The Galapagos Islands are mystery islands. Many people have sailed around these waters, such as Buccaneers, whalers, fur seal hunters, scientists, the military, convicts, farmers, and fishermen.
Galapagos was officially discovered in 1535 when the then Bishop of Panama, Fray Tomas de Berlanga, and his ship, were becalmed and carried out to the islands by the ocean currents. From this we have the first descriptions of the giant tortoises and iguanas. But there are many different versions about who visited first these enchanted islands. One of them says that some Indians from South America were here before the islands were discovered by the Europeans. These people started a long trip from the mainland, and were carried by the currents to this archipelago. Once they came back to their land, they spoke to the king that they saw many strange creatures, and they called one of the islands "Mama shumby" which means in our language "big land of fire".
I thought about these tales as I took this picture, and we can see the profile of a face that resembles the profile of the Indians of some cities of the coast of South America.
So anything could happen in these enchanted islands. This picture is part of one of the most beautiful landscapes that we have in Galapagos. Known as the Pinnacle Rock, it belongs to Bartolome Island.
