Did you know 1.97% of the Galápagos Islands is a national park? According to https://www.metropolitan-touring.com/facts-galapagos/, ´´The Galapagos Islands are famous for the diverse plant and animal life found both on land and in the surrounding seas.´´ The Galápagos consist of 13 major islands (ranging in area from 5.4 to 1,771 square miles [14 to 4,588 square km]), 6 smaller islands, and scores of islets and rocks lying at the Equator 600

miles (1,000 km) west of the mainland of Ecuador. (nationalgeographic.com) The Galápagos Islands are on the equator and the climate does not vary dramatically over the year. The climate of the Islands can best be described as subtropical. There is, however, some variation driven mainly by the ocean currents. December to May can be best described as the warm season. The Galápagos Islands are formed of lava piles and dotted with shield volcanoes, many of which are periodically active. According to https://nationalgeographic.com “The striking ruggedness of the arid landscape is accentuated by high volcanic mountains, craters, and cliffs.” My favorite fact about the Galápagos Islands is that the Galápagos Islands have many different and wonderful plants and animals that live there that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

Are you surprised to learn that the Galápagos penguins are the only penguin species to live on the equator? According to https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/galapagos-penguin/,´´Up to 77% of the Galápagos penguin population was wiped out by the 1982/1983 El Niño Southern Oscillation event, leaving only 463 total birds.´´ The Galápagos penguin height is 19 - 21 in. (Adult), the length of it is 1.7 ft., and the mass of the Galápagos penguin is 3.7 - 5.7 lbs (Adult). Galápagos penguin, (Spheniscus mendiculus), species of penguin (order Sphenisciformes) characterized by the presence of a narrow C-shaped band of white feathers that extends from the eye to the chin on each side of the head and a single band of black feathers is how the penguin looks. According to https://britannica.com “They are foraging predators that primarily eat small fishes.” They forage relatively close to shore, as they are prey for the large marine predators of the Galapagos Islands, namely sharks, fur seals, and sea lions. My favorite fact about the Galápagos penguin is that they are the only penguin species that live on the Galápagos Islands.