Galapagos | Galapagos gets Google – and you get to view before you visit!

Galapagos gets Google – and you get to view before you visit!

2017-09-06

Last month Google, the Galapagos National Park, and the Darwin Foundation revealed that they had sent a team of researchers on a ten-day mission to map the islands.

Using camera-laden backpacks they were able to capture much of the scenery and even some of the incredible wildlife that calls the islands home. In some cases, these were the very same species that Charles Darwin saw on his voyagers here 178 years ago.

In short, what the team was able to do is to create a Google Streetview of the Galapagos Islands. Not only that, they were also able to swim in the waters around the islands with special underwater cameras, climb the huge volcanoes and capture it all with stunning high-resolution 360-degree cameras!

The underwater mapping experiment was particularly important to the project as Richard Vevers of Catlin Seaview Survey pointed out, saying: ‘Galapagos is one of those places, if you were to take anyone underwater this is the location in the world that you’d take someone. So it’s very, very important that we reveal this well’.

As you can tell by some of the stunning images they have of sea lions playing in the water, they were really able to make a success of the project.

On the land, viewers can also get a taste of the magnificent Galapagos Islands wildlife. The teams photographed marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and frigatebirds. And just like any other Google Streetview map, you can zoom in and out around the images.

You can view the results for yourself by going on Google maps, locating the Galapagos and selecting the Streetview option. This incredible project lets you experience the Galapagos from the comfort of your armchair.

In a way, this is a great thing and a truly worthwhile project. However, it is no substitute for visiting the islands yourself. While the team captured some amazing images, there is nothing that compares to being on a real Galapagos cruise, taking in the incredible scenery and glimpsing some of the wildlife that Darwin himself saw all those years ago.

Take a look at our Google Galapagos map. We really hope it inspires you to come and explore these magnificent islands in the flesh.

 

Take a look of these tour programs:

1. Peru Tour: Cusco, Sacred Valley and Arequipa Tour
2. Wildlife Tour: Amazon Cultural tour
3. Galapagos Land Tour: Nine days Galapagos Tour
4. Galapagos Cruise Itinerary:  Seven Days Luxury Boat Western Islands Expedition
5. Central Islands Itinerary: Amazing Nine Days East & Central Islands Boat Journey

 

Check our galapagos cruises:

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