Google in the Galapagos Islands, and beyond

September 15, 2013 11:41 AM

To mark the 178th anniversary of Darwin’s first exploration of the Galapagos Islands, Google Maps has captured dozens of locations featuring the local biodiversity. It's the newest of Google's ongoing efforts to bring diverse locations to you via your computer.
posted by filthy light thief (9 comments total)

The point of the Galapagos was the *lack* of biodiversity. The relatively small number of species made it possible to sort everything out without tons of overlapping species and habitats. It was a serendipitously created natural sciences lab.

Also, the sea lions do indeed rock.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:48 AM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Needs a NSFW tag for all the boobies.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:01 PM on September 15, 2013 [7 favorites]

Google impresses the heck out of me with this planet-wide streetview stuff. There are many places I've visited, but many more I'll probably never have a chance to visit and streetview is the next-best-thing in my book.

Anyone find profiles on the peeps hired to carry those big/heavy camera things to remote places? I would not want to huck one of those up/out of the Grand Canyon!
posted by CrowGoat at 12:05 PM on September 15, 2013 [2 favorites]

Google Trekker (the backpack) is one of at least four off-road camera set-ups, along with Google Trike, a tricked-out snowmobile, and the underwater gear.

Text overview and video interview with Steve Silverman, program manager for Google Maps, who hiked the pack down the Grand Canyon (I think). It's a 42lb pack, and you can apply to haul it somewhere remote.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:04 PM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

What? No spoiler alert!?! I'm hoping to go to the Galapagos IRL one day, and this ruins the surprise as much as movie trailers nowadays!
posted by fairmettle at 1:27 PM on September 15, 2013

Good news! RL is being revised every day! Today's spoiler is only a teaser trailer for tomorrow's adventures!
posted by filthy light thief at 1:34 PM on September 15, 2013

Thanks for this. Just sent the link to a bunch of students. One of the big themes in Darwin's (and Wallace's) writing is how changes in geology lead to changes in species, and nowhere on earth shows this like the Galapagos.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:25 PM on September 15, 2013

Less exotic than the Galapagos, I notice that their mapping of Central Park is online. Even the ramble seems to be well mapped. I've been waiting for this since I visited Central Park last August and noticed their Google Maps bike traversing the park's many paths.

My sister and I were waiting in line for tickets to Into the Woods at the Delacorte that night. Here she is sitting reading. I must have been off stretching my legs or using the bathroom. I might need to try stalking myself, see if Google caught me.
posted by crossoverman at 7:55 PM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]

Yep, here is me walking toward the camera, but stepping off to the right (the left of frame) to avoid the Google bike.
posted by crossoverman at 8:15 PM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]