Mayer, Gregory C.

English

Aquatic Commons

1991 NOTICIAS DE GALAPAGOS 19
sharks, rays, crabs, and sea turtles) found in Galápa-
gos. The book does not cover the fish (except for one
shark and one ray), plants, or landscape of Galápa-
gos. This book is not and does not c1aim to be a "field
guide." The focus of the book is well stated in the
title: Portraits ofGalápagos.
The authors chose over 100 finely detailed photo-
graphs to demonstrate their captivation with the
animals of the Islands. They obviously know their
subject and have had the time to capture the rare
moments. The layout is appealing, with coordinating
colors on most of the pages and frequent use of effec-
tive borders. The photographs flow harmoniously
fram page to page; the book is not a jumble of indi-
vidual images as some photographic essays are. Only
occasionally does a photograph seemill-chosen (such
as one of the flamingos which has a somewhat dis-
tracting landscape). The quality ofthe paper seems
to have slightly affected the brilliance of the photo-
graphs, but this would not keep me fram buying the
book, especially at the current price.
The book contains an introduction which empha-
sizes the impact Galápagos seems to have on all who
venture there. We are given a brief insight into the
philosophy of the authors as it relates to their expe-
riences in Galápagos. Tui has lived in Galápagos
since the age of two and Mark has lived there for
about 10 years.
The table of contents contains a descriptive para-
graph about each species to go along with the
corresponding section of photographs. Each para-
graph contains pertinent and memorable information
about each animal. And for those who wish to know
more about each photograph, there is a section at the
end of the book with information about where each
photo was taken and under what conditions.
The book I am reviewing is the first edition. The
second edition (the one for sale at present) has more
photographs, better color separation where needed,
and a few editorial corrections (it is hoped that more
of the pages will be numbered and the map will be
interpreted). With these changes, this will be a val u-
able book for tourists or others who desire a
"coffee-table" book. It is a book of captivating pho-
tographs with the amount and type of information
which is perfect for the nonscientist. Gr, for those of
us who have been to the Galápagos, the book is a
vivid and handy reminder of our experiences with the
animals. Many of these photos are the ones we wish
we could have taken. I consider the book a welcome
addition to my library of Galápagos books.
This book is available only through the authors
andnotin US bookstores [orderthrough: MarkJones,
"Calendars and Books," Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos,
Ecuador; $22.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling
($7.00 outside ofUSA); checks in US dollars on US
banks or equivalent in pounds sterling on UK bank].
A Spanish version is planned for the near future. Gay
Ver Steeg, Route 4, Box 205-B, PortervilIe, Cali-
fornia 93257, USA.
REVIEW: THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS: THE ESSENTIAL
HANDBOOK FOR EXPLORING, ENJOYING & UNDERSTANDING
DARWIN'S ENCHANTED ISLANDS
Authored By: Marylee Stephenson
Published 1989, 160 pages, US - $12.95.TheMountaineers,
306 2nd Avenue West, Seattle, Washington 98119, USA.
Reviewed By: Gregory C. Mayer
The Galápagos continue to attract visitors from
around the world who are interested in the rich nat-
ural and human history of the Islands. A number of
books are now available to assist them in appreciat-
ing this history and in planning theirvisits. Thenewest
of these is Marylee Stephenson's The Galapágos
Islands. The book, as indicated by its subtitle, is
specifically aimed at the visitor. It is divided into
three sections: an overview, a description of visitor
sites, and travel tips, followed by brief appendices.
20 NOTICIAS DE GALAPAGOS No. 50
The book is illustrated with numerous black-and-
white photographs, 8 pages of color photos, and 13
sketch maps of visitor sites.
The f1rst section, of 42 pages, aUempts to briefly
outline in nine chapters the history, wildlife, plants,
and conservation problems of the Galápagos. Given
the amount of space devoted to it, the account is nec-
essarily very sketchy and only partially succeeds in
conveying the reasons why the Galápagos are so
widely hailed as a laboratory of evolution. There is,
for example, no adequate discussion of adaptive ra-
diation, natural selection, or speciation. Also, the
author, to my mind, overstresses somewhat the ex-
tent to which the environment of the Islands has been
degraded by mano Unlike other island archipelagos,
such as Hawaii, which have a long history of human
occupation, the Galápagos' brief period of distur-
bancehas allowed much more of the natural ecosystem
to survive. This is not to den y the great damage done
by man and introduced organisms, but one of the
great attractions of the Galápagos is their relatively
pristine condition. It is also somewhat curious that
the authorcontends that the "sheer scientif1c value of
the Islands alone" justif1es their preservation, yet
maintains that the effects of scientif1c exploration
have not been "benign" and that early scientif1c work
(Darwin's?) was of"dubious value." It is, of course,
through the efforts of collectors such as Darwin and
his collaborators and successors that the uniqueness
and value of the Galápagos ecosystem have be en
uncovered.
The second section, "Major Islands and Visitor
Sites," is the heart of the book, and the reason why it
is a worthwhile addition to the Galápagos guidebook
literature. It consists of accounts of visitor sites
throughout the Islands from the point of view of the
tour boat visitor. The accounts inc1ude the nature of
the landing, topography, traillayout, and plants and
animals likely to be encountered. The 13 sketch maps
in this section (similar to those in Jackson's Galapa-
gos: A Natural History Guide, 1985, University of
Calgary Press, Calgary) illustrate a number of the
visitor sites. Reading these accounts and looking
over the maps in the morning before going ashore
would be the perfect preparation for the visitor; this
is a book to be taken along on the trip, not for studying
at home.
The third section provides some practical tips on
costs, c1othing, equipment, etc., and gives some idea
of the physical and mental requirements of hiking on
the Islands and living on a boato The cost information
is, of course, only current as of the date of writing
(January 1989). There are al so hints on photography;
although 1 found the Galápagos to make anyone a
good photographer-with such cooperative subjects,
it is hard to take abad picture. One piece of photo-
graphic equipment not mentioned, but which 1regard
as essential, is a flash unit for macrophotography,
which allows c1ose-up work with f1ne-grained fIlm
on flowers, lizards, etc., regardless of light condi-
tions.
The appendices give information on mainland
Ecuador, suggested reading, conservation funding,
and a "Trip Log." The book conc1udes with an index.
By f1l1inga niche only partially occupied by other
books on the Galápagos, The Galápagos Islands se-
cures for itself a place on the Galápagos traveler's
bookshelf and suitcase. This niche is that of a guide
to the specif1c sites the visitor will encounter. This
role is f111edby the accounts and maps in the second
section, which will be valuable not only as prepara-
tion, but as reminder of places visited and things seen
after the trip is overo It is not a complete guide. The
overview of natural and human history in the f1rst
section is too brief, and the visitor will need a more
detailed general guide, such as White and Epler's
Galapagos Guide (1986, Libri Mundi, Quito) or, my
preference, Jackson' s Galapagos: A Natural History
Guide for natural history and Hickman's The En-
chanted Islands (1985, Anthony Nelson, Oswestry,
UK) for human history. Nonetheless, 1wouldrecom-
mend it, along with Jackson and Harris's A Field
Guide to the Birds of Galapagos (1982, Collins,
London), as the basic take-along library for the
Galápagos visitor. Gregory C. Mayer, The Zoolog-
ical Museum, University of Wisconsin, Madison,
Wisconsin 53706, USA.


The Galápagos Islands : The Essential Handbook for

Exploring, Enjoying & Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands by Marylee Stephenson

http://aquaticcommons.org/5960/1/NG_50_1991_Mayer_Review_Galapagos_Islands.pdf

The Galápagos Islands : The Essential Handbook for Exploring, Enjoying & Understanding Darwin's Enchanted Islands by Marylee Stephenson

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Aquatic Commons