Galápagos sharks do not all behave the same. Hammerheads form large schools, whitetip reef sharks rest on reefs, tiger sharks repeatedly return to key feeding areas, and whale sharks undertake long migrations. Understanding these different behaviors helps protect critical habitats, migration routes, and supports more effective conservation strategies for each species.

On Floreana, terrestrial invertebrates act as indicators of ecological recovery and as food for insectivorous birds. Monitoring them in protected and agricultural areas helps track habitat changes, detect invasive species, and assess whether the ecosystem is ready to support the reintroduction of animals that once disappeared locally from the island.

El Niño 2026 is transforming ocean conditions around Galápagos, with potential effects on food availability, reproduction, and survival across many species. Penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, and corals are among the most vulnerable. Decades of scientific monitoring will help measure impacts and guide future conservation decisions across the archipelago effectively.

In October 1914, a rumor of German warships in Galápagos alarmed France and Britain, which asked the United States to step in. Neutral Ecuador investigated and ruled out a military base. Historian Élodie Lenoël explains how the episode led the Ecuadorian state to assert its sovereignty over the remote islands.

Tiny and often overlooked, Galapagos beetles sustain ecosystems: they decompose organic matter, recycle nutrients, pollinate and feed birds and reptiles. Entomologist María Sol Herrera uses photography to reveal their hidden beauty. Conserving the Scalesia pedunculata forest protects their diversity, because once we truly know something, it no longer remains invisible.

A scientific delegation from the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands participated in the 12th annual meeting of the Commission of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), which took place in Manta, Ecuador, between 29 January – 2 February 2024.

In an interview, renowned Galapagos volcanologist Dennis Geist tells us a bit more about the 2024 eruption and volcanic activity in Galapagos.

Behind the Floreana Finches "Flight Home": Q&A with biologist Professor Sonia Kleindorfer