Rábida Island

Rábida or Rabida Island (Isla Rábida) is one of the Galápagos Islands. It is 5 km² in area.

Names
Rábida is the Spanish word for a ribat, a medieval Islamic guardpost used figuratively for Sufi monasteries and Islamic nunneries.

It was previously named Jervis Island by British captain James Colnett in 1793 in honor of John Jervis, the martinet admiral who later defeated the French Navy at Cape St. Vincent during the Napoleonic Wars.

Geography
Rabida is one of the Galápagos Islands, located south of Santiago Island, northeast of Isabela Island, and northwest of Santa Cruz.

Wildlife


In addition to flamingos and the bachelor sea lion colony, pelicans, white-cheeked pintails, boobies, and nine species of finch have been reported. The rich wildlife attracts a number of tourist cruises.

In 1971, the Galápagos National Park Service successfully eradicated goats from Rábida as this introduced species upset the natural environment and led to the extinction of several native creatures including geckos, land iguanas, and rice rats.

In January 2011, invasive rodents were removed from the island by the Galápagos National Park staff, assisted by Island Conservation to benefit Galapagos penguins and Scalesia stewartii (a tree-forming daisy and the plant equivalent of one of Darwin's finches).