Eradication of introduced species on an island this size can be extremely costly, as demonstrated during Project Isabela when successful eradication of goats and donkeys in northern Isabela was achieved. The immense size of Isabela increases the various conservation challenges found on other islands. Some 16 species of whales have been identified in the area including humpbacks, sperms, sei, minkes and orcas. These waters have long been known as the best place to see whales in the Galapagos. On the west coast of Isabela the upwelling of the nutrient-rich Cromwell Current creates a feeding ground for fish, whales, dolphins, and birds. It is home to more wild tortoises than all the other islands combined, with a separate species on each volcano. The island’s rich fauna is beyond compare. In addition, the high elevations of Wolf and Cerro Azul Volcanoes reach above the cloud cover, resulting in an arid zone at the top of the island. There are many relatively new lava fields and the surrounding soils have not developed sufficient nutrients to support the varied life zones found on other islands. Unlike the other large islands, the vegetation zones on Isabela do not follow the normal pattern. The center of population is on the southern coast at Puerto Villamil. The majority of Isabela residents make their living by fishing, farming, and tourism. Isabela provides visitors with excellent examples of the geologic forces that created the Galapagos Islands, including uplifts at Urbina Bay, tuff cones at Tagus Cove, and pumice on Alcedo Volcano. Eruptions have been recorded in the last fifty years for Wolf Volcano (19), Alcedo (1993), Sierra Negra (1963, 1979, and 2005), and Cerro Azul (1959, 1979, 1998, and 2008). Isabela is one of the more volcanically active islands. Both Wolf and Ecuador Volcanoes lie directly on the equator. Wolf Volcano, with an elevation of 1707 m, is the highest point in the Galapagos Archipelago. The western flanks of Ecuador Volcano have collapsed. All of the volcanoes except Ecuador are still active. One of the younger islands, Isabela Island was formed by the joining of six shield volcanoes - from north to south - Ecuador, Wolf, Darwin, Alcedo, Sierra Negra, and Cerro Azul. This number has increased in each official census, with the total in the 2006 census reaching 1749. By 1974 there were nearly 450 residents on Isabela. By 1906, Santa Tomás had a population of 200 people who depended primarily on the wild livestock ranging the slopes of Sierra Negra and on the exploitation of sulfur. The ventures were only somewhat profitable due to water limitations. Santa Tomás was the center for a sulfur mine in the caldera and a nearby coffee plantation. Villamil began as a center for a lime production operation where they burned coral collected in the coastal waters. He named Villamil after the freedom fighter from Guayaquil, José de Villamil. In 1893, Antonio Gil, a well-known Guayaquileño, arrived in Galapagos and after visiting the other islands, colonized southern Isabela, founding the town of Puerto Villamil on the southern coast and later Santa Tomás in the highlands. Tagus Cove on the northwestern side of the island provided a sheltered anchorage for pirates, buccaneers, whalers, and others. It is the largest of all the islands, measuring 120 km long and greater in size than all of the other islands combined. The seahorse-shaped Isabela Island was originally named Albemarle Island for the Duke of Albemarle by Ambrose Cowley, one of the first men to ever set foot on the islands, in 1684. Roam the open World with your Pirate crew and pick up missions as you sail the seas.Human Population: Approximately 1800 HISTORY.Unite the three Pirate factions to gain access to their hero units and ultimately take down the Pirates of Black Cove and become King of all the pirates. Visit the Alchemist to find out what special ingredients are needed for the wacky potions and embark on adventures to find and collect them. Manage and develop parts of three strongholds and visit them to pick up faction and storyline missions. You must ultimately leverage this unity in all out war against the evil Pirates of Black Cove. Join, champion, and unite the three pirate factions: Pirates, Corsairs and Buccaneers. Set in the golden age of pirates, this is your chance to become pirate king and conquer the Caribbean.
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