Galapagos Islands

British Naturalist Charles Darwin visited Galapagos Islands in 1835. During his visit he observed that difference species were in a constant battle of survival with each other, and there was a variation in between tortoise on the sand and those in the water.

The Galapagos Islands are a part of Ecuador. They are located approximately 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.

Charles Darwin arrived in the Galapagos Islands in 1835 during his voyage on the HMS Beagle.

The average lifespan of penguins is probably 15 to 20 years. Some individuals live considerably longer

The unique biodiversity and isolated ecosystems found on the Galapagos Islands were important for Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. He observed distinct species on each island that had adapted to their specific environment, which helped him develop his ideas on how species evolve over time. The islands' geographical isolation also allowed for the evolution of new species in a relatively short period, providing valuable evidence for Darwin's theory.

On the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin observed unique species of birds, tortoises, finches, and marine iguanas. These observations contributed to the development of his theory of evolution by natural selection.

Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands as a naturalist on a ship that was doing surveys of the Pacific ocean. By observing the plants and animals on the islands he gradually formulated his theory of evolution. It was 24 years later when he published his famous book on the origin of species.

Charles Darwin set sail on the HMS Beagle on December 27, 1831. He embarked on a five-year voyage around the world, during which he made many observations that would later form the basis of his theory of evolution by natural selection.

He observed and recorded the native wild-life including finches, tortuses, marine and land iguanas.

Surprisingly, Darwin also spent quite a lot of time shooting. He also took quite a lot of giant tortoises back on board the beagle to be used as food during the long return voyage ahead.

Remember that he didn't formulate his thoughts on evolution until much later in life. Whilst he was actually in the Galapagos, he was there as a naturalist. A Victorian British naturalist whose methods nowadays would be considered disruptive and destructive.

That's a reflection on the cultural and scientific norms of the time and not a personal slight on Darwin.

The capitol of the Galapagos Islands is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. However, the largest town is Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz

A galapagos penguins life span is 15-20 years.

Charles Darwin sailed on the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos Islands from 1831 to 1836.

Charles Darwin used his studies of the tortoises in the Galapogos Islands as part of his theory of Evolution.

He noticed that the shape of their shells had evolved to allow them to reach up to eat leaves on plants on the islands which were higher up than leaves which other tortoises ate.

Darwin also noted something along these lines with pigeons and their beaks at the Galapogos.

Charles Darwin observed a wide variety of plant and animal species during his travels, noting how they adapted to their environments over time. This observation led to his theory of evolution by natural selection, which revolutionized our understanding of how species evolve.

Darwin proposed that species on the Galapagos Islands had evolved from a common ancestor found on the South American mainland. He observed variations in species on the islands that were adaptations to different environments, leading to the formation of new species over time through natural selection and isolation.

different finch populations that appeared closely related

Charles Darwin, while on the Galapagos Islands, studied finches and their beak structure as their ability to eat fruits, nuts and bugs.

The archipelago known as the Galapagos Islands is made up of 32 islands.

Charles Darwin arrived in the Galapagos Islands on the 15th September 1835, and the first place he visited was San Cristobal island. On the 24th September, the Beagle moved on to Floreana. H.M.S. Beagle spent five weeks in the Galapagos Islands, also visiting Isabela Island, Santiago & Pinta.

The Galapagos Islands are located on the Equator, about 907 km (600 miles) west of the mainland Ecuadorian coast.

There are four islands with inhabitants on them (not tourists), and these are Santa Cruz, Isabela, San Cristobal and Floreana.

GEOGRAPHY / GEOLOGY

The Galapagos Archipelago comprises 13 large islands, 6 small islands, 42 islets and a number of small rocks and pinnacles, which make up a total land surface of 8,000km2.

More than 60 volcanic eruptions have been documented over the last two hundred years in the Galapagos region. The most active volcanoes are the ones located in the western Islands on Isabela and Fernandina. The latest eruptions in the islands were in June 3rd 2008 when Cerro Azul on Isabela Island sent up a 60mts high lava fountain and as recently as April 2009 on Fernandina Island. There has been around 13 volcanic eruptions in the Galapagos Islands in the last 100 years.

The Galapagos Archipelago is a chain of islands. This is not the result of movement of the hot spot, rather, the hot spot remains stationary and the Nazca plate drifts over it to the southeast (at a rate of about 3 inches, or about 6.5cm, per year), taking the older islands with it. The oldest island in Galapagos is in the east (Espanola), while the youngest islands are those in the west (i.e., Isabela and Fernandina).

Most of the islands are the tips of enormous volcanoes formed by slabs of the Earth's crust moving south east over a "hot spot"or stationary area where concentrated heat and magma are released.

HUMAN HISTORY

The Galapagos were discovered in 1535 by Fray Tomás de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panama. This was the time of Spanish exploration and discovery, and followed Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe by a just a dozen years and Balboa's discovery of the Pacific by two dozen. de Berlanga, however, was no explorer. He had been sailing to Peru, recently conquered by Pizzaro, when his ship became becalmed and was carried west by currents; his discovery was entirely accidental.

During the nineteenth century, whaling ships were a common sight in Galapagos waters. Sperm whales once swam in large pods around the islands.

Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in September 1835, first landing on San Cristobal. He spent a total of 5 weeks in Galapagos.. His observations about life on the islands eventually led to his famed theory of evolution. His On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published in 1859.

WILDLIFE

There are thirteen species of Darwin's finches endemic to the islands. As noted by the great naturalist, these birds are famous for their beaks. Marine iguanas are only found in the Galapagos region. These are the only marine-going retiles found anywhere in the world.

The Galapagos penguin is the only tropical penguin in the world.

The endemic Flightless Cormorant is the largest of the world's 29 cormorant species, and the only one to have lost its power of flight.

Most experts consider the Waved Albatross to be endemic to the Galapagos Islands. They are only found at Punta Suarez on Espanola Island between April and December.

On his travels he found that many species of animals were similar, but different even though they were not in the same environment. I suggest you read On the Origin of Species or pick up a good book on Darwin. There are also books specifically about his time on the Beagle.

Mendocino, Molokai, and Galapagos are names of fracture zones in the ocean floor, where tectonic plates are moving away from each other. These fracture zones are characterized by a series of faults and ridges that form due to the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. They play a significant role in shaping the geology and topography of the ocean floor.

The volcanic set up of the Islands can be explained by looking at the theories of Plate Tectonics and the Hot Spot.

The platform where the Galapagos Islands started their volcanic growth lies right on top of the Nazca Plate.

In Galapagos, the Islands to the East are older than those to the West, this implies that the Galapagos Hot Spot is right under the western Islands of Isabela and Fernandina.

1.Isabela

2.Santa Cruz

3.San Cristobal

The last major El Niño event occurred in 2025 in the Galapagos Islands. It brought warmer ocean temperatures, impacting the marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the region. These events can have significant effects on the islands' biodiversity.

The Galapagos Rift is a divergent plate boundary, where tectonic plates are moving apart. This movement creates a gap that allows magma to rise from the mantle, forming new oceanic crust.