Darwin called this the mystery of mysteries. The Gal pagos is still probably the best place on earth to explore the theory of evolution. The creatures that arrived here developed and changed over the millennia in unique ways. The islands thus became a petri dish of sorts and the creatures in it, an experiment. The experiment has been running now since the islands popped out of the sea, some five million years ago.
Scientists have the benefit of observing the results.
But now, just as they re starting to make sense of what they see, the experiment is getting contaminated. During GalapagosQuest, we gathered data, interviewed scientists, talked with locals and made observations. In general, the beauty and uniqueness of these islands impressed us. The dedicated people of the Gal pagos National Park Service and the Charles Darwin Research Station work hard to protect the islands and their wildlife. Thanks to their efforts, the endangered giant tortoises are beginning to recover and many animals, like sea lions, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies are doing well.