Galapagos Islands Trivia Questions

About 30,000 people live on the islands, mostly on Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, and Isabela. Tourism and fishing are major industries there.

The islands sit on a hot spot under the Nazca Plate. Several volcanoes, including Sierra Negra on Isabela, have erupted as recently as 2018.

Darwin visited in 1835 as a naturalist on the HMS Beagle, primarily for surveying. His observations there later inspired his theory of evolution by natural selection.

The name 'Galapagos' comes from the old Spanish word for 'saddle,' referring to the shape of the tortoises' shells. The islands were named for these iconic reptiles.

The Galapagos penguin is the only penguin species found north of the equator. It survives thanks to the cool Humboldt Current that brings cold water to the islands.

The woodpecker finch uses cactus spines or twigs to pry insects from tree bark—one of the few bird species known to use tools in the wild.

False—there are several native mammals, including sea lions, fur seals, rice rats, and bats. The myth likely stems from the islands' famous lack of large predators.

They don't change color for camouflage. Their dark coloration helps absorb heat after cold ocean dives, and breeding males turn brighter during mating season.