The Galapagos sprouted out of the Pacific from a sub oceanic lava vent on the ocean floor. This same process created the Hawaiian Islands, and it continues today in both island groups. There are currently sixty named islands, the principals being Fernandina, Isabela, Baltra, James, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal.  The climate in the islands is generally mild and comfortable. From June to December its cool, January allows the warmer equatorial current to move in, bringing with it a dry season that endures through May.