June 2002.
Illegal fishing obviously remains out of control.
Ecuadorian tuna industry threatens "tomarse Galápagos por la fuerza" [to take
the Galápagos by force]. El Comercio, 10 December 2001.
Ecuadorian court rules against illegal fishing vessels seized by Sea Shepherd.
25 October 2001.
Sea Shepherd representative released from jail but ordered to leave Ecuador. 10
September 2001.
Ecuador thugs (i.e., police) arrest Sea Shepherd representative. ENS, 31 August
2001. Illegal shark finners and long-liners go free.
Corrupt Ecuadorian Navy orders Sea Shepherd out of the Galágapos. ENS, 30 August
2001. While the Admiral's cronies continue to loot the marine sanctuary.
Ecuadorian Navy seizes Sea Shepherd vessel: Sea Shepherd repeatedly catches
illegal fishermen, and the corrupt Ecuadorian authorities release them.
28 August 2001 Update.
"Can the Galápagos Survive Vice Admiral Vega? A portrait of corruption." Sea
Shepherd, 5 June 2001.
"Ecuador Military Muzzles U.S. Galápagos Activist." Sea Shepherd, 4 June 2001.
Galápagos News
Updates from the Charles Darwin Foundation, Inc.
5 Galápagos tour boats certified (14 December 2000)
Galápagos Now. By Susan McGrath, Audubon Magazine, March-April 2001.
Lava Gull Threatened by Galápagos Oil Spill (BirdLife International, 24 January
2001)
Galápagos Journal: Isles Rich in Species Are Origin of Much Tension, by Larry
Rohter. New York Times, 28 January 2001.
Galápagos Oil Spill: Technical Report, 16 February 2001
Where Darwin Mused, Strife Over Ecosystem, by Larry Rohter. New York Times,
27 December 2000.
"Fishermen gut Galápagos research center." ENN, 21 November 2000
Galápagos Tourism
International Galápagos Tour
Operators Association
SmartVoyager® - Certification program for Galápagos tour boats
Ecuadorline - Galapagos tour information
La Hostería Isabela
del Mar
Red Mangrove Adventure Inn
Hotel La Casa de
Marita
Scuba Iguana Dive Center
See the
WorldTwitch directory of birding tours and lodges in the Americas for links
to operators of birding tours to the Galápagos.
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