Pacific Insular Region

• The Pacific insular region of Colombia
is the group of islands that are located
in the Pacific Ocean.
• It includes Gorgona, Gorgonilla and
Malpelo Islands.
Gorgona island.
1. Location:
Gorgona is located 35 km off the coast of
Cauca Department, to the west of Colombia.
2- History:
Spanish conquerors first visited Gorgona
in 1524, when it was discovered by Diego
de Almagro, who named it San Felipe.
In 1522, Francisco Pizarro arrived there
and named it “Gorgona”, refering to
“Gorgons”- women with snales as hair,
from the greek mythology, due to the
large number of snakes in the island.
In 1959, the island was turned into a
Prison.
In 1984, the prison was closed and
declared by UNESCO, as a world heritage
site.
3. Geography:
It has an area of 26 km2. It is
surrounded by Gorgonilla island
and 3 islets.
The terrain is mountainous with
some peaks. On the Eastern side,
there are white sand beaches and
a very dense humid jungle covers
the center of the island.
4. Climate:
 The island has a temperature of
27°C, with 98% of humidity and
intense rainfalls during all the year
and misty days.
5. Natural Resources - Flora
and fauna:
 The island is rich in fresh water
with rivers, streams and lakes and
valuable wood.
It is also the place of a countless
number of animals. It hosts several
endemic species such us 2 marine
worms, a terrestrial snail, a fresh water
crab, 2 butterflies, 1 scorpion, 1 blue
lizard – Blue anole lizard – which is the
only blue lizard in the world, 3 birds,
one semi-spiny rat, 1 sloth and several
species of insects.
 Moreover, in the island there are 14
amphibian species, 148 bird species, 75
migratory birds, of which, 13 are
resident, 9 terrestrial and 4 marine.
About the marine fauna, Gorgona is the
passage of the humpback whale and
there are also species such us the
hammerhead shark, the whitetip reef
shark, sea turtles, the whale shark and
the moray eel. The island is the mating,
breeding and feeding site for all these
organisms.
Gorgona also stands out a
variety of Coral reef, the
most diverse and
developed coral bank in
the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Ocean, which is the
largest in the Country´s
Pacific Region.
6. Economy:
The main source of income is tourism,
specially eco-tourism.
Malpelo.
1. Location:
Malpelo is located 500 km off the
coast of Cauca Department, to the
west of Colombia. It is the unique
oceanic island in the Pacific coast.
2. History:
The first visitor was Cristobal Vaca
de Castro in 1542.
In 1550 Malpelo was recorded for
the first time in Pierre Descelier’s
map.
In 1995 Malpelo was designed as a
flora and fauna sanctuary.
It was declared a World Heritage
Site in 2006 by UNESCO.
3. Geography:
Malpelo is the cusp of a submarine
mountain range that belongs to Andes
system.
It is a volcanic island that has a
longitude of 1643 m, with cliffs and 11
islets around it. Its highest peak called
“Cerro de la Mona” is 300m high.
4. Climate:
It has a temperature of 27° C.
The weather is influenced by Alder
winds that condense in the island and
produce, most of the time, a dense fog.
Rainfalls are frequent, except between
December and March, which
corresponds to dry period.
• 5. Natural Resources - Flora
and fauna:
Terrestrial and underwater flora is
scarce. Microalgae, lichens, mosses and
a creeping fern grow mainly on the
island. Underwater, some seaweeds
grow.
About fauna, there are several endemic
species : a land crab, the Malpelo lizard
and a gecko.
There are also 70 arthropods and
annelides species.
Malpelo hosts endangered migratory
species such us tunas and snappers.
In the island there is the largest seabird
nesting colony in Colombia, with a
population of 80,000 birds including the
Nazca alcatraz and the Galapagos
seagull.
Marine fauna is so variated with 395
fish species, including large
concentrations of hammerhead sharks,
whales and dolphins.
The island has a diversity of ecosystems:
corals, tunnels, caverns and ocean floor.