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Environmental concerns surrounding the oil spill off the Galapagos Islands have brought the Ecuadorian islands to the attention of the world. On January 16th, 2001, the oil tanker Jessica ran aground off the coast of San Cristobal, the eastern-most island of the Galapagos, spilling approximately two-thirds of its 240,000-gallon cargo. Home to a spectacular variety of exotic plant and animal species, including giant tortoises, sea lions, and iguanas, the Galapagos provided 19th-century scientist Charles Darwin with a proving ground for his theories of evolution.
Many news sites provided reports on the spill and its cleanup, as well as background information on the islands. Among those sites, we note: Fear of an Ecological Disaster from
ABC News. The Inter-American Development Bank's online magazine, IDBAmérica, mentions their earmarking of $10.4 million. Also see the opening page of the Charles Darwin Foundation. The final report of the Foundation regarding the spill is available at: <http://www.darwinfoundation.org/oilspill.html>. Virtual maps of the islands can be seen from such sites as Robert George Daniel's Las Islas Encantadas: The Galapagos Islands and the Cornell University Galapagos Geology site listed below.
In addition to online material, a trip to your local library may reveal more material on this subject. The Library of Congress online catalog has a large number of books on the
Galapagos Islands. You may wish to consult our catalog for additional materials at <http://catalog.loc.gov/> Articles and other materials may also be found in the Handbook of Latin American Studies (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/hlas/).
Charles Darwin and the Galapagos (http://www.terindell.com/asylum/jason/darwin.html)
Web pages that discuss Charles Darwin and the Galapagos. Includes photographs and drawings.
Discover Galapagos. (http://www.discovergalapagos.com/mainmenu.html)
Provides information on the Galapagos Islands, aimed at tourists and compiled by Inti Travel and Tours in Canada. Includes photographs, lodging descriptions, a family travel planner, and information on Ecuador.
Exploring Ecuador (http://www.exploringecuador.com/)
Devoted to Ecuador with sections on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Business, Entertainment, Nongovernmental and governmental organizations, media and news, Regional information. Interface in English with links in English and Spanish.
Galapagos.com (http://www.galapagos.com/) is a commercial site for cruises and tours with information about the islands, its conservation, maps, and year round "happenings" on the islands.
Galapagos Geology Web Page (http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/Galapagos.html)
The intention of this web site is to provide information on the Galapagos Islands to both scientists and non-scientists alike. Charles Darwin was the first geologist to explore the Galapagos. He made many important observations of Galapagos geology and drew conclusions that remain valid today.
Galasam Galapagos Cruises. (http://www.galasam.com.ec/)
Profiles Galasam Galapagos Cruises, a tour operator company based in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Discusses cruises that the company operates on six different yachts in the Galapagos archipelago.
PBS - The Voyage of the Odyssey - Odyssey Today Archives (http://www.pbs.org/odyssey/odyssey/photo%5Fgalapagos.html)
The following images, with their Real Audio link, are from the four month, Galapagos Islands leg of the Voyage of the Odyssey from April to July 2000.
Voyage of the Beagle. (http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-voyage-of-the-beagle/)
Presents the full-text of "The Voyage of the Beagle" by Charles Darwin. Recounts the voyage of English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) on Her Majesty's Ship (H.M.S) Beagle beginning in 1831. Describes the animal life and the various locations in which the ship docked, including Central Chile, Australia, and the Galapagos Archipelago.
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