March 10th, 1535: Official Discovery of the Galápagos Islands
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This credit is given to a Spanish Bishop, who back in 1535, was navigating from Panama to Peru. His name, Fray Tomás de Berlanga. It turns out that he was in charge of verifying the ethics of Spanish conquest in South America, led by Gonzalo Pizarro. The King of Spain, Carlos V, commanded Berlanga to sail down to Peru, and ethically share with Pizarro the King’s views. As the ship sailed along the west coast of South America, wind and ocean currents of this area gradually pushed the ship too far west, and once caught in troubled waters, and as they approached the islands, they were at the mercy of luck, chance, and the very weak winds of this time of the year. Their sailing conditions had changed from bad to worse. Finally, in March 10th, 1535, they see an island and slowly approach it. They had arrived to the Galápagos Islands. In a letter written to the King of Spain, Berlanga narrates the arrival to the islands: (excerpt) “The boat once anchored, we all went on land and some were given charge of making a well, and others of looking for water over the island: from the well there came out water saltier than that of the sea; on land they were not even able to find even a drop of water for two days, and with the thirst the people felt, they resorted to a leaf of some thistles like prickly pears, and because they were somewhat juicy, although not very tasty, we began to eat of them, and squeeze them to draw all the water from them, and drawn, it looked like slops of lye, and they drank it as if it were rose water.” This is the first official written description of the islands. This is how the islands became known to the world. Luck or not, good or bad, humans are part of this wonderful land. Let’s celebrate March 10th, as the 470th anniversary of Galapagos Discovery. Galapagos Islands Cruises & Tours resources:
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