The History Of San Cristobal Island / Chatham Island
- ThePersaudCatalog
- 1 day ago
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In today’s article, we will be discussing the history of San Cristobal Island, located in the Galapagos Islands. San Cristobal Island is a part of the Galapagos Islands Archipelago, located in the southern Pacific Ocean. Out of all the Galapagos islands, San Cristóbal Island is the farthest east. San Cristobal Island is located approximately 501.75 nautical miles (577.403588 miles or 929.241 kilometers) off the central coast of Ecuador.
Though San Cristobal Island is not the main Galapagos island, it is one of the only two islands with an airport. It is the fifth largest of the 127 Galapagos islands. The island has a very low population, with only about 6,000 inhabitants. The island is extremely biodiverse, & has vibrant marine ecosystems that are directly connected with the towns around them.
Many consider the sea lions that live on the beaches, walkways, & park benches to be locals. The majority of the beaches, as well as coastal walkways on the island, have these marine mammals on them.
Aside from the Sea Lions, San Cristobal Island has a variety of other interesting things to offer. San Cristobal Island has an incredibly long geological history, being that it was one of the first islands in the Galapagos Archipelago to form. It is also one of the islands in the archipelago that has mountains on it, the largest of which is Cerro San Joaquin. Cerro San Joaquin is approximately 2,339 feet (712.93 meters) tall.
The island is approximately 215 square miles (556.85 square kilometers), the majority of which is uninhabited. The current capital of the Galapagos Archipelago, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is located on the southwestern coast of the island. Despite being the capital, it is not the largest island in the capital.
In this article, we will discuss the history of San Cristobal Island, the aboriginals of San Cristobal Island, the most destructive natural & man-caused disasters to affect San Cristobal Island, & the economy of San Cristobal Island. With that being said, let us delve into the History of the beautiful & tranquil land, known as San Cristobal Island.
The Documented History of San Cristobal Island
Before Colonization
Extremely little is known about San Cristobal Island before its discovery by the Spanish in the 1500s.
Historical Events From The 1500s, 1600s, & 1700s
The Galapagos islands were discovered on March 10th, 1535 by the Dominican Friar, Fray Tomás de Berlanga. The islands were cast aside at first for their lack of water, & lack of food. Unfortunately after this, very little was done with San Cristobal Island. It would not be until the 1800’s that anything major would happen with the island.
After Colonization
Historical Events From The 1800s
In the year 1832, the construction of what would become the oldest town in the Galapagos Islands began. This town is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the modern capital of the Galapagos Islands. The town first began as a sugar production settlement, located in the highlands of the island.
Soon after, San Cristobal Island was visited by Charles Darwin. He visited the island in the year 1835, & compiled data on the natural flora as well as fauna. He would later take this data, & integrate it into his book “On The Origin Of Species”, published in 1859.
The island would go on to become a penal colony, where prisoners from the mainland would be shipped. The sugar mills were run by these prisoners, who were treated like animals, & worked in deplorable conditions.
Historical Events From The 1900s
During the 1900s, Tourism began to rise around the Galapagos Islands, & the province began to have a thriving economy. In honour of Charles Darwin, a monument to him was erected in the year 1935.
The Aboriginals Of San Cristobal Island
Due to little access to freshwater, as well as the remote location, no one was able to settle on the island. As of 2025, there is no evidence that any aboriginals groups inhabited the island before it was discovered by the Spanish.
The Most Destructive Natural & Man-Caused Disasters To Affect San Cristobal Island
Disaster No. 1: The Oil Spill Of 2001
On January 19th of 2001, a massive Ecuadorian oil tanker known as the Jessica began leaking diesel fuel into the ocean. The leakage was caused by damage in the hull, & the majority of the leakage occurred approximately 500 meters (1,640.42 feet) away from the mainland.
The Ecuadorian president at the time was understandably outraged, & demanded an explanation & a report on what exactly happened. The long-term implications of this oil spill are that the oil will eventually sink to the ocean floor, & disrupt algae blooms. These algae blooms are vital for the marine life, as they provide the nutrients needed for many creatures to survive. Additionally, it will be extremely hard to clean up this toxic fuel. At the time of publishing, we still have not seen all the effects of this event.
In total, the Jessica leaked approximately 150,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the ocean. This is one of the most destructive ecological disasters to affect the Galapagos Islands.
The Economy Of San Cristobal Island
The Economy of San Cristobal Island is relatively stable. The largest industry on the island is currently tourism, with U.S tourists alone bringing in an astounding 143 million U.S.D. each year. Unfortunately, aside from this, we do not have any information on the economic state of San Cristobal Island.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “San Cristobal Island, Galapagos”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by The Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders. Retrieval Date: December 20th, 2023.
Citation No. 2: “San Cristóbal Island”, Written By Unknown, & Published on July 20th of 1998. Published by the Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieval Date: December 20th, 2023.
Citation No. 3: “More About San Cristobal”, Written By Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Go Galapagos. Retrieval Date: December 20th, 2023.
Citation No. 4: “The Impacts Of Tourism”, Written By Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published By Discovering Galapagos. Retrieval Date: December 21st, 2023.
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