What Charles Darwin observed on the Galápagos Islands

Surely, you have come across Darwin and his theory of evolution, and you will most likely also have heard about his travels to the Galápagos Islands, which helped develop and prove his theory. It doesn't come as a surprise that a magical place like Galápagos holds secrets unheard of anywhere else in the world. But what exactly did Darwin observe on his voyage to the islands that backed up an idea so bold, it completely changed the way we understand the world? We have followed the footsteps of Darwin and retraced his route along the Galápagos Islands to find out.

1. Arriving on the HMS Beagle

Darwin probably first set foot on Galápagos in San Cristóbal where he arrived in 1835. This is also where he observed and caught the first specimen of finches and other birds to support his theory of evolution. During the course of his travels, Darwin collected a variety of larger animals, birds, and insects, as well as plants and rocks to study them further and bring them back with him. One of his observations would be that most animals have adapted to their natural surroundings in a way that differentiates them significantly from other specimens of the same kind. Darwin would realize that these differences manifest themselves not only in regard to the animals from the islands in comparison to those of mainland Ecuador. He observed major adaptations between the animals of Galápagos' individual islands as well.

2. Discovering wildlife never seen before

After circling San Cristóbal, Darwin's journey continued along Santa Cruz (the unofficial capital of the islands), Santa Fe (which is home to its own breed of Galápagos Giant Tortoise), Floreana (home of the first person to live in the Galápagos full time) and around the southern end of Isabela. Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy, the Beagle's captain during Darwin's voyage, next dropped anchor somewhere close to Tagus Cove on Isabela. The island of Isabela is the largest of Galápagos' islands, with its shape resembling a seahorse. Isabela's unique shape is the result of a total of six volcanoes merging. It seems to reflect the island's rich wildlife, which is among the most diverse in all the Galápagos. Darwin proceeded to collect plants, insects, rocks, and animals and once again added finches and other birds he discovered on Floreana and Isabela to his collection.

3. Reaching the remotest destinations

After spending some time on Isabela, the HMS Beagle set sail again and headed towards some of the most remote islands of the Galápagos: Pinta (the original home of the famous Lonesome George), Genovesa (formed from the collapse of a volcanic crater), and Marchena (to this day the least visited island). If you decide to retrace Darwin's route yourself and eventually end up on Genovesa, you shouldn't skip the excursion to Darwin Bay. As if to honor the researcher who lent his name to this beautiful bay, it is a true bird watcher's paradise with a spectacular view from the elevated top of a cliff. While Genovesa is relatively easy to reach, it's a different story for Marchena. There are absolutely no land visitor sites and except for the odd scientist wandering the island, the only visitor you would find here are Galápagos sea lions and fur seals.

4. Developing a theory...

Finally, Darwin arrived on Santiago, the second big port of his trip and an island that boasts a huge variety of marine birds. His observations regarding the differences and similarities within species of birds were taking shape. While the finches Darwin collected from Santiago and San Cristóbal, which are in relatively close proximity to each other, were rather similar, the ones he found on Floreana and Isabela differed from each other significantly. The further the distance between the natural environments of animals of the same kind, and the larger the differences between their habitat, the more noticeable the adaptations seemed to be. While the parrot-like Vegetarian Finch adapted to its plant-rich surroundings on San Cristóbal and, as the name suggests, feeds on plants and flowers, Vampire Finches on the other side of the Galápagos make use of the frequent occurrence of Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies on Wolf and Darwin Island and feed mainly on their blood.

5. ... and backing it up with facts

Darwin spent a total of five weeks in the Galápagos, collecting animals, plants, rocks, and data. Interestingly, it was only after he returned to Cambridge that he realized the significance of the specimen he had caught and proceeded to examine them further. Together with his observations regarding the different types of Galápagos tortoises and the help of John Gould, who identified his birds, Darwin was able to form his theories. After presenting his revolutionary findings to the Zoological Society of London, his story made the newspapers. Darwin subsequently published his diaries from the voyage on the HMS Beagle to give further insight into his studies. By the time the first edition of The Voyage of the Beagle was published, he had already started working on further publications on his theory of evolution and natural selection.

6. Writing history

Today, Darwin's theories have shaped the way we understand the world. To honor the naturalist and the research he conducted in the Galápagos, several locations there now hold his name. Darwin Island, which boasts one of the most diverse marine life in the world, Darwin's Arch, considered to be among the best diving spots on earth, the Charles Darwin research station, a non-profit foundation conducting key research on wildlife, and finally, Darwin Bay, a bird watchers paradise on the island of Genovesa. Although it will be significantly more comfortable to visit Galápagos now than it was on the Beagle, the islands remain as they were in 1835 - spots of untouched nature, holding secrets like no other places on earth.