The Galápagos Islands gained the name “Las Encantadas” by their first visitors, as they seemed to appear magically, often enveloped in fog. It is thought that this phenomenon played a part in the protection of the islands and of their many endemic species of animals. However, it also made the islands a popular place for pirates to hide out and these pirates are largely to blame for the drastic decline in the number of Galápagos tortoises as, when they left to travel overseas, they would take hundreds of giant tortoises for their meat.
SOURCES:
- http://worldwildlife.org/places/the-galapagos
