HD8G-Galapagos Islands

The HD8G team will be at IOTA SA – 004 in the Galapagos Islands from April 18 to 25, 2025.
Team – HC5VF, PY2DV, PY2EL, PY2MC, PY2PT, PY2WAS, PY3MM, PY4RGS, PY5CC, PY5HSD, PY5KD, PY6HD, PY6RT, PR7AB, PY7XC, PS8RV, PV8DX, VU2RS, YT1AD.
Nearest DX Point HD 8G
HD8G Log Searchsearch They will operate on the HF band.
QSL by M0URX.

The Galapagos Islands: A corner of the Earth untouched by civilization

The few tourists who are lucky enough to visit the Galapagos Islands are left indifferent by the colors of the islands, the bright natural colors and the characteristics of the people.

The coordinates of this paradise

The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, close to the equator. This territory falls under the jurisdiction of Ecuador. There are a total of 19 islands and hundreds of rocks of different heights in the archipelago. The history of the appearance of the first land here dates back to the era of tectonic activity about 10 million years ago. The formation of the youngest islands has not yet ended, as direct evidence of the volcanic eruption 10 years ago.

The local population is spread over the two largest islands – San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz. The indigenous population is estimated at 23,000 (out of a total provincial population of 25,000).

Galapagos Islands. Author – Kirk K..

love at first sight

What makes the Galapagos Islands different from other picturesque places on Earth? First of all, there is a rich world of flora and fauna. Almost all of the flora and fauna of the archipelago are endemic. For example, only here you can see the largest land tortoise, known as the elephant or Galapagos. Its shell length reaches 2 meters and weighs about 400 kilograms.

In addition to giant tortoises listed in the Red Book of many countries in the world, the Galapagos Islands also have a variety of rare lizards, iguanas, flamingos and penguins. Sharks, sea lions and giant whales live in the sea. Galapagos seagulls, petrels and other equally rare birds hover over the water.

The Galapagos Islands were thoroughly explored by Charles Darwin, whose research laid the foundation for the theory of evolution. According to the naturalist, the archipelago is “a little world unto itself.” Modern scientists call the islands “natural laboratories.”

Galapagos Islands. Author – Scott T..

The national nature reserve is vast

The Galapagos Islands were discovered not by purpose but by accident. In 1535, the traveler Tomás de Berlanga sailed from Panama to Peru. The sailor strayed off course and stumbled upon these beautiful places. However, until the 1930s, criminals were sent here to do hard labor and pirates found a place to hide.

After 1930, national policy changed dramatically and the Galapagos Islands were recognized as a national protected area. The territory of the modern park covers 97.5% of the archipelago. The area is also protected by UNESCO. Since 1985, the Galapagos Islands have been recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve. The 70,000 square kilometers of seawater surrounding the land are also considered a protected area. The waters around the archipelago are the second largest marine protected area, the first being the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

The threats facing the Galapagos Islands are rare species of plants and animals brought to the islands by pirates. There are many predators in these places: rats, wild cats. But common animals such as horses, pigs, sheep reproduce quite quickly. For Paradise Islands, the introduction of animal species can be called a real ecological disaster – animals brought from outside destroy vegetation and sometimes pose a real danger to local residents. For example: the proliferation of rats on one of the islands led to the mass destruction of turtle nests, as a result of which these foreign animals suspended the reproduction process for more than 50 years.

Today, ecologists are beginning to remove exotic plant and animal species from the archipelago to prevent them from overpopulating and extinct the Galapagos. For example, seemingly harmless blackberries, avocados, and citrus fruits have taken over parts of the islands. And the shrubs that have always grown here are gradually dying out.

Galapagos Islands. Author – Kasia Halka.

Galapagos Islands Tourism Business

Despite the fact that the archipelago is far from civilization, this area has not lost its tourist appeal. Water traffic between the islands is accompanied by constant noise from motorboats, which does not have the most positive effect on the ecological balance.

Each of the large islands has its own name, and these Caribbean-Spanish names spark the imagination of sensitive travelers: Fernandina Island, Española Island, Isabela Island, Santa María Island, Santa Cruz Island and San Salvador Island. The average price of a trip from Moscow to Ecuador is 190,000 rubles per person for 10 days.

Now to the most interesting islands:

• Isabela Island – the largest of the Galapagos Islands, with numerous lagoons. The waters are filled with sharks, killer whales and other animals. The main attraction here is Urbina Bay, which is home to colorful iguanas, penguins and the largest colony of giant tortoises. The highest point of the entire archipelago, Wolf Volcano, is also located here. The crater of another volcano, Serra Negra, is huge, with a diameter of 10 kilometers;
• The second largest island. Santa Cruz Island has a well-developed infrastructure. The city of Puerto Ayora offers tourists a variety of recreational activities. Main attractions: Darwin Scientific Station for studying sea turtles, twin craters, unique bays;
• Fernandina Island is the third largest island. It is home to the La Cumbre volcano, and tourists are interested in the largest colony of marine iguanas, Cape Espinosa, and the picturesque coral reefs of Urbina Bay. Another island bay, Elizabeth Bay, is home to pelicans and penguins;
• Although small, San Salvador Island is rich in scenery, with black rocks of volcanic origin.

The capital of the Galapagos Islands is located on the island of San Cristóbal, poetically named Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The airport is also located here, where all tourists fly in. You can reach the Islands by plane, which takes 3 hours from Quito (Ecuador) and 1.5 hours from Guayaquil.

The weather on the island depends on the ocean currents and winds. There are 2 seasons on Galopogosa Island:

• The rainy season is from December to April;
• The dry season is from July to October.

The hottest period here is from December to the end of June, and then the temperature slowly drops. The annual average fluctuates around +24°C.

The level of UV radiation in the Galapagos Islands is so high that tourists who are not prepared for such an intense tan will get sunburned in a few minutes. Guides strongly recommend, especially in the first days of rest, the use of wide-brimmed hats and effective sunscreen. Swimming is prohibited without permission, which mainly concerns wild beaches – the object of the excursion program. For safe water activities, the archipelago is equipped with excellent beaches, where vacationers, in addition to swimming, can go windsurfing, snorkeling and diving.

On Santa Cruz, the most developed island in the archipelago (of course, that standard applies to Ecuador), there is good wifi, nice Japanese restaurants, and many modern, comfortable hotels.

In this corner with well-developed infrastructure, you can easily see sea lions, which swim to the shore along the fish market and beg for various foods. This is the charm of Garopogosi, where wildlife and civilization are so organically intertwined.

HD8G. Where are the Galapagos Islands located. Map.