GIANT TORTOISES ON THE GALÁPAGOS
Our Galapagos wildlife Holidays
Galapagos cruises
Cruise the Galapagos Islands on sailing boats and yachts
Galapagos land based adventure holiday
Amazing wildlife, both on land and underwater
Galapagos & Amazon wildlife holiday, Ecuador
The ultimate wildlife trip to the Amazon and Galapagos
Galapagos cruise options, tailor made
The greatest wildlife experiences tailor made
Galapagos & Machu Picchu holiday in Ecuador and Peru
Discover Peru's Machu Picchu and the Wildlife-rich Galapagos
Flexible Galapagos Islands tailor made tour
Your choice of four to eight-day land-based adventure
Galapagos Islands holiday
Home to many interesting species of endemic wildlife
Galapagos activity & wildlife holiday, land based
Tailor-made land-based activity holiday in Galapagos
Costa Rica and Galapagos wildlife holiday
Galapagos wildlife cruise plus Costa Rica nature/beach week
Galapagos adventure holiday
An active Galapagos Islands adventure holiday
Classic Galapagos Island hopping
Highlights of the Galapagos, discover the main Islands
Galapagos cruise holiday
Discover rich marine life, abundant bird colonies and stunning landscapes
Galapagos Islands cruise, 10 days
A fantastic, in-depth Galapagos experience
Galapagos multi activity holiday
An amazing adventure Galapagos Multi-sports
Ecuador and Galapagos tour
Explore the Andean landscapes in Ecuador and the Galapagos
Budget Ecuador and Galapagos holiday, 23 days
Experience all of Ecuador for travelers on a budget
Ecuador & Galapagos holiday, tailormade
Discover the Andes, Amazon and Galapagos
Galapagos cruise plus Ecuador and Peru
Combine two truly outstanding places in South America
Galapagos holiday cruise options
Excellent selection of small and midsize Galapagos cruises
Ecuador highlands tour & Galapagos cruise
Experience Ecuador's stunning highlands and the Galapagos
Peru and Galapagos active holiday
Private Inca Trail away from crowds & small boat cruise.
Peru and Galapagos holiday
An inspirational tour combining Peru, Ecuador & the Galapagos
Galapagos adventure holiday
Unique Wildlife, Snorkeling, Hiking, Cycling, Kayaking
Galapagos and Inca Trail tour
Unique adventure of ancient sights & breathtaking beauty
Galapagos and Ecuador wildlife tour
Amazon jungle and then cruise the mysterious Galapagos islands
Galapagos tailor made adventure holiday
Explore Galapagos Islands; active tour and cosy hotels
Galapagos luxury cruise
Cruise the Galapagos on a vessel custom made for the islands
Galapagos island hopping tailor made holiday
Hop between islands on this innovative lodge-based holiday
Galapagos 5 day cruise, Ecuador
Cruise around the incredible and unique Galapagos Islands
Galapagos tailor made holidays
An adventure in the Galapagos to see the amazing wildlife
Links to the past
In the early 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors were introducing the delights of Catholicism and colonialism to unsuspecting South Americans, the Galápagos Islands were stumbled upon by the fourth Bishop of Panama, Tomás de Berlanga. The bishop had been sailing to Peru, but powerful currents and a lack of wind took Berlanga to the previously unchartered archipelago. What he discovered on the islands inspired him to put quill to parchment and inform the Roman and Spanish Emperor of his adventures.Berlanga described the islands as containing: “…muchos lobos marinos, tortugas, higuanas, galápagos…” which translates as “…many sea lions, turtles, iguanas, tortoises…” Although the ancient Spanish word for tortoise – galápago – changed over time, the name stuck for the islands. Unfortunately for tortoises their meat would also stick in the minds of visiting buccaneers, whalers and sailors, due to the ease of keeping them onboard ships until they could be slaughtered for food. It wasn’t until the arrival of US Naval Officer David Porter in the early 18th century that tortoises were considered as anything other than, ironically, fast food.
Captain Porter documented his travels in the Pacific as part of his book, Journal of a Cruise, in which he noted his observations of the types of tortoise that he’d seen on each island. The different shells were of particular interest to Porter, and would also be of interest to a certain Charles Darwin who read Porter’s journal in readiness for his own voyage of discovery on board the HMS Beagle in 1835. At the time the islands were known as the Archipelago of Ecuador; however, they were also detailed on maps as Insulae de los Galápagos – Islands of Tortoises. Today there are around 20,000 tortoises living in the Galápagos – not a patch on the 250,000 or so that would have greeted Tomás de Berlanga towards the end of the Middle Ages.
Conserving the future
Lonesome George
In 2012 the only tortoise living on Pinta Island – Lonesome George – died, and so ended the Pinta Island species. George was an ambassador for the islands as well as a conservation superstar and considered to be one of the most important creatures on the planet due to his size, age and as the last known survivor of his species. The legend of Lonesome George lives on and his image has become an emblem for the Galápagos Conservation Trust and the Charles Darwin Foundation. A visit to the research station in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz is one of the best ways to learn about ongoing projects to ensure extinction doesn’t happen to any more of the islands’ sub-species. Tortoises at egg stage all the way through to adults – some of whom can grow to a metre and a half long and weigh up to 200kg – can be seen at the centre alongside other rescued reptiles, such as land iguanas and snakes.Our top Galapagos wildlife Holiday
Galapagos cruises
Cruise the Galapagos Islands on sailing boats and yachts
Daily departures throughout the year.
Galápagos tortoise environment
Symbiotic relationship with finches
The folds in a tortoise’s neck make the perfect environment for ticks and insects to thrive. Although this isn’t probably that much of an irritation to the tortoise there is another animal in the Galápagos that has made itself available when it comes to tackling ticks. The Galápagos or Darwin's finch has formed a relationship that benefits both parties. The finch gets food and the tortoise gets a good old clear out of its skin folds. Everyone’s happy, except for the ticks.Mating season for Galápagos tortoises
Hot weather, from January to May, tends to signal the start of the main tortoise courtship season, although mating can be seen at any point in the year. The ‘act’ can last quite some time, over a few hours, and involves the male balancing on its hind legs whilst omitting a loud roar-like squeal – the only time a tortoise can be heard other than the occasional hiss. Post-coital, the female can keep hold of fertilised eggs for up to four years, seeking out ideal nesting sites using her snout to check the ground temperature. South facing dry slopes are what the female ideally will be looking for.Once she’s happy with conditions she’ll dig a hole with her hind legs before depositing the eggs one at a time, being careful to avoid eggs breaking in the process. The mother lays between two to 16 eggs at a time and she doesn’t have to lay all of her fertilised eggs in one go. Once eggs are laid the ground will be covered and warmed by the sun so as to incubate the eggs for around four months before they’re ready to hatch.