Guy Fawkes on the Galapagos Islands: Never forget the November “Finch”…

Regarding the title of our site, our ‘finch’ is a pun on the words found in the poem commemorating the Gunpowder Plot (see below).

Guy Fawkes’ visage, the British Parliament, explosives, and maybe even that bit of Hollywood known as V for Vendetta are the images that often spring to mind when thinking about November 5th, also known as Guy Fawkes Day. Nonetheless, the notion of Guy Fawkes in the Galapagos is hardly considered. Was he present at all? No. But had he somehow come to be the namesake of a series of islands? ¡Yes, in fact!

A Profound Occurrence

There is a story that suggests the famous name of the island originated from the English whalers and buccaneers who visited the Galapagos. Evidently, these people saw an epic volcanic eruption that captured their imaginations to such an extent that they compared it to the “firework” display that would have represented Guy Fawkes’ valiant but ultimately doomed attempt to blow up the British Parliament on November 5, 1605. Who knows? Maybe what they saw was Guy Fawkes’s enraged ghost in the Galapagos!

Join Yacht La Pinta as we explore the Guy Fawkes-named islands!

Ahead of your Galapagos excursion, get ready!

Guy Fawkes in the Galapagos Islands: The Mysterious Origin Behind the Island’s Name

Four comparatively tiny rocks make up Guy Fawkes Island in the Galapagos, which is located northwest of Santa Cruz Island in the ocean. They are made of stacked layers of volcanic tuff and are uninhabited. It is well-known for the small number of sea lions that live there, and because of the numerous underwater zoanthids that surround it, scuba divers frequently visit it. From Cerro Dragon, a tourist center on Santa Cruz Island, one can see the small group of islands that are collectively thought to be only one.

There is no better opportunity to investigate the relationship between the guy (or at least his name) and the magical isles than today, November 5. We examine the various hypotheses and riddles that surround the origin of the name “Guy Fawkes Island” in the Galapagos.

An Appropriate Title

Or, for a more straightforward explanation, it’s possible that the idea of Guy Fawkes in the Galapagos originated since the story was at the time a “trending topic” among whalers, buccaneers, sailors, and pirates alike. It’s likely that the British had many conversations about this topic, to the point where they thought it appropriate to name a Galapagos Island after the political and historical anti-Protestant Catholic group that was plotting to kill King James I! Who knows?

A Brutal Homage

An alternative idea posits that a comparable British assemblage of whalers and buccaneers chose to ignite a fire on Santa Cruz, a small island not far from the current Guy Fawkes Island in the Galapagos, in observance of November 5.

When visiting Cerro Dragon in the Galapagos, board Yacht La Pinta to catch a sight of Guy Fawkes Island!