Galapagos Islands

Reading List

Field guides

Galapagos Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide

David Horwell & Pete Oxford

With chapters on visitor sites, history, conservation and habitats, this compact photographic guide introduces birds, reptiles, marine and other life of the archipelago.

 

Wildlife of the Galapagos

Julian Fitter, Daniel Fitter & David Hosking

A compact identification guide to Galapagos nature and wildlife, featuring 400 color photographs, an overview of the history, climate, evolution and geology of the islands, and helpful full-color visitor site maps.

 

Galapagos Islands Marine Life

Idaz Greenberg

This double-sided plastic card shows the most commonly encountered reef fish of the Galapagos in full-color illustrations. Waterproof, it's convenient for the boat or beach. Size: 6 x 10 inches.

 

Galapagos Wildlife

Pocket Naturalist

A fold-up, laminated card featuring color drawings and short descriptions of commonly encountered birds, mammals and reptiles of the Galapagos.

 

Galapagos Wildlife

Celter Visual Arts Inc.

Spot, identify and appreciate the wildlife of the Galapagos with this laminated, submersible accordion-style fold-out guide. Vivid images of birds, fishes, invertebrates, reptiles and mammals are paired with English and Spanish names, approximate size and a handy check box to keep track of your findings.

 

Birds, Mammals and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands

Andy Swash & Robert Stills

This strikingly compact, comprehensive field guide features 500 color photographs, distribution maps and information on status, habitat and behavior.

 

Flowering Plants of the Galapagos

Conley McMullen & Ghillean Prance

Indispensable for the botanically minded, this excellent guide features color photographs of 436 species, an overview of ecology and habitats and plant checklists for visitor sites.

 

Galapagos Birds Life 

Celter Visual Arts Inc.

Spot, identify and appreciate the avian life of the Galapagos with this laminated, submersible accordian-style fold-out guide. Vivid images of a wide variety of birds common are paired with English and Spanish names, approximate size and a handy check box to keep track of your findings.

 

Galapagos Marine Life

Celter Visual Arts Inc.

Spot, identify and appreciate the marine life of the Galapagos with this laminated, submersible accordian-style fold-out guide. Vivid images of a wide variety of fish are paired with English and Spanish names, approximate size and a handy check box to keep track of your findings.

 

MAPS

Galapagos Islands Explorer Map

Ocean Explorer Maps

Not just handy for keeping track of your Galapagos cruise, this detailed map (1:400,000) of the islands includes illustrated biographies of famous visitors and a wildlife guide.

  

Ecuador Adventure Map

National Geographic Society

This double-sided, waterproof map covers Ecuador in splendid detail (1:750:00) and also includes a Galapagos map (1:1 million).

 

GUIDEBOOKS

Insight Guide Ecuador and Galapagos

Insight Guides

Presenting the natural history, politics, culture, wildlife and attractions of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with style and authority.

 

Moon Galapagos Islands

Ben Westwood

Based in Ecuador, Westwood writes with insight in this brief guide to the pleasures and practicalities of visiting Galapagos.

 

NATURAL HISTORY

Galapagos, A Natural History

Michael H. Jackson

This comprehensive guide to the natural history of the Galapagos is practically mandatory reading -- the single best introduction to the geology and climate, habitats, plants, birds, animals, ecology and evolution.

 

Galápagos: A Natural History (Second Edition)

John C. Kricher and Kevin Loughlin

This illustrated natural history offers comprehensive and detailed accounts, with more than 650 color photographs of the islands’ habitats, marine life, reptiles, birds, mammals, and plants.

 

The Beak of the Finch

Jonathan Weiner

This Pulitzer Prize-winning work is an accessible look at the modern debate on the mode and rhythm of evolution, using the story of Peter and Rosemary Grant and their ground-breaking field work on Daphne Major as an example.

 

The Galapagos, A Natural History

Henry Nicholls

Editor of the Galapagos Conservation Trust magazine and author of Lonesome George, Henry Nicholls charts the human and natural history of the archipelago from its fiery origins through famous visitors and current conservation challenges.

 

Galapagos, Exploring Darwin's Tapestry

John Hess

Professor Hess pulls off the rare trick of being both scientifically accurate and inviting in this illustrated coffee-table primer on Galapagos, its geology, evolution and magnificent wildlife.

 

Galapagos, Islands Born of Fire

Tui De Roy

A stunning celebration of the landscapes, wildlife and habitats of the Galapagos by a photographer who was raised in the archipelago. Tenth anniversary edition.

 

Galapagos, The Islands That Changed the World

Paul D. Stewart

Stewart and co-authors, associated with the BBC natural history unit, present the natural and human history of the islands in this wide-ranging, beautifully illustrated book, the companion to the BBC series.

 

Lonesome George, The Life and Loves of the World's Most Famous Tortoise

Henry Nicholls

The lone tortoise from Isla Pinta, corralled at the Charles Darwin Station since 1971 until his death in 2012, stands at the center of Nicholl's witty, affectionate tale of conservation, biology and hope.

 

Evolution's Workshop

Edward J. Larson

A vivid history of the Galapagos and the role of the islands as a crucible of evolutionary ideas, written by a Pulitzer Prize winner. Larson covers Darwin and the discovery of the islands, the visits of Hancock and Beebe, the influence of the United States during WWII and the establishment of the national park.

 

HISTORY & CULTURE

Voyage of the Beagle

Charles Darwin

The wide-eyed tale of a young man on a five-year voyage that changed his life -- and our way of thinking about the world. First published in 1839, it's still a marvelous introduction to the wildlife, nature and allure of South America.

 

The History of Ecuador

George Lauderbaugh

this compact book includes chapters on Ecuador today, Ecuador's indigenous and colonial past, the oil boom and other events.

 

Satan Came to Eden

Dore Strauch

The original memoir of Dore Strauch, early settler to the Galapagos and participant in the fascinating unsolved mystery known as The Galapagos Affair, the subject of a new documentary. First published in 1936, it's back in print after 80 years.

 

Galapagos: The Enchanted Islands, Through Writer's Eyes

John Hickman

Hickman weaves original accounts by Galapagos whalers, gentleman pirates, fitful castaways, settlers and scientists, including Ambrose Crowley, Herman Melville, Charles Darwin and William Beebe, in these tales of the colorful human history of the archipelago.

 

Galapagos, World's End

William Beebe

This wry, wonderfully evocative account of a 1924 scientific expedition includes an excellent chapter on the human history of the Galapagos.