Travel to South America

Galapagos Wildlife, 2nd: A Visitor's Guide (Bradt Travel Guide)

Format: Paperback
Author: David Horwell
ReleaseDate: 01 October, 2005
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides
Rating:

Good to superficial guide, depending on your interests
For you, this booklet rates three stars for clarity, comprehension level and lightness in your backpack, but it fails next to Andy Swash and Rob Still's more comprehensive and better illustrated "Birds, Mammals and Reptiles of the Galýpagos Island". Having visited the Galýpagos and planning my return, I can say this introductory booklet (140 pages) is a reliable for people who want an overall idea of the ecology and want to identify some of the most prominent wildlife they are likely to encounter - it is easy to understand, has good information, decent photos of the main players and illustations of the commonest landing sites.

For those who want a more in depth knowledge of the Galýpagos and their wildlife, or are traveling to some of the more remote sites or the northernmost islands: you will feel short-changed and wish you had purchased more comprehensive guide(s), so you can identify all the critters you will possibly observe and learn much more about their habitats and behaviors, climate and cvlimate zones, etc. For those travelers (birders, nature buffs, divers, etc. ), this booklet rates a generous three stars for its relatively topical treatments.

Choose your guidebooks according to your interests and skills. And go there, walk softly and leave nothing. Visiting should have as little impact as possible, and in my opinion when done properly does help protect these wonderful islands of biological diversity from rampant pirate fishing, oil spills and short-sighted political stewardship. Our "tangibilitized" interest is the only one the Ecuadorian government- at least up until now- has responded to.

Galapagos Wildlife
It is a very readable and concise introduction to the flora and fauna of the Galapagos islands. I just came back from the Galapagos and found David Horwell's book indispensable. Beautiful photographs. Very informative. Easy to carry around and refer to. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the Galapagos islands.

Travel size Galapagos
The author has gone to a great deal of trouble to condense a vast amount of data into a handbook for the traveller, without sacrificing essential information, clarity or accuracy. This relatively small book on the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands is packed with information and pictures. Not only does it cover the wildlife that the visitor is most likely to encounter, it also gives a succinct history of the islands. Working in the Galapagos Travel Industry, and having considered many similar books for pre-trip briefing and ready reference while in the islands, this is the book I would recommend.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these South America travel books.

	Galapagos: A Natural History
	Galapagos: World's End