darwin trip to galapagos

Charles Darwin in the Galapagos

Perhaps our first association with the word "Galapagos" is the name "Darwin." Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands had a resounding impact on the formation of his Theory of Natural Selection.

A rather unmotivated and failing medical scholar, Charles Darwin accompanied Captain Robert Fitzroy as a travel companion and naturalist on the HMS Beagle. His book the Voyage of the Beagle is an account of his worldwide journey.

When setting off from England in 1831 for a five-year voyage, Darwin had little ambitions for groundbreaking scientific research. After surveying the coasts of South America, the ship stopped over in the Galapagos Islands.

During his visit to the islands, Darwin noted that the unique creatures were similar from island to island, but perfectly adapted to their environments which led him to ponder the origin of the islands' inhabitants.

Among those that struck Darwin so greatly were the finches that are now named in his honor. Darwin would later base some of his thought from the supposing that these finches were all descendents of the same lineage.

Years later in 1859, Darwin finally consolidated all of his observations into his famous book On The Origin of Species, drastically and controversially altering the scientific view on the biological origins of life.

Follow in Darwin’s Footsteps

Charles Darwin in Galapagos

While reading Darwin’s works, it’s easy to see the enormous impression that the Galapagos left on the young naturalist even though his visit was very brief, it was a mutually beneficial relationship!

While the Islands provided Darwin the proof he needed for his groundbreaking theories, and in turn, Darwin provided the islands with a unique place in natural history, putting the remote islands “on the map”, who can doubt that much of the current tourism boom in the islands is owed to Darwin and his once-radical theories?

Who Charles Darwin was:

• Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England on February the 12th, 1809.
• Science in his family was a heritage starting with his grandfather Dr. Erasmus Darwin, a well-renowned botanist, and his father Dr. Robert W. Darwin, who was a medical doctor
• Because of his wealthy childhood and youth, he was able to enjoy his time exploring the wonders of nature.
• After finalizing his studies in Cambridge, he embarked on the HMS Beagle, to start the journey in the history of humanity, which inspired Charles Darwin to write his most seminal work, “The Origin of the Species”.

Visit Darwin’s Galapagos

Charles Darwin Galapagos Adventure

The inspiration brought by Galapagos came through these voyages in the HMS Beagle:

“In a few days’ time, the Beagle will sail for the Galapagos Islands. I look forward with joy and interest to this, both as being somewhat nearer to England and for the sake of having a good look at an active volcano.” -Charles Darwin, letter to J.S. Henslow, July 12, 1835.

Darwin and the HMS Beagle were in Galapagos during September and October of 1835, and through this time, he had the opportunity to explore a handful of islands, and collect several Galapagos species for use in his own research and that of his friends back in England.

The Beagle itself was far too large to land, so it cruised around the islands and smaller boats would take Darwin and the other crew members ashore, where they could mingle with the endemic wildlife.

Timeline of Darwin's voyage in the Galapagos

September 15-23, 1835: San Cristóbal Island (Chatham)

On September 15, Mount Pitt was sighted, on San Cristóbal Island .

While the crew captured several of the San Cristobal giant tortoises for food, Charles Darwin was intrigued by the them and plant specimens on the islands, as well as with the rocky island and the lava that formed it.

September 24-28: Floreana Island (Charles)

Floreana was an Ecuadorian penal colony while being managed by the Englishman, Nicholas Lawson and the Beagle’s crew was allowed to go ashore for a tour of the colony.

Darwin diligently collected many animal and plant specimens and learned that it was possible to tell from which island a tortoise came judging by its shell. In his journal, Darwin remarked that the convicts regularly ate tortoises and that whaling ships and pirates often took them: one such ship carried off 700 Floreana tortoises to eat while at sea. By 1846 the race was extinct.

September 28-October 4: Isabela Island (Albemarle)

On this island , Darwin was amazed by the number of marine iguanas that forage underwater.

His first thought was that the iguana fed of fish and little animals. However, and while on James Island , a dissection of a marine iguana led to the discovery that they feed off algae.

October 4 – October 8 - Northern Islands: Marchena, Genovesa, and Pinta (Bindloe, Tower, and Abingdon)

The Beagle tried to get to Abingdon Island but was repeatedly foiled by currents and winds. It did not anchor at any of these islands and instead decided to head for James ( Santiago ) Island, as they were running low on fresh water.

October 8 – October 17 - James (Santiago) Island

The Beagle found no water on James and headed back to Chatham to resupply.

Darwin, the ship’s physician Benjamin Bynoe and each of their servants remained behind with a tent and provisions to spend the week exploring and gathering samples. They collected many specimens, including:

• Several varieties of birds
• Some insects, although he remarked about how few insects were to be had.

It was about this time that Darwin realized that the different islands were home to different species.

October 17 – October 20 - Isabela (Albemarle), Wolf (Wenham) and Darwin (Culpepper) Islands

After picking up Darwin’s party, the Beagle went back to survey the eastern coast of Isabela Island before going to Abingdon (Pinta) to pick up another party that had been surveying in one of the smaller boats.

On October 20, they surveyed Wenham (Wolf) and Culpepper (Darwin) before setting sail for Tahiti:

Fast fact: Darwin never set foot on Culpepper, the Island that now bears his name.

Tour the Islands like Darwin

Charles Darwin, Galapagos and “The Origin of Species”

The name of Charles Darwin and his famous book The Origin of Species will forever be linked with the Galapagos Islands. Although he was only in the Galapagos for five weeks in 1835, it was the wildlife that he saw there that inspired him to develop his Theory of Evolution.

But how much of Galapagos actually made it into his controversial book?

Proof of Darwin being Inspired by the Galapagos:

In chapter two of The Origin of Species, Darwin claims that it was his visit to the Galapagos that helped inspire his theories.

“Many years ago, when comparing, and seeing others compare, the birds from the separate islands of the Galapagos Archipelago, both one with another, and with those from the American mainland, I was much struck how entirely vague and arbitrary is the distinction between species and varieties.” -Charles Darwin

The idea of endemic species (species found only in one specific place and nowhere else on earth) was central to Darwin’s arguments. The Galapagos Archipelago was key for him to prove his point:

“This fact might have been expected on my theory for, as already explained, species occasionally arriving after long intervals in a new and isolated district, and having to compete with new associates, will be eminently liable to modification, and will often produce groups of modified descendants.”

In other words, the endemic species that had evolved on remote islands proved his point as they adapted over long periods of time to a new environment, leaving behind their original characteristics.

Darwin’s Finches

Surprisingly, Darwin does not dwell on his famous finches much in The Origin of Species.

His earlier journal, Voyage of the Beagle, however, shows the crucial role these finches played in his theories. He stated:

“The remaining land-birds form a most singular group of finches, related to each other in the structure of their beaks, short tails, a form of body and plumage.” “There are thirteen species, which Mr. Gould has divided into four subgroups. All these species are peculiar to this archipelago; and so is the whole group, with the exception of one species of the sub-group Cactornis, lately brought from Bow Island, in the Low Archipelago.” -Charles Darwin

He later summarized his interpretation of the nature of these finches.

“Seeing this gradation and diversity of structure in one small, intimately related group of birds, one might really fancy that from an original paucity of birds in this archipelago, one species had been taken and modified for different ends.”

You can follow in the steps of Darwin via cruise , personalized island-hopping , or a combination of both. Ask us about following Charles Darwin’s footsteps and visiting some, or most of the islands he got his inspirations from.

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Charles Darwin & the Galapagos Islands

Home » Charles Darwin & the Galapagos Islands

CHARLES DARWIN IN THE GALAPAGOS

The Beagle was in Galapagos for five weeks. About one-quarter of Darwin’s notes and field book are dedicated to this location that most amazed him . During his time on the islands, Darwin was not aware of the importance the archipelago had as evidence for his theory, and he still had no clue of the information he was gathering on each excursion. He collected lots of reptiles , plants, and birds among which were the famous Darwin finches. “Considering the small size of these islands, we feel the more astonished at the number of their aboriginal beings, and at their confined range… Hence, both in space and time,  we seem to be brought somewhere near to that great fact, that mystery of mysteries –the appearance of the new beings on this earth.” (Darwin, 1845).

• San Cristobal  Island was the first island Charles Darwin  visited arriving to the Galapagos on September 16th, 1835. The Beagle anchored in a calm bay on the south of the island, near the actual capital of the Galapagos. The Beagle spent eight days surveying the coast.  Darwin landed five times pushed by his interest on the volcanic and cratered island.  He studied carefully the lava flows and theorized about its formation. His first impression of the dry coast he saw was of a deserted and isolated place. He did not find the tropical richness he expected , instead he encountered desert plants, almost all in flower, and some reptiles that he pointed on his notes.  In this island he had the chance to collect the first specie that later on would be the base and foundation of his Theory of Evolution, the San Cristobal Mockingbird.
• Floreana   was the second island explored by the Beagle expedition . Here Darwin had three days to collect species and the second bird to lead him to important conclusions in the future, the Floreana Mockingbird.  He realized the difference in between the previous specimen found in San Cristobal, and started to pay more attention to this specie.  Later he would discover the four species to be found in the archipelago and understand a pattern of evolution due to the adaptation differences from each other according to the environmental features of each island. In this island, Darwin also met by chance an English Vice Governor  who gave him important information remarking the difference and variations in the shapes of the shells of tortoise in each island.
• Isabela   was the third island to arrive in his voyage on September 29 th , 1835 . The trip around the island and through the channel in between Fernandina and Isabela was noted on his field book. Darwin described the island as the most deserted and volcanically active. When sailing next to it, he observed the lava flows and the smoke coming out from the craters. The Beagle decided to anchor in a place named Tagus Cove because of the easy water bay this place forms. Darwin disembarqued on October 1 st  and explored the volcanic terrain.  Here he found the land of iguanas, both marine and terrestrial that to him were ancient creatures that he describes more in Santiago visit . After Isabela, The boat sailed around Pinta, Genovesa and Marchena, offering Darwin the chance to admire the different formations.
• Santiago   was the last island were Darwin disembarqued on October 8 th .  This is the island where Darwin stayed the longest, by this time, he knew already that the islands were something bigger and more important than they seemed when he first arrived. On his visit he expend 2 weeks and walked the whole island with some crew members that helped him carrying the specimens he was collecting.  Here he first noticed the difference in between the tortoises from different islands with his own eyes; he was impressed by the amount of tortoises, which had different shapes and sizes. He wrote a big deal of characteristics of their behavior and also had the chance to try their meat in soup. In this island Darwin noticed that most species were similar but different from other in the other islands, giving enough evidence to theorize that species change  and this is related to their feeding and surroundings. He collected finches that helped him to understand this resolution. These animals are now considered the world’s fastest evolving birds because of the adaptations they rapidly developed to cope with their needs in such a changing environment.Darwin left the Galapagos on October 20 th , 1835.

GALAPAGOS: THE LIVING LABORATORY OF EVOLUTION

There are very few locations worldwide that portray so obviously and freshly the processes of evolution and adaptation of the species . This place gave humanity the key to have a better understanding of the origin and development of life. The Galapagos Islands are often called  Laboratory of Evolution  due to the following reasons:

1.- The Galapagos Islands are very young geologically speaking. The Galapagos come from a hotspot located on the seabed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and so, it was created by consecutive volcanic eruptions and lifting of the layers.   Arrivals of fauna and flora had the chance to establish and adapt, or not, little by little.  The theory states that foreign life came from far away, from the south pacific, the Caribbean, and north America. Almost all mammals failed to complete the journey, reptiles and birds where the most successful to populate after their arrival to the islands, probably in floating platforms formed in the river basins and coasts.

2.- On the other hand, the islands are strongly influenced by marine currents. Despite being located through the Equatorial line, cold ocean currents coming from the south pole and the west create very different environmental conditions and upwelling.  These facts have created special and very different conditions to the ones the species came from . The great volcanic activity, the water amazing productivity and variability, and the extreme isolation from any other location pushed the species to change in very specific directions, adapting to this extreme conditions until today. This process happened rapidly, speaking in terms of biology and evolution due to the absence of resources, which accelerated the process of adaptation of the ones who survived.

Therefore, the speed that the species evolution process had in this archipelago and the amount of living evidence to be found  is why they are known today as “The Living Laboratory of Evolution”.  In fact, the Galapagos is the only place where these processes are to be witnessed and evidenced as evolution . This gives this location its fame. This is where Charles Darwin was inspired to draw up his theory of evolution and the origin of species.

The process these species went through is the one known as Natural Selection , the path by which the species change thru time becoming better adapted to the environment and conditions.

In our times, the Galapagos Islands remain one of the most unique, scientifically important, and biologically prominent corners of Earth.  This combination of both physical and biological factors has been studied for many scientists and still today cause interest and controversy. The Galapagos are an interesting place for ecologists and biologists because, in limited and small areas like the islands, it is easier to study and understand relationships and dynamics among the populations of species.

CHARLES DARWIN´S PROFILE

Charles Darwin was 22 years old when he visited the Galapagos Islands on September 1835 . An amateur geologist and had a very interesting curiosity on beetles.  His social upbringing granted him a comfortable life and finally the chance of traveling with Captain Fitzroy, aboard the HMS Beagle.  The Beagle was to travel the world for five years in search of geographical, botanical and military data.

Darwin had a good background in sciences, as he was a protégé of Henslow, the famous Botanist.  He attended medical school in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Athens of the North and later, forced by his father, he studied Divinity in Cambridge.

The most outstanding feature of the trip was Darwin’s seasickness . Overpowering his great scientific curiosity, it was the desperate need to be away from the Beagle,  which drove Darwin to spend on land three out of the journey’s five years . He would always be the first to disembark and the very last to get back on board. This allowed Darwin to really get to know the geology, fauna and flora and all other aspects of each coast and location the Beagle reached, including the Galapagos Islands.

Darwin was a keen Naturalist .  He noticed and described about every single detail of the rocks, plants and animals he saw . He hunted, purchased, stuffed and sent back to England many pounds of samples, including fossil rocks and letters to his sisters. By the end of the trip, in 1836, he had written hundreds of pages with ideas and data.  His head was so full of it, that it would take him a quarter of a century to put them together.

On his return to England, Darwin engaged into publishing his records and thoughts.  What would not see the light was a crazy idea that he only shared privately with his mentors and scientific friends.  Not until 1858.

THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE & CHARLES DARWIN

The Beagle’s voyage lasted almost five years, starting on December 27 th , 1831 from Plymouth bay.  Captain Fitzroy on command of the ship had offered Darwin the opportunity to travel in the boat collecting scientific information and species. Most of the specimens he first collected were marine invertebrates and plankton that he picked from the boat.  The journey was an educative and scientific experience for Darwin, he had started his studies on Geology and influenced by thoughts from Lyell and others, he started to theorize about all the landscapes and formations he encountered.

  The first mission of Captain Fitzroy, when he was 23 years old, was to plot charts of the end tip of South America (his charts of the Galapagos were in use until World War II). The second, to measure certain anomalies in the Earth’s magnetic field in those areas, already noticed in his first trip. He transported 23 samples of the newly invented chronometer, an acquisition of the Navy that had the aim of accurately measuring Longitude.

The first location visited was the occidental side of Africa , the archipelago of Cape Verde, there he started his first observations on beaches formation however this visited most shocked him by the slave trade on going on the archipelago.  After this, the boat arrived to Brazil, where Darwin had the chance to collect and admire species from the Amazon tropical forest.  In Argentina, Bahia Blanca, he explored big extinct mammals fossils and seashells that lead him to his first endeavor about the mutability of species.

All the evidence he found on his journey was sent back to England to be better studied by experts on each area.  The criteria used to analyze and collect info were his tremendous curiosity.  He would also observe and examine the human populations and how small differences in the environment would influence on their cultural and social activities.

In Chile Darwin witnessed a powerful earthquake that offered him the chance to see the uplifting of the layers. This, together with more marine evidence he found in the mountains of Peru, lead him to understand that geological movement and uplifting, would result in sinking islands and formation of coral reefs.

When Charles Darwin arrived to the Galapagos, he first focused on analyzing and trying to find the geological origin of the archipelago ;  he didn’t notice yet that the species he would find would clue him to a greater discovery.

In Australia and the Cocos Islands, the extreme differences he noticed in between different species, together with the tortoise shells of different shapes, suggested a different theory of the stability and variability of the species, later to be discussed with experts back in England.  Most extinct species found in his journey were directly linked to living species of South America, and them, to some of the subspecies of the Galapagos . The journey ended on October 2 nd , 1836 in Falmouth.

EVOLUTION BEFORE DARWIN

Theory before Darwin stated that all the species were created in the beginning of the times, all perfect organisms living in harmony in paradise, and no change would occur to any of these beings. God had created a perfect equilibrium for nature to exist. It was a world of stable populations and immutable nature.

However, many facts, studied in the beginning by philosophers and then scientists, suggested something different. The curiosity of man to understand and interpret the world has always been the engine for all human discoveries and evolution.

In 1809, Charles Darwin’s year of birth, a French Naturalist, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, theorized about the evolution of species on his work of The Inheritance of Acquired Characters or Soft Inheritance . This concept stated that species would pass their acquired improved characters to their descendants and so, modify their nature throughout every generation.

His theory however wasn’t accurate in the sense that characteristics acquired in a generation’s life are not passed on the genetic code to the descendants. His beliefs were more a result of the wisdom of that time. His contribution, nevertheless, was to mention by first time the adaptation process that species go through by the use and disuse of characteristics.

Alfred Russell Wallace, a British naturalist, theorized and extracted conclusions of every animal he saw. On his work he paid especial attention to isolated populations due to geography, so he did most of his research on the Malay Archipelago. As a castaway he also had the chance to observe isolated populations in islands and theorized about all his conclusions. In 1858, he finished a scientific paper that he humbly sent to a senior and world respected Naturalist: Charles Darwin.

This paper contained the mechanism by which the evolution of living species can be explained, the tendency of species to form varieties, and the perpetuation of varieties and species by natural means of selection. Wallace developed then an original branch of evolution, which is Island Evolution. Certain animals and plants are present in some areas of the world, but not in others. Some of them are unique to a particular place (we call them endemic to that place) and have no chance to survive anywhere else. Such an irregular distribution of species became a very interesting subject, and Wallace was the one to make it into a science: Biogeography.

The conflict

When Charles Darwin received Wallace’s work, he found himself in the position of publishing his junior’s ideas or publishing his own ideas, which came to be almost the same with slight variations on the perspective. Most of Darwin’s supporters got a bit upset when they heard about this, but Wallace was the one ready to publish his work, and got all the credit for the Theory of Evolution, which is considered a masterpiece of our culture. On the other hand, Darwin was just too shy to reveal his ideas; but finally, supported by some colleagues, he wrote an abstract of his secret ideas that had a lot of similarities with the work he had in his hands for months. Many say that Darwin had many more samples and evidence from his journeys than Wallace, so he deserves the tittle of the man who changed the world’s view .

Thomas Henry Huxley was an English biologist-anatomist, part of the British Scientific Community, philosopher and a passionate follower of Darwin’s theory. He was one of the first people who found Darwin’s revelations difficult to believe, and even though it went against his religious formation, he ended up becoming one of his greatest devotees, who was even called Darwin’s Bulldog. He was a man who would trust what he would see, but his philosophy wouldn’t completely make up his mind. He would face many groups and even the Bishop, Samuel Wilberforce, supported what everyone considered the anti-biblical beliefs of evolutionary naturalism. Darwin called him “my good and admirable agent for the promulgation of damnable heresies”. The insinuation that man was not created, but was something like a developed ape, brought a big deal of controversy. His contribution to history could be understood as the link between the conservative religious beliefs and the scientific evolutionary ideas.

Charles Lyell was a British geologist and lawyer that developed his most known theory of uniformitarianism, and revealed the idea that the earth was older than the biblical beliefs, giving names to the geological eras.

He strongly influenced Darwin with the concept that constantly geological variations occur with small slight changes over a large period of time. This information was the link that Darwin was missing in some of the evolutionary processes he was trying to understand. Lyell supported Darwin’s theory on the publication of his work in 1858 even though it went against his religious point of view. After the Theory of Evolution saw light, Lyell’s theory was better accepted and even he published information revealing man had existed on earth long time ago.

Thomas Malthus was an English cleric and economist. The concepts exposed on his work “An Essay to the Principle of Population” (1798) suggested that population growth and success was related to the availability of resources. He stated that population growth would always overpower the food supply growth, resulting in competition and struggle for survival. Lyell thought this was a mechanism used by God to control the population and encourage man to work. Darwin saw a different outcome from this dynamic, adding the fact that the environmental conditions would let some (the fittest), but not all organisms survive.

“In October 1838, that is, fifteen months after I had begun my systematic inquiry, I happened to read for amusement Malthus on Population, and being well prepared to appreciate the struggle for existence which everywhere goes on from long- continued observation of the habits of animals and plants, it at once struck me that under these circumstances favourable variations would tend to be preserved, and unfavourable ones to be destroyed. The results of this would be the formation of a new species. Here, then I had at last got a theory by which to work”. (Charles Darwin)

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The Evolution of Charles Darwin

A creationist when he visited the Galápagos Islands, Darwin grasped the significance of the unique wildlife he found there only after he returned to London

Frank J. Sulloway

From the nine times I have made the 5,000-mile journey to the Galápagos Islands, to follow in Charles Darwin’s footsteps, the most enduring impression I have gained is of life’s fragility. The minute a person steps off any of the tourist trails created by the Galápagos National Park Service and heads into the untamed interior of one of these islands, there is the risk of death under the intense, equatorial sun. On Santa Cruz Island, where the Charles Darwin Research Station is located, 17 people have disappeared since 1990. Most were subsequently found alive after having become hopelessly lost in dense underbrush and rugged volcanic terrain. But some perished. One was a young Israeli tourist who lost his way in Santa Cruz’s Tortoise Reserve in 1991. Amassive, two-month search failed to find him. In fact, some of the searchers themselves became lost and had to be rescued. In the end, fishermen discovered the young man’s body. A former Israeli tank commander, he had been in top physical condition, yet had managed to go only six miles before succumbing to the searing heat and lack of fresh water. A sign in the Tortoise Reserve says bluntly: “Stop. Do not go beyond this point. You could die.”

This is the deceptively treacherous world of sun-baked lava, spiny cactus and tangled brushwood into which Charles Darwin stepped in September 1835, when he reached the Galápagos Islands with fellow crew members of the HMS Beagle. The Beagle’s captain, Robert FitzRoy, described the barren volcanic landscape as “a shore fit for Pandemonium.” At 26, Darwin had come to the archipelago, which straddles the Equator some 600 miles west of Ecuador, as part of the Beagle’s five-year mission to survey the coast of South America and to conduct a series of longitudinal measurements around the globe. Darwin’s five-week visit to these remarkable islands catalyzed the scientific revolution that now bears his name.

Darwin’s revolutionary theory was that new species arise naturally, by a process of evolution, rather than having been created—forever immutable—by God. According to the well-established creationist theory of Darwin’s day, the exquisite adaptations of many species—such as the hinges of the bivalve shell and the wings and plumes on seeds dispersed by air—were compelling evidence that a “designer” had created each species for its intended place in the economy of nature. Darwin had wholeheartedly accepted this theory, which was bolstered by the biblical account in Genesis, until his experiences in the Galápagos Islands began to undermine this way of thinking about the biological world.

The Galápagos Islands were formed by volcanic eruptions in the recent geological past (the oldest of the islands emerged from the ocean just three million years ago), and Darwin realized that the remote setting must have presented life with a new beginning. “Seeing every height crowned with its crater, and the boundaries of most of the lava-streams still distinct, we are led to believe that within a period, geologically recent, the unbroken ocean was here spread out,” he wrote in his Journal of Researches. “Hence, both in space and time, we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great fact—that mystery of mysteries—the first appearance of new beings on this earth.”

How, Darwin asked himself, had life first come to these islands? “The natural history of these islands,” he later pointed out, “is eminently curious, and well deserves attention. Most of the organic productions are aboriginal creations, found nowhere else.” Yet all of the creatures showed a marked relationship with those from the American continent. The novel Galápagos species, Darwin reasoned, must have started out as accidental colonists from Central and South America and then diverged from their ancestral stocks after arriving in the Galápagos. As he traveled from island to island, Darwin also encountered tantalizing evidence suggesting that evolution was proceeding independently on each island, producing what appeared to be new species.

Other evidence, from the South American continent, showed that species did not seem to be stable across either geographic space or the deep reaches of paleontological time. But the particularly compelling evidence from the Galápagos Islands catapulted Darwin and life science into the modern age. He subsequently added to his daring endorsement of evolution the crucial insight that species evolve by means of natural selection: variants that are better adapted to their environments are more likely to survive and reproduce. When he finally published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, Darwin’s revolutionary theories not only recast the study of life but also turned the Galápagos Islands into hallowed scientific ground.

More than three decades ago, I became fascinated by Darwin’s life, and especially by his historic voyage around the world. When evolutionary biologist Edward O. Wilson, whose undergraduate course I was taking at Harvard, learned of my interest, he suggested that I go to the Galápagos Islands, and he helped fund a documentary about Darwin’s voyage. My first trip, in 1968, was two years before the beginning of organized tourism in the Galápagos. Just getting to the islands was a challenge. Our expedition flew from Guayaquil, Ecuador, in a PBY, an amphibious, twin-engine patrol plane dating back to the World War II era. We sat in seats made of mesh nets. There were numerous holes in the plane’s undercarriage, through which I could see all the way to the ocean below. The impression these starkly beautiful islands made upon me was indelible (the volcano that forms the island of Fernandina put on a spectacular eruption during our visit).

Eight expeditions later, I continue to be drawn to these islands in an effort to document their extraordinary impact on Darwin, as well as to study ecological changes since Darwin’s day. With the advent of organized tourism, much has changed. Now, two to four passenger planes fly each day to the Galápagos, bringing a total of about 100,000 tourists a year. Puerto Ayora, home to the Charles Darwin Research Station, is a booming tourist stop with a population of about 15,000 people, almost ten times the number that resided there during my first visit. As tourists enjoy their organized cruises around the islands, they are confined to 60 localities, carefully selected by the National Park Service, and are required to stay on clearly marked paths that keep them out of harm’s way.

Two main questions confront the student of Darwin’s historic visit: Where did Darwin go, and exactly how did his visit affect his scientific thinking? Answering the first turns out to be easier than one might think, thanks to a rich repository of documentary sources. The British Navy had a penchant for keeping detailed records, and the Beagle’s voyage is described in three ship’s logs, Captain FitzRoy’s personal narrative, a series of excellent maps made by the Beagle’s officers, and various watercolors and sketches by crew members. We are also able to draw on Darwin’s own extensive record of his dozen or so field trips, which encompasses more than 100 pages of unpublished notes and more than 80 pages of published material.

For five years the Beagle’s logs recorded, often on an hourly basis, where the ship was and what it was doing. Two days after the first sighting of land in the Galápagos, on September 15, 1835, the Beagle anchored in Stephens Bay on Chatham Island, now known as San Cristóbal. (All the islands were given Spanish as well as English names by their early visitors, who included Spaniards seeking Inca gold and silver in Peru, and British buccaneers intent on stealing these riches from the Spanish.) From this anchorage, the Beagle officers recorded a bearing of N10ºE to Kicker Rock, an impressive 470-foot islet about four miles off the shore, and a bearing of N45ºE to Finger Hill, a 516-foot tuff crater. When drawn on a map, the place at which these two bearings cross indicates the Beagle’s point of anchorage. Using other bearings in the Beagle’s logs, together with Darwin’s remarks in his diary and scientific notes, it is possible to reconstruct virtually all of Darwin’s landing sites and inland treks during his five-week visit. These include many regions that are either in remote or potentially dangerous locations and hence off limits to tourists.

As the Beagle sailed from east to west through the archipelago, Darwin visited four of the larger islands, where he landed at nine different sites. On San Cristóbal, Darwin was particularly drawn to a heavily “Craterized district” on the rugged, northeastern coast. “The entire surface of this part of the island,” Darwin reported, “seems to have been permeated, like a sieve, by the subterranean vapours: here and there the lava, whilst soft, has been blown into great bubbles; and on other parts, the tops of caverns similarly formed have fallen in, leaving circular pits with steep sides. From the regular form of the many craters, they gave to the country an artificial appearance, which vividly reminded me of those parts of Staffordshire, where the great iron-foundries are most numerous.”

As Darwin explored San Cristóbal, he encountered many birds and animals new to him. He marveled at the remarkable tameness of the birds, pushing a curious hawk off a branch with the barrel of his gun, and trying to catch small birds with his hands or in his cap. He also noted the striking dominance of reptiles within these islands, which made the archipelago seem like a journey back in time. On the shoreline were swarms of “hideous-looking” marine iguanas—the world’s only oceangoing lizards. On land, the Beagle crew encountered large land iguanas, closely allied to their marine cousin; a couple of smaller lizards; a snake; and giant land tortoises, after which the islands are named. (The old Spanish word galápago means saddle, which the shape of the tortoise’s carapace resembles.)

In the midst of a partly vegetated lava field on San Cristóbal, Darwin came upon two enormous tortoises, each weighing more than 200 pounds. One, he noted, “was eating a piece of cactus, and as I approached it, it stared at me and slowly stalked away; the other gave a deep hiss, and drew in its head. These huge reptiles, surrounded by the black lava, the leafless shrubs, and large cacti, seemed to my fancy like some antediluvian animals.” Altogether these giant reptiles contributed dramatically, Darwin thought, to the “strange Cyclopean scene.”

Floreana was the next of the four islands Darwin visited. The first settlement in the Galápagos had been established there just three years before, populated by convicts from Ecuador; it collapsed a few years later, after some malcontented prisoners took up arms against the local governor. On Floreana, Darwin remarked in his private diary, “I industriously collected all the animals, plants, insects, & reptiles from this Island”—adding, “It will be very interesting to find from future comparison to what district or ‘centre of creation’ the organized beings of this archipelago must be attached.” Still thinking like a creationist, Darwin was seeking to understand the islands’ strange inhabitants within the ruling biological paradigm.

After a brief stop at Tagus Cove, on Isabela, the Beagle headed for Santiago. Darwin, three crew members and his servant, Syms Covington, were left for nine days to collect specimens while the Beagle returned to San Cristóbal to obtain fresh water. Guided by a settler from Floreana who had been sent to hunt tortoises, Darwin ascended to the highlands twice to collect specimens in the humid zone. There he was able to study, in considerable detail, the habits of the tortoise. These lumbering behemoths, he found, came from all over the island to drink water at several small springs near the summit. Hordes of the giants could be seen coming and going, with necks outstretched, burying their heads in the water, “quite regardless of any spectator,” to relieve their thirst. Darwin counted the number of times that the tortoises swallowed in a minute (about ten), determined their average speed (six yards a minute), and studied their diet and mating habits. While in the highlands Darwin and his companions dined exclusively on tortoise meat. He commented that it was very tasty when roasted in the shell or made into soup.

When he was not collecting specimens, Darwin devoted time to trying to understand the islands’ geological features, especially the prominent tuff cones near his campsite at Buccaneer Cove. He was the first geologist to appreciate that such sandstone-like structures, which rise to a height of more than 1,000 feet, owe their peculiar features to submarine eruptions of lava and mud; they mix at high temperatures with seawater, producing tiny particles that shoot into the air and rain down on the land to form huge cinder cones.

On October 17, Darwin and his four Santiago companions reboarded the Beagle with their week’s haul of specimens. The ship spent the next two days completing a survey of the two northernmost islands and then, 36 days after arriving in the archipelago (during which he spent 19 days on land), the Beagle sailed for Tahiti. Although Darwin did not yet fully appreciate it, a revolution in science had begun.

Following in Darwin’s path, one understands hardships that he overcame that are not readily apparent to readers of his publications. Trekking in the Galápagos, everything is dictated by how much water one can carry, which limits each excursion to about three days—or, for longer excursions, requires stashing food and water along a route.

To Darwin, such logistics would have been even more problematic, as he did not have the lightweight equipment, such as aluminum-frame backpacks and plastic water containers, that we have today. Assisted by his servant, Darwin would have brought his geological hammer, a clinometer for measuring inclines, a shotgun for collecting birds, a compass, plant presses, rodent traps, specimen bottles, spirits of wine for preserving invertebrates, a notebook, a sleeping bag, food and, of course, water. With a characteristic understatement (reflecting perhaps his excellent physical conditioning after extensive fieldwork in South America during the previous four years), Darwin wrote of the 3,000-foot climb to the summit of Santiago merely that the walk was “a long one.” During our own climb along this route in 2004, when we were all packing about 70 pounds, one of my expedition companions was so overcome with heat exhaustion that he had to return to our base camp in Buccaneer Cove; another sprained his ankle on the treacherous footing but managed to keep going.

During a previous expedition, I and five companions came to appreciate, much more vividly than we would have liked, Darwin’s comparison of Galápagos lava flows to an imagined scene from the “Infernal regions.” We were on Santiago, where Darwin had camped for nine days, on our way to a region where tortoises could sometimes be found. Our two guides had suggested a shortcut across a coastal lava flow. What none of us could see from the vantage point of our boat’s landing site was that our route involved more than eight miles of almost continuous lava rock—not just the mile or two that our guides had led us to expect. As we began our trek across this perilous field of jagged lava, we had no idea how close to death we would all come. What was supposed to be a 6-hour excursion became a 51-hour nightmare as we climbed over jumbled piles of blocks with razor-sharp edges, and in and out of steep ravines formed by meandering lavas and collapsed lava domes. Such flows, commented Darwin, who ventured onto several smaller ones, were like “a sea petrified in its most boisterous moments.” He added, “Nothing can be imagined more rough or horrid.”

During our second day on that Santiago lava flow, our water ran out. To make matters worse, our two guides had failed to bring any water of their own and were drinking ours. By the afternoon of the third day we were all severely dehydrated and were forced to abandon most of our equipment. In desperation, our guides hacked off a candelabra cactus branch, and we resorted to drinking the juice, which was so bitter that I retched. Before we finally made it to the coast, where a support vessel was frantically looking for us, one member of the expedition was delirious and close to death. He was subsequently hospitalized for five days, back in the United States, and it took him more than a month to recover.

On another occasion I accompanied Charles Darwin Research Station botanist Alan Tye on a search for the rare Lecocarpus shrub, which Darwin had collected in 1835. A member of the daisy family, the plant had not been seen by anyone in a century, causing some botanists to question Darwin’s reported locality. The day was unusually hot, and Tye, after a few hours of hiking, felt the onset of heat exhaustion and asked me to take over the lead. Using a machete to help clear our way through the brush, I too became heat exhausted, and began to vomit. Heat exhaustion turned out to be the least of my problems. I had inadvertently cut the branch of an overhanging manzanillo tree, whose apples are poison to humans but beloved by tortoises. Some of the tree’s sap had gotten onto a wristband I was wearing and then into both of my eyes. The sting from the sap was almost unbearable, and dousing my eyes with water did nothing to help. For the next seven hours I was nearly blinded and could open my eyes for only a few seconds at a time. As I walked back to our campsite, five hours away, I often had to balance, with my eyes shut, on huge boulders in a dry riverbed, and on the edge of lava ravines. Those were the most painful seven hours I have ever spent. Fortunately, Tye and I did find the rare plant we had been seeking, resolving a century-old mystery and establishing that San Cristóbal has two different members of the same Lecocarpus genus.

Darwin personally reported no untoward physical difficulties during his own Galápagos visit, although he and four companions on Santiago did complain about a shortage of fresh water and the oppressive heat, which reached 137 degrees Fahrenheit (the maximum on their thermometer), as measured in the sandy soil outside their tent. Darwin was twice reminded of the potentially lethal outcome of any excursion into the Galápagos wilds. The Beagle’s crew encountered one lost soul, from the American whaler Hydaspy, who had become stranded on Española, and this stroke of good fortune saved his life. Also, Captain FitzRoy recorded that another sailor from an American whaler had gone missing and that the whaler’s crew was out looking for him. One should not be surprised, then, that, while he was engaged in fieldwork, Darwin would have focused his attention substantially on surviving the many hazards of the Galápagos.

Legend has it that Darwin was converted to the theory of evolution, eureka-like, during his visit to the islands. How could he not have been? In retrospect, the evidence for evolution seems so compelling. Darwin tells us in his Journal of Researches, first published in 1839, that his fascination with the “mystery of mysteries”—the origin of new species—was first aroused by a chance discussion on Floreana with Nicholas Lawson, the vice governor of the islands. Based in part on differences in the shape of a tortoise’s shell, Lawson claimed that “he could at once tell from which island any one was brought.” Darwin also noticed that the mockingbirds seemed to be either separate varieties or species on the four islands he visited. If true, he speculated, “such facts would undermine the stability of Species”—the fundamental tenet of creationism, which held that all species had been created in their present, immutable forms.

Darwin’s first reflections about evolution were an afterthought, written during the last leg of the Beagle voyage, nine months after his Galápagos visit. (I owe this historical insight to a curious fact—Darwin was a lousy speller. In 1982 I was able to date Darwin’s earliest and previously undated writings about possible species transformations by analyzing changes in Darwin’s pattern of misspellings during the voyage.) While in the Galápagos, Darwin was far more interested in the islands’ geology than their zoology. We know, moreover, from the complete record of his unpublished scientific notes that he was personally dubious about evolution. For nearly a year and a half following his Galápagos visit, he believed that the tortoises and mockingbirds were probably “only varieties,” a conclusion that did not threaten creationism, which allowed for animals to differ slightly in response to their environments. According to creationist theory, species were a bit like elastic bands. The environment could induce variation, but the inevitable pull of the immutable “type”—which was thought to be an idea in the mind of God—caused species to revert to their original forms. For the creationist, all variation from the “type” was limited by an impassable barrier between true species.

Darwin’s initial failure to appreciate the case for evolution stems in large part from a widely mistaken assumption about the tortoises. Naturalists thought that giant tortoises had been introduced to the Galápagos by buccaneers who had transported them from the Indian Ocean, where similar tortoises are present on several islands. This confusion explains Darwin’s astonishing failure to collect even a single specimen for scientific purposes. He and his servant did take back to England, as pets, two baby tortoises. Those juvenile tortoises further misled Darwin, because differences among subspecies are evident only in adults. Not realizing the importance of tortoises for the theory he would eventually develop about the origins and diversity of living things, Darwin and his fellow shipmates ate their way through 48 adult tortoise specimens and threw their shells overboard.

Darwin’s famous finches also misled him at first. There are 14 finch species in the Galápagos that have all evolved from a single ancestor over the past few million years. They have become one of the most famous cases of species adapting to different ecological niches. From Darwin’s specimen notebooks, it is clear he was fooled into thinking that some of the unusual finch species belonged to the families they have come to mimic through a process called convergent evolution. For example, Darwin thought the cactus finch, whose long, probing beak is specialized for obtaining nectar from cactus flowers (and dodging cactus spines), might be related to birds with long, pointed bills, such as meadowlarks and orioles. He also mistook the warbler finch for a wren. Not realizing that all of the finches were closely related, Darwin had no reason to suppose that they had evolved from a common ancestor, or that they differed from one island to another.

My own discovery, more than 30 years ago, that Darwin had misidentified some of his famous Galápagos finches led me to the Darwin Archive at Cambridge University Library, in England. There I found a manuscript trail that poked further holes in the legend that these birds precipitated an immediate “aha” moment. It was only after Darwin’s return to England, when experts in herpetology and ornithology began to correct his Galápagos reports, that he realized the extent of his collecting oversights and misidentifications. In particular, Darwin had failed to label most of his Galápagos birds by island, so he lacked the crucial evidence that would allow him to argue that different finch species had evolved separately while isolated on different islands of the Galápagos group.

Five months after his return to England, in March 1837, Darwin met with ornithologist John Gould. Five years older than Darwin, Gould was just beginning to become known for his beautifully illustrated monographs on birds, which today are highly prized collectors’ items. One of my most unexpected discoveries in the Darwin archives was the piece of paper on which Darwin recorded his crucial meeting with Gould. This manuscript clearly shows how Darwin’s thinking began to change as a result of Gould’s astute insights about the Galápagos birds. Unlike Darwin, Gould had instantly recognized the related nature of the Galápagos finches, and he also persuaded Darwin, who questioned him closely on the subject, that three of his four Galápagos mockingbirds were separate species rather than “only varieties.” Gould also informed Darwin that 25 of his 26 land birds from the Galápagos were new to science, as well as unique to those islands.

Gould’s taxonomic judgments finally caused Darwin to embrace the theory of evolution. Stunned by the realization that evolving varieties could break the supposedly fixed barrier that, according to creationism, prevents new species from forming, he quickly sought to rectify his previous collecting oversights by requesting island locality information from the carefully labeled collections of three Beagle shipmates. Two of these collections, by Captain FitzRoy and FitzRoy’s steward, Harry Fuller, contained 50 Galápagos birds, including more than 20 finches. Even Darwin’s servant, Covington, had done what Darwin had not, labeling by island his own personal collection of finches, which were later acquired by a private collector in England. The birth of the Darwinian revolution was a highly collaborative enterprise.

The case for evolution presented by this shared ornithological evidence nevertheless remained debatable for nearly a decade. Darwin was not entirely convinced Gould was right that all the finches were separate species, or even that they were all finches. Darwin also knew that, without specimens in hand, island-to-island differences among the tortoises were contestable, even though a French herpetologist told a delighted Darwin in 1838 that at least two species of tortoise existed in the islands.

In 1845 Darwin’s botanist friend Joseph Hooker gave Darwin the definitive evidence he needed to support his theory. Hooker analyzed the numerous plants that Darwin had brought back from the Galápagos. Unlike the birds, the plants all had accurate localities attached to them—not because Darwin had collected the plants with evolutionary theory in mind, but because plants have to be preserved in plant presses shortly after being collected. Hence the specimens from each island had all been pressed together, rather than being intermixed. Hooker eventually identified more than 200 species, half of which were unique to the Galápagos. Of these, three-quarters were confined to single islands—yet other islands often possessed closely related forms also found nowhere else on earth. At last, Darwin had the kind of compelling evidence that he felt he could really trust. As he wrote to Hooker: “I cannot tell you how delighted & astonished I am at the results of your examination; how wonderfully they support my assertion on the differences in the animals of the different islands, about which I have always been fearful.”

It is certainly testimony to Darwin’s intellectual boldness that he had conceived of the theory of evolution some eight years earlier, when he still harbored doubts about how to classify Galápagos tortoises, mockingbirds and finches. To bolster the unorthodox theory, he engaged in an exhaustive, 20-year program of research that ultimately became so convincing that he did not need the inspirational Galápagos evidence to make his case. As a consequence, Darwin devotes only 1 percent of the Origin of Species to the Galápagos, barely more than he allotted to the Madeiras Islands or New Zealand.

I have often wondered why Darwin, prior to the publication of Origin of Species in 1859, was the only person known to have become an evolutionist based on evidence from the Galápagos —especially after Hooker’s compelling botanical study. After all, Captain FitzRoy, John Gould, Joseph Hooker and numerous scientific specialists who helped Darwin with the analysis and publication of his voyage findings were fully aware of the unusual nature of his Galápagos collections. In the end, it is perhaps a question of courageous willingness to consider new and unconventional ways of thinking. When Darwin’s uncle, Josiah Wedgwood, was trying to convince Darwin’s father that young Charles should be allowed to sail on the Beagle, Josiah noted Charles was “a man of enlarged curiosity.”

One repeatedly sees the truth of Wedgwood’s observation. Charles Darwin’s undeniable knack for asking the right questions, bolstered by his five-week visit to an extraordinary workshop of evolution brimming with unasked and unanswered questions, ultimately precipitated the Darwinian revolution. In posing novel questions, Darwin voyaged back to the Galápagos Islands again and again in his mind, reassessing his imperfect evidence in the light of his maturing theory and benefiting from new and better evidence obtained by other researchers.

Although much of what one sees in the Galápagos today appears to be virtually identical to what Darwin described in 1835, the biology and ecology of the islands have been substantially transformed by the introduction of exotic plants, insects and animals. Completely gone from Santiago, for example, are the golden-colored land iguanas, described as so numerous by Darwin in 1835 that “we could not for some time find a spot free from their burrows, on which to pitch our tent.” The principal culprits in this extinction, besides Beagle crew members and other people who found these iguanas very good eating, were the rats, dogs, cats, goats and pigs introduced by mariners and would-be settlers who left their animals to run wild. Along with visiting whalers, early settlers also hunted the giant land tortoises to extinction on some islands, and they nearly wiped them out on other islands. Recently introduced insects and plants—including fire ants, wasps, parasitic flies and quinine trees—have also become highly invasive and threaten the Galápagos ecosystem.

When I first visited the Galápagos, 37 years ago, quinine was not yet a serious problem, and feral goats, which later invaded Isabela’s Volcán Alcedo (home to about 5,000 giant land tortoises), had yet to reach epidemic numbers. But by the 1990s, more than 100,000 goats were devastating the volcano’s vegetation. Darwin himself would doubtless have applauded the indefatigable efforts of the Charles Darwin Research Station and the National Park Service to stem the tide of destruction to the fragile ecosystem, and he would also have marveled at some of the occasional success stories, such as the recent eradication of feral pigs from Santiago.

From the many times I have followed in Darwin’s footsteps to better understand his voyage of discovery, I have come to believe that the Galápagos continue to epitomize one of the key elements of Darwin’s theories. As he argued, over long periods of time natural selection is ultimately responsible for the “endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful” around us. Empowering this evolutionary process on a day-to-day basis is what Darwin termed “the struggle for existence.” This evolutionary engine works its slow but unrelenting biological effects primarily through accidents, starvation and death. Perhaps nowhere else is this harsh biological principle more evident than in the strange islands that inspired Darwin’s scientific revolution.

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Discovering Galapagos

Charles Darwin 1/2: Voyage of the Beagle

Charles Darwin was a passenger on the HMS Beagle from 1832 to 1836, which had been chartered to survey the South American coast.

A voyage of discovery

Captain Robert FitzRoy had seen the need for a geologist during HMS Beagle’s second survey of the South American coast. It was Charles Darwin who was eventually suggested to accompany Fitzroy on this voyage. The Beagle reached the Galapagos Islands on 15 September 1835, nearly four years after setting off from Plymouth, England.

The visit to the Galapagos would prove the starting point from which Darwin would develop his theories on evolution and secure his enduring fame. Like many visitors to the Islands before him, Darwin considered them bleak and ugly. Darwin had 34 days to collect species and record observations around the Islands.

Painting of HMS Beagle by R.T. Pritchett in 1900

Although he was employed as a geologist, Darwin had also been an avid collector of fossils, animals and plants during his voyage and took extensive notes on all he observed. He described the natural history of Galapagos as “ very remarkable: it seems to be a little world within itself; the greater number of its inhabitants, both vegetable and animal, being found nowhere else.”

Darwin travelled around the Galapagos Islands for 5 weeks visiting:

• San Cristobal 17 -22 September 
• Floreana 24   – 27 September
• Isabela 29 September    –  02 October
• Santiago 08 – 17 October

You can find out more about the voyage of the HMS Beagle  here .

Next: Charles Darwin – Origin of Species: Darwin’s Impact

Charles Darwin And The Galapagos Islands

Introduction

Welcome to Aventuras Naturales, your gateway to exploring the incredible world of travel and tourism. In this guide, we delve deep into the remarkable journey of Charles Darwin, who made groundbreaking discoveries in the Galapagos Islands. Join us as we discover the wonders of nature and unravel the legacy of one of history's greatest scientific minds.

The Life of Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. His interest in natural history blossomed from an early age, and he embarked on a voyage that would change the course of scientific understanding forever.

The Voyage of the Beagle

In 1831, Darwin set sail on the HMS Beagle, a British naval ship, on a five-year expedition around the world. The Beagle's voyage took him to various destinations, including the remote Galapagos Islands, where he made astonishing observations that laid the foundation for his theory of evolution.

Exploring the Enchanting Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean, are a volcanic archipelago known for their unique and diverse ecosystem. During his visit, Darwin was captivated by the extraordinary biodiversity found on these remote islands.

Admiring the Natural Wonders

Darwin marveled at the diverse array of plant and animal species unique to the Galapagos Islands. The isolation of the archipelago for millions of years allowed for the evolution of species found nowhere else on the planet.

The Impact of Darwin's Discoveries

Darwin's observations in the Galapagos Islands played a pivotal role in shaping his theory of natural selection. The concept of adaptation and the survival of the fittest were fundamental principles that Darwin developed during his time on these islands.

The Legacy of Charles Darwin

After returning from his voyage on the Beagle, Darwin dedicated his life to studying, writing, and promoting his revolutionary theory of evolution. His masterpiece, "On the Origin of Species," published in 1859, caused a scientific revolution and forever changed our understanding of life on Earth.

Exploring with Aventuras Naturales

At Aventuras Naturales, we are committed to providing unique travel experiences that allow you to immerse yourself in nature's wonders. Our expert guides will take you on a journey through the Galapagos Islands, following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin himself.

Unforgettable Expeditions

Experience the enchantment of the Galapagos Islands as you witness the incredible wildlife, explore volcanic landscapes, and swim alongside majestic marine creatures. With Aventuras Naturales, your adventure will be filled with unforgettable moments.

Expert Naturalist Guides

Our team of highly knowledgeable naturalist guides will accompany you every step of the way, providing in-depth insights into the unique ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands. Learn about the fascinating adaptations and behaviors of the diverse wildlife that call these islands home.

Book Your Galapagos Adventure

Ready to embark on an extraordinary journey inspired by Charles Darwin? Choose Aventuras Naturales as your travel companion and discover the wonders of the Galapagos Islands. Contact us today to book your adventure of a lifetime.

Charles Darwin's exploration of the Galapagos Islands marked a turning point in our understanding of the natural world. His observations and theories continue to inspire scientists and nature enthusiasts alike. Aventuras Naturales invites you to follow in Darwin's footsteps and witness the incredible beauty of the Galapagos Islands firsthand. Start your adventure today!

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Charles Darwin and the Galapagos Islands

When we hear the words “ Galapagos Islands ”, it’s almost impossible to not think of the name “ Charles Darwin ”. The English naturalist and geologist is well-known for his influential contributions to evolution theory, largely from his observations of the unique species he found on the Ecuadorian Galapagos Islands in 1835. Now the two names have become impossibly intertwined- the animals he studied have taken on his name, and he has taken on the identity built by his unforgettable work. Whether you’re going to visit the Galapagos Islands or simply curious, read on for more about Charles Darwin’s natural selection theory , his time spent in the Galapagos, how the Galapagos Islands influenced his work, and how he has since influenced them.

Marine Iguana

Charles Darwin and the Galapagos Islands: A Brief History

In 1831, Charles Darwin set sail on the H.M.S. Beagle, headed for South America. Having struggled with his career thus far, he took the unpaid position under the leadership of Commander Robert Fitz Roy with the intent of sailing to countries that were little known.

On September 15th, 1835, the Beagle landed on the first of the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands sit 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, made up of 13 main islands and 7 smaller islands . Charles Darwin and the crew on the Beagle visited four of the islands over the next 5 weeks: San Cristobal, Floreana, Santiago and Isabela.

The first stop was on San Cristobal (formerly Chatham Island). Here, Darwin’s crew captured several giant tortoises for food. The tortoises here were massive, weighing over 90kg (almost 200 lbs), and big enough to be ridden like horses. He also noted a few “dull-colored” birds- these later became his famous finches !

Floreana Island

Charles Darwin’s second stop was at Floreana Island (formerly known as Charles Island). Here, local prisoners told Darwin that each island had its own unique tortoise. The locals pointed out that these tortoises seemingly lived infinitely- it appeared that none of them ever died of old age, and the dead tortoises found always had a clear cause of death (such as falling from a cliff). The Englishman managing the prison, Nicholas Lawson, showed Darwin that you could tell which island each tortoise came from by looking at its shell: they were all different. The convicts regularly ate the tortoises, as well as crews of whaling and pirate ships, and they were extinct by 1846.

The third island stop was Santiago (formerly James Island). Arriving here on October 8, 1835, they found a group of Spaniards who had left Floreana to dry fish and salt tortoise meat. Here, Darwin observed the many land iguanas- or as he called them, ‘disgusting clumsy Lizards’. Unfortunately, iguanas no longer exist on this island, but at the time he recorded there being so many they didn’t have room to pitch a tent.

Charles Darwin spent the most time on Santiago island, and it was here that he began to realize the species collected on each were actually different. So far, he had gathered a variety of fish, snails, birds, reptiles and insects, but hadn’t been labeling which island they came from as he had assumed all of the islands had the same animals. He now realized this wasn’t the case.

Isabela Island

The last stop the Beagle and Charles Darwin made was at Isabela Island . The largest island in the archipelago, this is where Charles realized how different certain species were. A local told Charles that many of the plants and trees on the islands, like the tortoises, were different from island to island. The significance didn’t sink in until later: he left, writing that he never dreamed that islands made of the same materials, under the same climate, at the same altitude, and only 50-60 miles apart might have such different animals.

Charles Darwin returned home and enlisted others to help him sort his specimens. It was then that many of them pointed out what Darwin had missed: each island had its own finch species . Joseph Hooker confirmed that the plant life was unique between islands, and after this point, he put together that every species he had observed varied by island (even though some were harder to spot).

The theory of evolution had already been proposed by Jean Baptiste de Lamarck, even though Darwin often gets credit for it. But what was so remarkable about Darwin’s findings was that he was able to solve the mystery of how and why evolution occurred. In 1839, he called it natural selection . He explained that the animals with the characteristics that made them best suited for their environment had the highest chance of survival , and therefore their offspring would help pass on those traits that had helped them survive. In the case of the islands, these naturally-selected individuals simply had different traits, and thus the species evolved in different directions.

The Galapagos Islands provided Charles Darwin with the subjects for his work, and his work has brought attention to the rare species of the Galapagos islands.

Galapagos National Park

Charles Darwin and the Galapagos Islands: Today

Today tourists can visit the same islands that enabled Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking work, and witness many of the exotic species that do not exist anywhere else in the world.

The Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz island currently works on research and conservation projects, focused on protecting the terrestrial and marine ecosystems. With a team of over 100 scientists, educators, volunteers, research students and support staff, the research station has been working to create educational conservation programs, advise Ecuadorian authorities on managing the natural resources of the islands, and better understand the ecosystems to adequately manage them.

If you visit the center, you’ll have the chance to get a close-up look at the Galapagos tortoises and land iguanas, with explanations in both English and Spanish about current efforts to restore their populations.

For more information about Galapagos Conservation you can visit the Galapagos Conservatory website . For information about booking a tour to the Galapagos or a Galapagos Cruise , contact us!

While Rainforest Cruises aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information herein or found by following any link on this site. Rainforest Cruises cannot and will not accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies, or for any consequences arising therefrom, including any losses, injuries, or damages resulting from the display or use of this information.

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Charles Darwin Research Station – Galapagos Islands

Guayaquil City Travel Guide and Tips

Suarez Point – Galapagos Islands

The Charles Darwin Station Galapagos is a common feature on many Galapagos cruise itineraries, and many visitors want to know what there is to see and do here. Below we will explain the things to do at the Charles Darwin Station as well as the wildlife you can see here. We’ll also look at the best time to go, and offer our insider tips on visiting this popular Galapagos visitor site.

Things to Do at the Charles Darwin Station

The main thing to do at the Charles Darwin Research Station is to learn more about the conservation efforts on the Galapagos Islands. The research station is run by the Charles Darwin Foundation, and it was set up in 1964 as a base for research on the islands. The Charles Darwin Station has a remit to study the environment and ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands and to understand the biodiversity there. This includes reviewing conservation on the islands, and where necessary taking care for endangered or injured creatures, preparing them for release into the wild. Various creatures are tracked on and around the islands.

The station has breeding programs for giant tortoises and land iguanas which can be viewed. However, it is also researching to understand the movement of other creatures, such as Galapagos penguins , sea turtles and sharks. There are many interesting exhibits that you can view here to help educate yourself on the efforts that are being undertaken at the current time in the Galapagos Islands. Exhibits are located both indoors and outdoors, and you can find gifts and snacks available here too.

There is no wet or dry landing when you visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, as it is visited by land (it is just on the edge of Puerto Ayora). If on a Galapagos Islands cruise , you will dock at Puerto Ayora , and either walk or be transported by road to the station.

You will probably want to spend an hour or two at the Charles Darwin Station to make sure that you get to see everything in a relaxed manner.

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Galapagos: The Land of Darwin

Cost per person is $8,999 / £7,199 Single supplement is $3,499 / £2,799

Walk in the footsteps of Charles Darwin on a trip to the Galapagos Islands with Terra Incognita Ecotours.  This is home to some of the most interesting and accessible wildlife in the world. You will swim and snorkel with sea lions and sea turtles, come within inches of blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, magnificent frigatebirds, and the giant tortoises in the wild. Watch the dance of the waved albatross, and experience the diversity of the legendary finches, and so much more.  Gain an appreciation for how remarkable life on Earth can be! 

We will donate to the important wildlife saving efforts of Galapagos Conservation.

We will employ local people.

We will use locally owned and operated lodges and outfitters.

We will use local goods and services.

This is an ecotour that will make a difference to you and to the places we visit.

Upcoming Dates

Sunday, august 11, 2024 to tuesday, august 20, 2024.

Availability — Only SIX spaces left on this departure

Book This Trip Now

Sunday, September 8, 2024 to Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Availability — Only THREE spaces left on this departure

Day 1: Arrival to Quito, Ecuador

Plan to arrive anytime today in Quito, where you will be met and transferred to the charming Hotel Patio Andaluz in the colonial city of Quito, which is located in the highlands of the Ecuadorian Andes. Get to know your fellow explorers as we enjoy our Welcome Dinner this evening.

Overnight at Hotel Patio Andaluz (D)

Day 2: Quito

We begin our adventure at 9am today, a relaxed start to recover from flights yesterday, we will visit the “Virgen de El Panecillo” which stands on a hill-top prominently over the center of Quito, visible from almost everywhere in the city. Not only is it the tallest aluminum statue in the world, it's also the world's tallest winged representation of the Virgin Mary.  We will also visit the Archbishops Palace, and the Iglesia de la Compania, with it’s amazing gold leaf ceiling and columns, plus the Presidential Palace ending around lunch time to allow some free time to explore on your own.  Dinner at the Hotel this evening.

Overnight at Patio Andaluz (B,D)

Day 3: Quito to Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos

Early this morning we drive back to the International Airport for the flight to the airport on Baltra Island, adjacent to Isla Santa Cruz.  After passing through immigration and baggage claim, we will be met by the M.Y. Natural Paradise staff and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

In the afternoon, you will visit Eden Islet off the western coast of Santa Cruz Island, Eden Islet offers visitors a great chance to see a variety of Galapagos wildlife from the dinghy ride both on shore and also under the water.  Dinner on board this evening.

Overnight on board M.Y. Natural Paradise (B,L,D)

Day 4: Isabela and Fernandina Islands

In the morning, we will visit Vicente Roca Point which is a large bay with spectacular sea life. Keep an eye out for seahorses, sea turtles, and the strange yet fascinating Mola mola (or sun fish) while you snorkel. This is a great area for Penguins, blue-footed boobies, terns, Nazca boobies, two types of sea lions, sea turtles, rays and puffer fish.  

In the afternoon we will be crossing the Bolivar Channel that divides Isabela and Fernandina Islands, and we will land at Espinoza Point, and after walking past a colony of marine iguanas and a group of sea lions, you will reach the island’s highlight: the flightless cormorant nesting site. This area also provides a great opportunity to see the Galapagos hawk!

Day 5: Isla Isabela

We start our day on Isabela at Urbina Bay which is located at the base of Alcedo Volcano on the west coast between Tagus Cove and Elizabeth Bay. This area experienced a major uplift in 1954 causing the land to rise over 16 feet. The coast expanded half a mile out leaving marine life stranded on the new shore. This area is also a great place for snorkeling.

This afternoon we visit Moreno Point located southwest of Elizabeth Bay. Here a dry landing onto what was once flowing lava is possible, where we plan to hike a mile or so over this amazing volcanic landscape! The lava has left craters in its wake which formed crystal tide pools. By looking into the pools, you can peer into another world as the marine life drifts by your window. In the brackish pools of this area, you may see pink flamingos, white-cheeked pintails, and common gallinules. If you look carefully into the pools, you may see white-tip reef sharks and some sea turtles.

Day 6: Isabela Island

We start our day with a visit to the Sierra Negra Volcano, which is the largest basaltic caldera in the Galapagos with a diameter of 6.2 miles (10 km). The site offers impressive views and the opportunity to observe up to seven species of finches and a rich display of vegetation. The north side of the caldera provides evidence of its most recent volcanic activity in 2005.

In the afternoon we will explore the wetlands of Isabela Island located just outside of Puerto Villamil. They consist of lagoons, swamps, and mangroves and are home to a variety of unique bird species such as flamingoes, common stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintails, and gallinules. The Wetlands can be visited on foot via a path through the swamps. 

We end our busy first day on Isabela Island with a late afternoon visit to Arnaldo Tupiza Breeding Center which is located about one mile (1.5 km) from Puerto Villamil. Here, tortoise populations from South Isabela, Sierra Negra Volcano, Cerro Azul, Cazuela, Cinco Cerros, Roca Union, San Pedro, Tables and Cerro Paloma have been bred in captivity. In total there are 330 juvenile and adult tortoises. 

Day 7: Santiago Island

In the morning, we visit Chinese Hat, this small islet is located near the southeast coast of Santiago Island. Its name comes from the distinct shape of the islet’s summit. Chinese Hat is a great location to view many geological formations such as lava tunnels and lava flows. Some of the lava flows were formed underwater and subsequently raised above sea level. The presence of coral heads on the lava flow indicates this phenomenon.

For the afternoon we plan to visit Mosquera Islet located between the islands of Baltra and North Seymour. This reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) is only 160 meters across at its narrowest width. This island has one of the largest populations of sea lions and is home to many shorebirds. There have been occasional reports at this site of orcas feeding on sea lions.  So (of course) we hope to snorkel here!!!

Day 8: Floreana Island

We have moved further along in our journey and today we visit Floreana Island, beginning our adventure at Post Office Bay where we will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel used as an unofficial mailbox. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don’t forget your postcards, and don’t be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!  We will also continue the tradition by taking any postcards that are addressed to people in our hometowns, we must then take them home and hand-deliver them!

Afterwards we hike to Cormorant Point that hosts a large flamingo lagoon where other birds such as common stilts and white-cheeked pintails can also be seen. The beaches on this island are distinct: The Green Beach is named so due to its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and the Flour Sand Beach is composed of white coral.

This afternoon we cruise on to Champion Islet, named after the whaler Andrew Champion, it is a small island located just offshore from Floreana Island in the southern part of the Archipelago. Considered as one of the most beautiful places on Galapagos for all snorkeling and diving fans and an excellent opportunity for dolphin watching.

Day 9: Espanola Island

We may have saved the best for last!  Our morning excursion takes us to the trail around Suarez Point here you will have the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, nesting albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. This island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses, and in August there should be fluffy chicks in all the nests! You will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad!   You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.

After repositioning the boat and lunch aboard, we visit the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.We will start the day with an excursion to Lobos Island which means “Sea Lion Island.” This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, playful, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also offers our last great snorkeling opportunity.

Day 10: Galapagos Islands to home

We will start the day with an excursion to Lobos Island which means “Sea Lion Island.” This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, playful, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins.

After exploring Lobos Island we will transfer to San Cristobal and the airport for our flight back to Quito.  Once in Quito you can transfer to the International Temrinal and flights headed home.  Please make sure your return flight is AFTER 9pm.

Travel Information

Thanks for choosing Ecuador with Terra Incognita Ecotours, Inc. It is our pleasure to help you plan for your upcoming ecotour. To ensure that your travel arrangements are made to your satisfaction, please take a few minutes to read through this information.

What you need to have with you on your trip:

Passport:  If you are a U.S., U.K., Australian or Canadian citizen, you will need a passport, valid for six months from the date of completion of your trip.

It is always a good idea to make a photocopy of your airline tickets and of the pages of your passport that have the number, your photograph and other pertinent information. Keep the copies separate from the originals.

Visas:  Please consult the Ecuador consulate or embassy nearest you for visa requirements to enter Ecuador. If a visa is required, you are responsible for obtaining it.

Documents for children under the age of 18, not traveling with both parents: The U.S. government is increasingly requiring that minors under 18 years of age traveling alone, with grandparents, or with one parent/legal guardian only, carry a notarized document signed by both parents or by the parent/legal guardian not traveling with the child. We suggest you obtain such a document (noting the age of the child, relationship to traveling adult(s), dates of travel, and destination) to avoid potential problems. For example, in the case of divorce, the parent with legal custody must sign the permit, and the accompanying adult must carry proof of this fact. In addition, if the child’s surname differs from that of either parent, you may want to carry the child’s birth certificate.

Emergency Contact number while on your ecotour:

Call COLLECT (813) 476-2810

Practical Information

Currency:  The currency of Ecuador is the U.S. dollar. Major credit cards are generally accepted at hotels, restaurants and larger stores. We suggest you carry U.S. currency in small denominations for smaller purchases such as taxis, refreshments or other miscellaneous expenses.

Health:  All information we obtain regarding health precautions is received from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta at 404.332.4559 or www.cdc.gov .

Please note that Terra Incognita Ecotours, Inc., as a travel company, is in no way authorized to prescribe any inoculations or medications. We recommend that you consult your personal physician for medical advice, showing him or her the brochure that indicates the places you will be visiting. Your physician is most familiar with your personal medical history and is best qualified to determine your particular needs. It is always advisable to have physical and dental check-ups before you leave.

At the present time, no specific immunizations are required for this ecotour, although the CDC recommends the following:

Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG). Transmission of hepatitis A virus can occur through direct person-to-person contact; through exposure to contaminated water, ice, or shellfish harvested in contaminated water; or from fruits, vegetables, or other foods that are eaten uncooked and that were contaminated during harvesting or subsequent handling.

Typhoid vaccine. Typhoid fever can be contracted through contaminated drinking water or food, or by eating food or drinking beverages that have been handled by a person who is infected. Large outbreaks are most often related to fecal contamination of water supplies or foods sold by street vendors.

As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria, measles, and a one-time dose of polio vaccine for adults.

Please also note:

A certificate of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry into certain countries in South America. For detailed information, see Yellow Fever Vaccine Requirements and Information on Malaria Risk and Prophylaxis, by Country. Also, find the nearest authorized U.S. yellow fever vaccine center. The normal "childhood" vaccines should be up to date: Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR Vaccine), Diphtheria, Tetanus, Perturssia (DTP Vaccine) and Polio vaccine.

Swimming:  There are several opportunities to swim and snorkel during the ecotour.  We advocate the buddy system for everyone, at all times, and children less than 14 years of age should always be accompanied by an adult while swimming.

Time Difference: Ecuador is one hour behind of Eastern Standard Time. 

Weather:  The climate of Ecuador comprises a wide range of weather conditions.  The highlands of Ecuador are warm in the daytime, cool at night.  The Galapagos Islands are located directly on the equator, so days are warm/hot and nights only cool down a little. You should be preapred for a rain shower.

Please remember that the sun’s rays are more vertical than you may be used to, so you can sunburn more easily. Be careful of the midday sun.

Lodging Info

Hotel patio andaluz.

Hotel Patio Andaluz Quito, an elegant Boutique hotel located only 500 feet off the Main Square, also known as the Independence Plaza.  The hotel is located in a colonial style house built at the end of the XVI Century, and only minutes walk away from Church and Square of San Francisco; and less than 5 minutes walk from the famous “La Compañia” Church with its impressive gold leaf inner decoration.   Its spacious restaurant “El Rincón de Cantuña”, inside its main Patio offers excellent options of Ecuadorian and Spanish flavors and a variety of wines from its recognized Wine cellar.  There are 32 comfortable rooms (11 Suites and 21 standard rooms) and their complementary services and amenities provide luxury in the colonial heart of Quito.

M.Y. Natural Paradise

The Motor Yacht Natural Paradise was specifically designed and built to cruise the Galapagos.  The M.Y. Natural Paradise offers 9 comfortable cabins and ample social areas including a superb sundeck with a large jacuzzi.

Private facilities in each cabin - private bathrooms, cold/hot water, air conditioned, hair dryer, telephone for internal communication on board, and a safe box.    The M.Y. Natural Paradise cruises at 12 knots and has 10 crew, 1 Cruise director and 1 Naturalist guide.  

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In the Footsteps of Charles Darwin

A land-based vacation in the Galápagos offers snorkeling, cave exploration, mountain hikes, tortoises and, sometimes, a little mystery.

The Galápagos are an archipelago of 20 islands made famous by Charles Darwin, who formulated his theory of evolution there in 1835. Credit... Federico Rios Escobar for The New York Times

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By Allison Amend

• June 20, 2017

The Galápagos Islands , with their gorgeous scenery, unparalleled and rare wildlife unafraid of humans, and paramount historical and scientific importance, were once a place you saved for years to see, a splurge that made a ski trip to Aspen look positively cheap in comparison. The only way to visit was by cruise ship, or by living aboard a boat, which put the cost, when combined with flights to the Ecuadorean mainland and then to the islands, out of the reach of many travelers.

But in the last 10 years, the government of Ecuador has allowed land-based tourism into its famous province. Although a cruise is still the best way to see the islands, and the only way to see some of them, travelers on a budget now have some appealing options. A land-based trip is more affordable and still lets you experience the highlights of a Galápagos adventure, without having to sleep on a pitching vessel.

If you’re going to the Galápagos as a land-based traveler, you will need flexibility, good humor and patience. Be prepared for uncoordinated and poorly communicated boat times, confusing directions, mistaken guidebooks and rapidly-changing laws. That said, my 10-day trip to the Galápagos from New York cost less than $2,000, including airfare. I visited Quito, Ecuador’s capital, as well as three of the islands, where I met quite a few budget travelers, dispelling the myth that the Galápagos are only for the rich.

It was a vastly different experience than the one I met when I had last traveled to the islands, 20-plus years previously, on a luxury cruise ship with my parents. On this recent trip my primary motivation was research for a novel-in-progress, and my budget was tight. I was pleasantly surprised by how economical the trip could be.

The Galápagos are an archipelago of 20 islands, originally called the Enchanted Islands, and made famous by Charles Darwin, who visited the islands in 1835, later formulating his theory of evolution based on his trip. Still, no one took much interest in them until World War II, when the United States opened an Air Force base on Seymour North, also known as Baltra. (The islands often have two or more names, in both Spanish and English, which can be confusing.) In the 1960s, the Ecuadorean government, having annexed the islands in 1832, woke up to their tourist potential, declared them a national park and got serious about their conservation. Visitors had to be accompanied by official government guides, and sleep aboard boats to limit environmental degradation.

When I first visited in 1992, the islands had a total population of just under 10,000; there were fewer than 40,000 tourists annually. Returning recently I found that visitors can now sleep on four of the islands, as well as visit several others on day trips. The total population of the Galápagos is close to 30,000 with an estimated 200,000 annual visitors.

Upon landing on the tarmac in Baltra (there is also an airport on San Cristóbal island, with daily flights to the mainland), the airlines spray the inside of the cabin while passengers are still seated, to kill any invasive species — a dubious welcome. Entrance requires a $100 fee, in exchange for an adorable cartoon tortoise and shark-shaped passport stamp.

After collecting their luggage and traveling through customs (mostly an agricultural search), boat dwellers are taken in an air-conditioned luxury bus to a nearby port, where they board their vessels. I chose to take a public bus to the biggest town, Puerto Ayora, on the adjacent Santa Cruz Island, for $1.

Like many sites in the Galápagos, the bus station was unmarked, but Galapagueños are extremely friendly and helpful. A multipart journey ensued: An overheated and ancient bus jolted me to the southern end of Baltra island, where I caught a glorified raft across the half-mile channel, then took another bus, for another dollar, to Puerto Ayora. Taxis from the Santa Cruz Ferry terminal to Puerto Ayora cost about $15. If this sounds complicated, well, it’s the islands.

I stayed with a friend, but budget options in Santa Cruz abound. Prices in Puerto Ayora range from $15 for a hostel to $500-a-night eco-luxury resorts. A comfortable room with a private bath and a functioning air-conditioning unit can be had for $40. The farther outside the main port area you go (nothing is more than a mile away), the cheaper the lodgings get. You can book in advance, or increase your chances of getting a deal by looking when you arrive and bargaining for a room that would otherwise go unoccupied. English is spoken in most establishments; traveler’s Spanish will get you far.

For nourishment, there is a row of Italian and seafood restaurants on Avenida Charles Darwin. One popular expat joint is Il Giardino. Appetizers range from $6 to $13; entrees start at $15 for pasta and go up to $35 for a mixed seafood grill. The budget option ($8 to $12 for plate meals, up to $25 for lobster), however, can be found on Charles Binford at Baltra Avenue, where food stalls and small restaurants serve Ecuadorean standards as well as fresh fish purchased at the morning market (follow the sea gulls). The most popular are Kiosko de Renato and K.F. William, but all serve similar seafood, plantains, rice and vegetables.

Puerto Ayora is not a party town, but there are bars that serve tourists until late, and one night my host took me to a free community party held by the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana in an outdoor amphitheater. A food truck sold beers for a dollar and empanadas for $2.50. This intergenerational, until-the-wee-hours gathering featured indigenous dancing (indigenous to the mainland, that is, as there’s no native human population on the islands), body painting, and a rock band whose lead singer performed wearing a bull’s skull.

A popular activity in Puerto Ayora is a visit to the Charles Darwin Foundation’s research center ( free, self-guided , 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.). Exhibits explain its conservation efforts and showcase its tortoise-breeding ground. Other activities include the more extensive tortoise reserve called Reserva El Chato in Santa Rosa; either take a taxi ($20 to $40, ask the driver to wait) or ask the airport bus to drop you off (you’ll have a half-hour walk). Admission: $3.

Otherworldly lava tubes, natural tunnels formed by flowing lava moving beneath a hardened surface of cooled lava, some large enough to stand up in, are nearby ($3, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Additionally, local hikes are plentiful for all fitness levels, and approachable by bus or taxi (negotiate in advance if leaving the city; a round trip by taxi shouldn’t be more than $40, depending on how long the driver is asked to wait). There are also lovely beaches where kayaks are available to rent. But you won’t see much wildlife on Santa Cruz beyond the occasional sea turtle or Sally Lightfoot crab, maybe an iguana sunning on the beach, or a sea lion family frolicking nearby.

From Puerto Ayora there are three options for visiting other islands: book a passage on a multiday cruise; take day trips to small, nearby islands; or ride the public inter-island boat to spend the night on Floreana, Isabella or San Cristóbal Islands. I looked into all three options, but decided to spend a couple of days on Floreana, then return to Puerto Ayora for a day trip.

Traditionally, almost everyone visiting the Galápagos takes a multiday cruise. Residing on a boat offers a comprehensive way to see the islands, and there are discounts to be had if you book from the Galápagos themselves, though boats vary greatly in the quality of accommodations and guides.

The government has increased the presence of land-based tourism in an effort to benefit local residents, offering day boat transportation and allowing hotels on four islands. An estimated 45 percent of tourists now stay on land. It’s a new way of seeing the islands, and the trip brought me closer to both Galápagos residents and mainland Ecuadoreans. I experienced, if only for a few days, what it might be like to be real Galapagueña.

Of the islands travelers can visit without taking a cruise ship, I was most interested in Floreana; my novel “Enchanted Islands” is based on the life of Frances Conway, who lived there with her husband, Ainslie, in the 1930s and 40s. Conway was the author of two memoirs about their lives as homesteaders. I fell in love with her witty descriptions of Floreana life, her self-deprecating stories of foibles thereon and her reluctance to admit that she and her husband might have been spies for the United States. In short, a ripe subject for novelization. I took the inter-island boat to spend some time there. These trips fill up, so book from Puerto Ayora as soon as your plans are firm; any of the plethora of travel agencies along Avenida Darwin can help you purchase a ticket ($45). The two-hour trip, on hard benches, is a bumpy, sunburning voyage that you’ll wish was quickly over (note that depending on the weather the trip can be pleasant or nightmarish; in truly inclement weather, boats don’t run).

I had booked at the Floreana Lava Lodge beforehand ($138 per night), as it was the only lodging on the island for which I could find contact information. The lodge consists of luxury cabins complete with air conditioning (however the electricity is unreliable — it is run on local pine nut oil). I was the only one staying there, mimicking my protagonist Frances’ isolation in a way I wasn’t altogether comfortable with, but the next morning Claudio Cruz, who manages the property, sat down with me to a wonderful breakfast of fresh fruit grown on the island and local yogurt and cheese, to talk about his life.

Mr. Cruz is a native of Floreana, the son of 1940s settlers. He and his wife also own a guesthouse, the Casa Santa Maria. Besides Mr. Cruz’s properties there are five other lodging establishments; the most famous is the Hotel Wittmer , right on Black Beach (named for its black volcanic sand), which heats up to infernal temperatures and is overrun twice a day with groups of tourists who come and snorkel and then go back to their boats. Each room at the Wittmer has a balcony with a hammock. The other guesthouses are clean and comfortable, with bathrooms en suite. Some have air conditioning and include breakfast, at $30 to $40 a night. There is usually a vacancy, unless there is a school group or a large scientific research community. Each guesthouse consists of two or three rooms atop the proprietor’s house.

Floreana, with a small population of about 200, is not for the easily lonely. There are no stores and no real restaurants, and you are not allowed to bring any produce to the island (though granola bars, instant oatmeal and other packaged foods are fine), for fear of contamination. Erika Wittmer and her mother Floreanita will make dinner for $10 and, if you sweet talk them into it, lunch ($6). Oddly, if only because the Fräuleins Wittmer have never lived there, it is German food: pork, spaetzle, overcooked vegetables, a bit heavy for a tropical island. Claudio Cruz’s sister, Aura, cooks tastier food out of her home and restaurant — you’ll see the sign marking La Canchalagua. She will serve you at one of the two tables on her front porch if arrangements are made with her in advance. Meals are local fish and simple grilled meats, rice and vegetables (lunch $6, dinner $10 to $12). Nowhere on Floreana do you get to choose your meal (though accommodations may be possible for vegetarians and others with dietary restrictions).

The main attraction is Asilo de la Paz (Haven of Peace), site of the first human settlements on Floreana, in a cave near the only source of fresh water on the island. It’s about five miles up the only road. You can take the workers’ bus, which leaves at 7 a.m., and ask to be dropped off ($2). Technically it’s national parkland, so you’re not allowed there without a guide, but I went several times and was questioned only once. The cave is empty now, and just big enough for five people to stand — it’s hard to believe an entire family once lived there. Also at the summit is an abandoned resort that the Wittmers built but never actually used, as well as the Floreana tortoise breeding corral, where you can commune with (and get close enough to touch) giant tortoises, cousins of the “originals.”

Better still: Attach yourself to a group. One day I caught a ride with a class of Ecuadorean fifth graders and listened as their guide explained the site while we shared lollipops. Another day I was invited to join a German group, and we stopped at a farm to examine the plants that provide the food to islanders. A third day, I asked Mr. Cruz to show me his farm, and the site of some of the human settlements that provide Floreana’s historical lore (I paid him $20 for his time).

Floreana has some of the most interesting human history in the Galápagos, and was the site of the possible murder of three flamboyant characters, entertainingly chronicled in the 2013 documentary “The Galápagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden.” (I fictionalized them in my novel.) Originally occupied mostly by marauding pirates and buccaneers (who are said to have eaten all the tortoises, and released goats and rats), consistent human settlement on Floreana only dates back to 1929, when a German doctor, Friedrich Ritter, and his companion, Dore Strauch, decided to follow his nativist philosophy by leaving their respective spouses (who conveniently moved in together), pulling out all their teeth to seal their commitment to vegetarianism, and moving there. Their solitude was disturbed by the arrival of the Wittmer family in 1932. Relations between the two German families were tense, and the discord was further fueled when Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet, an Austrian “baroness,” arrived to stake her claim to the island. Competing narratives can be compared in Margaret Wittmer’s memoir, “Floreana,” and Strauch’s memoir, “Satan Came to Eden.”

Arriving with two German lovers, the self-proclaimed baroness antagonized both families by stealing provisions and otherwise attracting attention. After a split in the ménage à trois, the baroness and one of her partners vanished. Everyone on the island would seem to have had motive and opportunity for their disappearance, but accidents can also happen on volcanic islands. In the wake of her disappearance the spurned lover caught the next boat. His desiccated body was found on a deserted island nearby, six months later. Not long afterward, Dr. Ritter died from eating spoiled potted meat (despite his professed vegetarianism). Amid rumors that she had poisoned him, Dore Strauch returned to Germany, leaving the Wittmers briefly alone on the island. The Floreanita mentioned earlier is Margaret’s daughter.

If the murder stories don’t scare you off, the snorkeling is terrific around Floreana. It’s best to bring your own equipment, though there is usually some knocking about that you can borrow at hotels. There were five foreigners staying on the island the week I was there, and two Argentine girls negotiated a snorkeling trip with a local resident. The American couple who joined us were avid snorkelers, and they pointed out manta and eagle rays, small sharks and different kinds of colorful fish as well as spectacular underwater volcanic rocks.

In addition to the road that goes to the top of the island, there is a second one that runs parallel to the shore and ends in La Loberia, a sea lion nursery. I had been warned that the 800-pound bull that lives there is territorial, and when he barked at me angrily I knew I’d gotten too close.

I also took a hike up the mountain called Cierro Paja. I was encouraged to bring plenty of water and not to stray from the path. A tourist got lost here in 1964; they found her body in 1980. In development is a path to Floreana’s most famous attraction: Post Office Bay, a beach where an old wine barrel attached to a post has served as a mail delivery system since the 18th century. (Leave a postcard and take one to mail.) Until the government approves this trail, though, it is off limits, and there is no way to visit the bay unless you’re on a live-aboard boat.

Back in Puerto Ayora with a day to kill before my plane to Quito, I booked myself a daylong island excursion to Pinzón, which included snorkeling, a beach excursion and lunch caught from the boat. Though I had purchased the ticket just as the agencies were closing the night before, I was unable to negotiate more than a 20 percent discount (I am not known for my bargaining skills); the excursion cost $100. The boat left from the Baltra harbor, so it was back on the bus, across on the glorified raft, then into a dinghy, which took me and the group to a perfectly serviceable motorboat. The guide was not tremendously helpful, but the day was pleasant and the lunch excellent. There was a variety of snorkeling equipment to choose from. In the water, we saw Galápagos sharks and a few of the 450 types of tropical fish that call the islands home. Sunning myself on a beach after lunch I spotted iguanas, albatrosses and cormorants. Lunch was a hearty piece of tuna (said to be caught while we were snorkeling, though I didn’t witness it) with a tomato sauce and rice.

I didn’t get to see the crowd favorites, the blue-footed boobies or the frigate birds, during my week in the Galápagos, but I met scientists, travelers and residents, and learned a little about what life was like on the islands, an experience that cruise-ship dwellers don’t necessarily partake of in their hurry to adhere to a boat’s schedule. Standing at the top of Floreana’s mountain, looking out onto an ocean where smaller islands shimmered like nascent ghosts on the horizon, I experienced, for the first time in my urban life, the profound and calming silence of being the only human for miles.

Where to Stay

Lodging on Floreana:

Hotel Wittmer $40 per night with private bath and balcony. Breakfast included. Email: [email protected]

Casa Santa Maria (rooms above the home of Claudio Cruz) $30 a night, with breakfast included). Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Floreana Lava Lodge Lovely cabanas near La Loberia. Very expensive by Galápagos standards. Rates from $138 per night. To book, email: [email protected] or visit http://floreanalavalodge.destinationecuador.com/contactus.html

Where to Eat

Dining options on Floreana:

Aura Cruz charges $10 per dinner, $6 per lunch at La Canchalagua. Phone: 593-5-253-5048

Email: [email protected]

Erika Wittmer charges $10 for a three-course dinner and $6 for lunch at Hotel Wittmer.

How to Get Around

For information about traveling among islands by public ferry, see

galakiwi.com/blog/public-ferry-schedules-in-the-galapagos-islands

Allison Amend is a New York-based author and educator, whose latest novel, “Enchanted Islands,” is now available in paperback.

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Hiking at Darwin Lake in the Galapagos

“Both [Isabela and Fernandina] are covered with immense deluges of black naked lava, which have flowed either over the rims of the great caldrons, like pitch over the rim of a pot in which it has been boiled, or have burst forth from smaller orifices on the flanks; in their descent they have spread over miles of the sea-coast.” – Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle

S itting on lava rock, gazing out at the lava fields and low vegetation on Isabela Island in the Galapagos — this is a view I never thought I’d get to see. I had already seen so much of the spectacular wildlife, but there hadn’t been much focus on the landscape until this point.

On my fourth day in the Galapagos with Lindblad Expeditions , we ended our visit to Isla Isabela — the largest island in the archipelago — with a sunset hike around Darwin Lake and Tagus Cove. It wasn’t a long hike, which is normal around the Galapagos as tourists can only visit a small portion of the archipelago.

Up to this point, the trip around the Galapagos Islands consisted of slow hikes to watch the beauty of nature — the best reason to visit the region. A 1.5-mile hike would average three hours because the group would stop for photography opportunities and the naturalists would explain everything about the particular island, from its history to the wildlife .

In the case of our final trip to Isabela, the plan was for a brisk 1.5-mile hike, partly because the trail wasn’t as open as at other trails. The narrow trail meant that we had to move at a consistent pace to avoid a logjam — we also had to hope that no one was coming in the opposite direction (which they shouldn’t have been because tourists and groups are regulated). But there were some spots to stop and take in the views.

As the plan was for a faster-than-usual hike, we had a dry landing from the Zodiac at the trail, and some people on the ship opted to skip the hike entirely. As many fellow travelers were older, Lindblad Expeditions set precautions on the excursions — this was considered a moderate-to-difficult hike by their standards, but it was an easy hike for me considering what I’m used to .

Along the trail overlooking Darwin Lake, there wasn’t much in the way of wildlife — we encountered plenty of lava lizards, which had become a common sight up to this point, and a few finches.

The lake was named after Charles Darwin’s expedition to the Galapagos in 1835. It’s the only freshwater lake in the Galapagos on the western coast of Isabela.

The area was a popular stop for whalers and pirates in the 17th through 19th centuries — they left plenty of graffiti on the rocks with lead paint. It was an area that the crews could easily catch giant tortoises to eat later on their journeys. And it remains a popular spot for tours . It also introduced rats and goats to the islands — many of the goats have been culled over the years, but conservationists are still trying to eradicate the rats.

As we continued the hike, I saw a sharp peak rising out of the lava rock and joked that we should head up that way. Little did I know that it was our destination.

Our final stop was a bit of a rest with a view of Volcán Darwin. Our naturalist pointed out the geologic history of the area and noted the smoke emitted from a volcano. From here we could gaze out at the expanse of lava field that stretched to the sea toward Fernandina.

It was a cool perch to take some pictures, including attempts at panoramics. Unfortunately, there’s a blurred line in the middle of the best panoramic photo I took, which I couldn’t see on my phone screen. It’s a lesson to know how to steadily move the camera (or get a tripod to help).

The hike back to the landing for our Zodiac back to the ship provided beautiful light with the setting sun. We picked up the pace on the return trek as the sights were the same as before and there weren’t any new wildlife to stop for. We had to make a quick exit as there are no tourists allowed in these areas after 6 pm, which is about sunset at the Equator.

I caught a glimpse of the setting sun from the Zodiac — it was a less bumpy ride than at other days, which made it easier to take pictures.

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Darwin Island, Galápagos

One of the world's best diving sites, what you need to know about darwin island, galápagos.

Darwin Island (originally named Culpepper Island) was renamed in honor of the famous naturalist Charles Darwin. It is considered by many to be one of the best underwater habitats anywhere on earth.

Darwin is the most northerly island in the Galápagos, and is over 100 miles northwest of Isabela . Together with its neighbor Wolf Island , it is the most remote part of the archipelago.

Renowned for the large, nay HUGE, schools of hammerhead sharks that gather here (for reasons scientists still don't fully understand), Darwin and Wolf are tips of huge long-extinct undersea volcanoes that grew up over half a mile from the seafloor below.

You will enjoy spectacular diving here, and among the species you are likely to encounter are hammerhead sharks , whale sharks, a huge variety of rays , green turtles , and a myriad of tropical reef fish. If you have any particular species that you are keen to see on your dive, contact one of our Galápagos experts today, and we can advise on the best dive itinerary to suit your requirements.

Interesting facts about Darwin Island

Arguably the best diving spot in the world

The only breeding ground of the sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus)

Darwin's Towers off the coast of Darwin is full of hammerhead sharks

Darwin is only the top of a huge volcano under water, which is 1000m high in total

Current Diving on a big wall: Lots of diving experience required

NITROX recommended

Pictures of Darwin Island, Galápagos

Highlights and Visitorpoints on Darwin

Main Darwin Island

Darwin Island (originally named Culpepper Island) was renamed in honor of the famous naturalist. It is considered by many to be one of the best underwater habitats anywhere on earth.

Darwin is the most northerly island in the Galápagos, and is over 100 miles northwest of Isabela. Together with its neighbour Wolf Island, it is the most remote part of the archipelago.

Renowned for the large schools of hammerhead sharks that gather here (for reasons scientists still don't fully understand), Darwin and Wolf are tips of huge long-extinct undersea volcanoes that grew up over half a mile from the seafloor below.

You will enjoy spectacular diving here, and among the species you are likely to encounter are hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, rays, green turtles, and a myriad of tropical reef fish. If you have any particular species that you are keen to see on your dive, contact one of our Galápagos experts today and we can advise on the best dive itinerary to suit your requirements.

Darwin's Towers

Huge schools of hammers and Galápagos sharks, whale sharks, Mantas: Darwin's Towers (formerly: Darwin's Arch) is arguably one of the world's best diving sites.

Located just off the southeast tip of Darwin Island, the islet of Darwin's Towers (formerly known as Darwin's Arch, but the arch collapsed in 2021) is a fantastic marine wonderland. The main attractions are the whale sharks and hammerhead sharks that often gather here. But there are many other species you can find - green turtles, majestic manta rays, dolphins, large schools of fish, and other species of sharks are all frequent encounters.

We have met divers with over 1000 logged dives that still called it the single best diving site of their life! If you have any particular species that you are keen to see on your dive, contact one of our Galápagos experts today, and we can advise on the best dive itinerary to suit your requirements.

Animals you might see on Darwin

Blue-Footed Booby

Galapagos Frigatebirds

Galapagos Fur Seal

Galapagos Green Turtle

Galapagos Marine Iguana

Galapagos Petrel

Galapagos Sharks

Galapagos Shearwater

Galapagos Sting Rays

Nazca Booby

Red-Footed Booby

Whales & Dolphins

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First-timer's guide to the Galápagos Islands

Mar 1, 2020 • 5 min read

Planning is paramount before a booking a trip to the Galapagos Islands © Jesse Kraft / Getty Images

Wildlife is sure to wow visitors to the Galápagos Islands , but the archipelago has so much more to offer. Before a journey to this bucket-list destination, proper planning is paramount. Here’s what to know before you go.

From the adrenaline rush of snorkeling nose-to-nose with white-tipped reef sharks to the wonder of watching up-close as blue-footed boobies perform mating dances on the sand, visitors can experience firsthand how locals coexist in harmony with the creatures of the Galápagos Islands – home to the rarest and most diverse species found in the world, and the inspiration behind Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. 

There, time stands still, animals rule, and people delight in close encounters with wildlife, as there are no natural predators for the animals to fear. And beyond the one-of-a-kind wildlife viewings , there’s so much more to explore. In order to fully embrace a journey to the Galápagos Islands, it’s important to go properly prepared. 

What to pack 

From the jagged, jet-black lava fields of Santiago Island, to the powdery-soft beaches of Mosquera Islet, the landscape varies greatly throughout the Galápagos Islands, so proper footwear is fundamental. Sturdy, waterproof sandals will be required for wet landings, and lightweight runners or hiking boots will provide the proper support and protection from the rocky, uneven surfaces encountered during dry land hikes.

Weather waxes and wanes throughout the day, so prepare for both warm and wet environments. While the temperatures aren’t typically tropical, high-SPF sunscreens, protective sunglasses and neck-shading sun hats are essential, as the proximity to the equator means it can be easy to burn – even on cloudy days. 

For long days on the water, manage motion sickness with a patch or over-the-counter pills and pack a small first-aid kit filled with essential medications that you may need while out at sea. Bug repellent isn’t mandatory, but it might help to prevent bites during longer inland explorations.

Shorts and t-shirts will suffice on most days, however, a light raincoat and sweater will provide comfort on wetter days and cooler mornings. Avoid slipping on soggy swimsuits by packing a few, as the night air can be humid and swimming and snorkeling are sure to occur several times throughout the day.

Most importantly, bring a fully-charged camera with back-up batteries to capture the stunning scenery and fantastic flora and fauna found throughout the islands – many of which are unique only to this part of the world.

How to get to the Gal á pagos Islands

 There are two stopover cities to choose from when traveling through Ecuador ’s mainland en route to the Galápagos Islands: Quito or Guayaquil . While both are stunning cities, Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city, has more frequent direct flights to the islands, and is closer in proximity. 

Hotel del Parque – the first luxury boutique hotel to open in Guayaquil, is situated in the suburb of Samborondon, is a short 10-minute drive from the airport. Transportation can be arranged through the hotel. Situated on a tropical oasis, the restored 19th-century property offers authentic Ecuadorian cuisine and a peaceful setting to catch up on sleep before embarking on the remainder of the journey to the Galápagos.

There are two major airports on the Galápagos Islands: Seymour Airport (serving the island of Baltra), and San Cristobal (found on the island of Cristobal). The arrival and departure airport will depend on the location of the cruise departure or land accommodation site.

Before entering the area, a mandatory park fee must be paid by most visitors coming from overseas. In an effort to reduce over-tourism, each visiting adult traveler must pay USD$100. This rate is set to double by the end of 2020.

You might also like: Ultimate Ecuador: plan your perfect adventure  

Where to stay 

Water-loving wanderers often opt for a stay aboard a cruise ship or on one of the eco-friendly yachts, but there are land-based accommodations available as well.

While cruising tends to be the more common choice, a land-based stay offers a well-rounded option, providing visitors with opportunities to connect with the local people and culture, experience close encounters with the land-bound wildlife more frequently, and enjoy a restful sleep – ideal for those prone to seasickness, or guests looking for breaks to settle their sea legs. 

For a more affordable land-based option, Puerto Ayora provides hostel-style accommodations, however day trips and excursions to attractions found throughout the islands will need to be booked separately.

Pikaia Lodge , a luxury eco-lodge found on Santa Cruz , sits in the heart of a private tortoise reserve, perched on the edge of an extinct volcanic crater, and overlooks acres of endemic Scalesia trees. 

Darwin delights in every corner of the luxury lodge, which nods to the connection to the Theory of Evolution that emerged from Darwin’s visit to the Galápagos Islands, and the five-star cuisine, private 100ft luxury yacht, on-site spa and infinity pool provide the perfect setting for restful downtime in between days of adventure throughout the Galápagos Islands.

What to see and do 

For island visits, the guidance of a certified tour guide is mandatory. This can be arranged through cruise excursions or as a part of a hotel package. Wildlife viewing is a must, but the islands also offer adventure spots beyond the ocean’s edge. 

Observe giant Galápagos tortoises in the wild and learn about the history of the significant species at El Chato Tortoise Reserve , found on Santa Rosa. Afterward, explore the underground world of the islands by creeping through the on-site lava tube caves. 

Head to Academy Bay and mingle with locals at the waterfront fish market and then stroll through the artisanal shops and purchase cacao treats, lava-laced jewelry and locally-grown coffee beans during a visit to town.

Then, hike along stunning stone pathways to Tortuga Bay and watch as black marine iguanas run along the white sandy beach. Head past the unswimmable Playa Brava and kayak with sea turtles and sharks at the hidden bay of Playa Mansa, found just beyond a mass of mangroves that line the shore. 

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 Darwin Island - Galapagos

Far out island surrounded by the rich galapagos marine reserve.

Darwin Island is one of the smallest isles that the Galapagos Archipelago holds, at barely 1 sq km, also famously known by its English name, the Culpepper. The present name has been bestowed on it in honor of one of its most famous visitors, Charles Darwin.

A spectacular piece of an eroded volcano that glorifies the beauty of the Pacific Ocean like none other, this isle rises right from the depths of the ocean, vertically, and is visited by many varieties of sea-birds throughout the year like the Darwin Mockingbird, the Swallow-tailed gulls, the Masked boobies and the Red-footed boobies.

Although Darwin island has gathered a good number of years on its back (4 million years approximately), it was visited for the first time not before 1964, first by a helicopter, and then a 3-hour boat journey from the Isla Wolf. This trip, till today, is often a highlight in the tour agenda of many dive visitors traveling to Galapagos Islands , especially for those who are drawn by the mesmerizing aquatic life underwater.

No land visiting facilities exist in this isle as it does not really have a cut-out access for visitors. You can view the exoticness of the island from aboard your yacht itself, which, travelers to the place say is nothing less than a once-in-a-lifetime visual treat.

Also known as the “best dive site” in the whole world, the isle is noted for underwater revelry. A must-visit spot for Scuba divers, Darwin contains a plethora of exotic sea mortals in its depth. The list includes Deep Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Spotted Morays, Eagle Rays, the Galapagos shark, the Scalloped hammerhead shark, Reef fish, Manta Rays and the Whale Shark (seasonally). The Albino Whale Shark is also seen here, but rarely. Rainbow colored fishes like the Sailfish, the Scorpionfish, the Hogfish, the Parrotfish and the Trumpetfish are also found to populate the waters of the Pacific surrounding the isle.

The Darwin’s Arch has great dive-sites on the north-eastern and south-eastern barnacle layered elevations of it, which are believed to be the best in the world even by the most famous of scuba divers of the time.  This is, however, an expert scuba diving location as the waves here are voluminous and there are strong underwater currents to tackle as well. Strong & quick-changing currents in the water here extend a unique diving experience every time you take a dip. Water temperature in the northern isles is colder than its southern counterparts.

Darwin Island: Tours and Excursions Description

It is important to emphasize:   You can only visit Darwin Island and this northern part of the archipelago on a Galapagos liveaboard diving cruise

• The Arch at Darwin Island teaming with bird life is splendid from the surface, but when you get underwater and see what’s beneath it, you’ll have a hard time deciding which side is more magnificent.
• Dolphins skim across the surface following the pangas to the dive site. When you get into the water you’ll immediately be greeted by hammerheads. Lots of hammerheads, sometimes so many that you can’t count them all. They swim gracefully over the reef sometimes slowing down to be cleaned by King Angelfish. At times you could reach out and touch them, but spooked by the diver’s bubbles, they will quickly turn away, startling everything else around them (including the other drivers!).
• The arch sits on a plateau just below the surface. The barnacle covered wall drops off to the deeper ocean around it and seems to be the gathering area for every fish in the neighborhood. Creole fish, rainbow chub, bigeye jacks, Moorish idols all swirl in a mystical maze. A large school of jacks hangs at the surface, so thick it looks like a black cloud. Large green spotted eels swim freely across the reefs. So many that you must be cautious not to get too close to the rocks. On the ridge, you’ll find blue striped snappers, coronet fish, and trumpetfish as well as a large parrotfish. In the rubble on the bottom watch for large flounders. Whale sharks have also been spotted here.
• Because the arch is very much unprotected, the surface can be rough. Strong, quickly changing currents are common here. Differences from one dive to the other can make this dive interesting enough to do many times. The water temperature at Darwin is warmer than in the southern islands by at least several degrees.

Recommended cruise tours that visit Darwin Island

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Galapagos Travel Agency

The darwin path, the world heritage on land by the sea.

Discover the best travel packages to the Galapagos and live an unforgettable experience in this natural paradise. With our high-quality tour packages, you can explore the islands and their unique biodiversity, enjoy outdoor activities, and relax in top-rated accommodations. Book now and embark on an adventure you’ll remember forever with the best Galapagos travel packages!

Galapagos cruise

Snorkeling tours, daily tours, adventure tours, galapagos transfers.

The Darwin path can help you plan the transportation that best suits your needs.

Galapagos hotels

Looking for the perfect hotel for your Galapagos adventure? Look no further than L-Kleta Galapagos Hotel! Our hotel offers comfortable and stylish accommodations in the heart of the islands, with easy access to all the best sights and activities. Whether you’re here for wildlife watching, outdoor adventures, or just to relax and enjoy the stunning scenery, L-Kleta Galapagos Hotel has everything you need for an unforgettable stay. Book your room now and experience the magic of the Galapagos in comfort and style.

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Rental bikes, the darwin path.

Who hasn’t dreamed of visiting the Galapagos Islands? Come and explore the archipelago that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution.

We are Yogo Alvear and Daniela Aguirre , founders of The Darwin Path. We are a Galapagueño family, born and raised here on the islands. Together we have worked in tourism for over 15 years, performing not only on operations and logistics but also as guides for the Galapagos National Park. We have a deep connection with the natural and human history of the islands.

The Darwin Path is passionate about sustainable tourism, and we will orchestrate your personal Galapagos encounter in a way that will allow you to discover one of the world’s most iconic paradises alongside local residents.

Naturalist & Adventures Guides

All our guides are certified by the Galapagos National Park as being bilingual in Spanish and English.

Comfortable transfer between islands

We will advise you on the best way to move between the islands depending on your needs, whether it be by air or sea.

The food is an important part of any culture, and here on the islands it is no exception. When considering where to eat, we choose restaurants with a low environmental impact that use local products which are sourced from members of the community on the island.

Unique experiences

Our staff members love travelling, and each of them is aware of the beauty and peril of unregulated and extractive tourism. That is why our mission is to produce and offer a “real” Galapagos experience that empowers small, local entrepreneurs.

Good accommodation

Our hotels, hostels and lodging houses are selected not only for their high standards of service, but also for the fact that they are constantly mindful of their environmental impact here on the islands. Each place goes to great lengths to generate the least impact and abide by fair trade principles.

New friends

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Expedición científica en Galápagos: tataranieta de Charles Darwin consta entre quienes harán investigación en el archipiélago

La Universidad San Francisco de Quito y el Galápagos Science Center colaboran en estas jornadas de investigación.

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Pieter Van‘t Hof, Diana Pazmiño, Daniela Alarcón y Juan Pablo Muñoz, profesores de la Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) e investigadores del Galápagos Science Center (GSC), se embarcarán en la expedición Darwin200 para contribuir con tres de las once investigaciones que se realizarán en Galápagos para estudiar y socializar los impactos del calentamiento global en el archipiélago.

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La expedición se hará del 14 al 17 de mayo con el fin de expandir las observaciones del científico Charles Darwin (+) y abordar desafíos ambientales mediante investigación y acciones de conservación conjuntas, indica un boletín de la USFQ.

Una charla presencial y vía Zoom se realizará el viernes 17 de mayo próximo en la sede de la USFQ en la isla San Cristóbal, para abordar la importancia de involucrar a la comunidad local en los esfuerzos de conservación con el fin de garantizar el desarrollo sostenible de la región.

Entre las investigaciones está la de Sarah C. Darwin, tataranieta de Charles Darwin, quien estudiará sobre los tomates endémicos del archipiélago para su doctorado en la expedición Darwin200.

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El histórico barco neerlandés Oosterschelde, símbolo del proyecto Darwin200, arribó a las islas Galápagos el 25 de abril de 2024, marcando el inicio de esta colaboración científica y educativa sin precedentes entre el GSC y profesores de la USFQ.

En la expedición se busca explorar y documentar la biodiversidad, ampliando las observaciones de Darwin.

“Con un enfoque en los desafíos ambientales actuales, el equipo realizará investigaciones y esfuerzos de conservación, resaltando el compromiso y la excelencia académica de la USFQ en ciencia y educación”, señala el comunicado de este centro de educación superior.

Pieter Van‘t Hof, profesor de Biología, liderará un proyecto sobre la taxonomía del tomate endémico de Galápagos en conjunto con Sarah C. Darwin.

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Diana Pazmiño se enfocará en el estudio de las zonas de crianza de varias especies de rayas y tiburones de las islas, con la colaboración de Alfredo Salazar.

Daniela Alarcón y Juan Pablo Muñoz trabajarán en la ecología de las tortugas marinas, centrándose en la tortuga carey, en un proyecto junto con Itamar Da Silva Santana.

“Estas colaboraciones no solo destacan la unión entre científicos, sino que también ofrecen una visión más amplia del impacto del cambio climático en la biodiversidad de la región, abordando aspectos como la taxonomía del tomate endémico, las áreas de cría de tiburones y rayas y la ecología de las tortugas marinas”, señala la USFQ.

El 29 de abril de 2024, el equipo Darwin200, liderado por Rolf Schreuder y compuesto por cuatro líderes investigadores y tres miembros del equipo audiovisual, visitó el GSC.

Naia Andrade, estudiante de la USFQ y realizadora audiovisual, destacó la importancia de la visita para explorar y compartir la pasión por la investigación y la conservación en Galápagos.

Los resultados de la expedición Darwin200 se documentarán en tres películas. Esta ambiciosa travesía promete generar un contenido de gran relevancia tanto para la comunidad científica como para los entusiastas de los desafíos ambientales, al fomentar la colaboración en investigación y conservación, indica la USFQ. (I)

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28 Unique Animals of Galápagos Islands You Can Actually See

Posted: May 2, 2024 | Last updated: May 2, 2024

Embark on a journey through the Galápagos Islands, following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, to meet the unique and diverse animal species that inspired the theory of natural selection.

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos island is home to diverse species of animals, some of which do not exist outside the archipelago. This is because many animals evolved independently and carry unique characteristics endemic to the island. Here are 18 animals of Galapagos Islands you can actually see based on real travel experience.

Giant tortoises (20-25,000)

Long necks bearing signs of centuries, the Galapagos giant tortoise is a mighty sight to behold. The Galapagos island is home to the world’s largest tortoise species estimated to be 20,000 to 25,000 which is a shard drop compared to their numbers two centuries ago which was 100,000 to 200,000 tortoises.

Yellow land iguanas (4,000)

Those hoping to glimpse the evolutionary changes that inspired Darwin can find them in the Galapagos iguanas. The animal, though not unknown, is strikingly different from the lang iguanas that roam worldwide.

Yellow land iguanas have a yellowish tint in their hide, and their sheer size overpowers non-endemic iguanas. They can mostly be found on Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, South Plaza, Santiago, and Baltra Islands. Their current population is around 4,000 .

Marine iguanas (200-300,000)

An iguana scuttling from land into the ocean’s depths is an unusual sight, but its actions become even more special. This is because the Galapagos marine iguanas are the only species in the world that can dive into the water and feed on algae, a direct proof of the theory of evolution.

Marine iguanas are an exciting observation for biologists and animal lovers, but their unique appearance and distinct feeding habits make them a wonder to witness for everyone else. They can be found on Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, and Fernandina Islands.

Sea turtles

These turtles love to explore, so you’ll find them along many Galapagos islands, although they’ll typically crowd in Espanola and Santa Cruz Island.

Tourists are strictly forbidden from touching the turtles, but luckily, these soft-hearted species will easily approach tourists as long as they keep a healthy distance. This is a rare chance to observe the species up close and soak in their gentle, beautiful nature. 

Sea lions (50,000)

If you love sea lions, you’ll be delighted to learn they are the most abundant mammals that walk the archipelago. The sea lions at the Galapagos islands are not shy creatures, so they will frequently hop out of the water, startling tourists.

Friendly and cheeky, these sea lions love to chase around people and nestle on the rocks to make it obvious they’re in charge. The Galapagos sea lions are one of the only animals that openly approach humans and even tempt them for petting. But do not give into their dreamy eyes because the interaction could affect their lifestyle.

Blue-footed boobies

A natural anomaly, the gorgeous blue-footed boobies are the only creature in the world with blue-tinted feet. There are two more booby species live on the Galapagos Islands: Nazca Boobies and Red-footed Boobies.

This delightful bird is only found surrounding the archipelago and other secluded spots of the Pacific Ocean, so it’s truly a rare sight.

Galapagos hawk (150 pair)

“As we trekked around Rabidia Island, our guide was quite excited when he spotted a juvenile Galapagos hawk circling around above us. This hawk is endemic to the Galapagos, but it is listed as endangered. It is thought that there are only 150 pairs left , so to see a baby was an encouraging sight. A hush came over our group as the hawk settled itself in a tree right near us and visited for a while. It was a magical moment as we sat and watched him in quiet appreciation. Definitely in the right place, at the right time”, says Kim Gervais, a travel blogger from Explore Your Bucket List .

Frigatebirds (several thousand)

Frigatebirds are large seabirds that are a unique sight to behold: their plumage is entirely black save for a bright red throat pouch, which is present solely in the male. Their pouch inflates when the birds chirp or intimidate predators, making it a fascinating sight during mating season. Several thousand pairs are estimated to breed on Galapagos Islands.

Sally lightfoot crab

Tourists might confuse this creature for a patterned spider, but their long legs make the Sally Lightfoot Crabs a fast scuttler. They typically live near the shore where they can feed on smaller fish, but when not looking for a bite, they will dart across the jet-black volcanic rocks, making them easy to spot.

These crabs have a light brown shell, with legs spotted in light red and yellow. Their unique coloration makes them an easy target for local birds, but they can dodge an attack with surprising swiftness.

Hammerhead sharks

Land animals in Galapagos are what most people think first, but the islands have a large marine reserve with just as many interesting species. The highest concentration of sharks in the world is here.

If you want to dive hundreds of protected hammerhead sharks, head to Galapagos Islands during January. You will easily identify them from the shape of their heads. Download the Sharkcount app from Galapagos Conservancy where you can see where is the best spot to dive.

Brown pelican

The brown pelican is found in several areas worldwide, but the species residing on the island is endemic. Their mousy brown plumage makes them a beautiful sight, but the best sighting is when they hunt.

The brown pelican nosedives into the water and grabs a large fish, which it often swallows in one go. While this hunting strategy is shared with pelicans, seeing it up close makes it an impressive sight. Amazingly, the brown pelican isn’t shy, so it approaches humans frequently.

Flightless cormorants (1,000 pairs)

If you didn’t know flightless cormorants existed, this is because they only live on the Galapagos island. This alone makes them unique, but the exciting history makes them one of a kind.

The Galapagos cormorants evolved over centuries, changing their DNA structure so they’re born flightless. This is why the bird is seen scuttling across rocks. There are an estimated 1,000 breeding pairs living in Isabela and Fernandina Islands.

Galapagos penguins (2,000)

The Galapagos islands are home to an exceptional species of penguins because they are the only ones found outside Antarctica and in closer areas. This fantastic feature is another testament to the theory of evolution; the Galapagos penguins evolved over centuries to bear warmer climates and, ironically, might not survive if they were to move to Antarctica. Luckily for penguin lovers, they are a common sight, especially if you are close to the shore. More than 90% of their population lives around Fernandina and Isabela Islands.

Galapagos fur seal

Galapagos fur seals are the only subspecies to adapt to warmer climates. Their thick fur doesn’t affect their time in the warm ocean, so they often splash around.

Their adorable eyes hide a cheeky and slightly aggressive behavior, the latter observable when they hunt for fish or occasionally fight each other.

Darwin’s finches

These unique birds are the direct cause behind Darwin’s theories. Those interested in learning about their unique characteristics will be able to do so from a single glance.

Darwin’s finches are 13 finch species, each distinct from the other, although closely related.

Vermillion flycatcher

The Vermillion flycatcher, also called Darwin’s flycatcher, is one of the easiest birds to watch, thanks to its distinct bright red plumage. The back of the vermillion flycatcher’s plumage is deep black, making it even more mesmerizing.

Galapagos mockingbird

Many islands in the Galapagos archipelago come alive with the warbles of the six subspecies of mockingbirds that live there. 

The Galapagos mockingbirds are omnivores, so they will swoop in on an insect and pluck it from the ground or even go for the smaller rodents running around the island. 

Yellow warbler

A bright yellow glint that quickly flutters by, the yellow warbler might be confused for the rays of sunshine that typically peek through the trees. Although not endemic to the Galapagos, the species that strictly stays here has evolved.

The Galapagos yellow warblers are easy to spot once you focus on their tweets, a sweet, low-sounding melody that echoes in the skies. 

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