It’s quite humbling that thirteen scarred volcanic islands, scattered across 45,000 square kilometres of ocean, 960km adrift from the Ecuadorian Mainland and defying permanent human colonization until the twentieth century, should have been so instrumental in changing humanity’s perception of itself. Yet it was the forbidding Galápagos Islands – once feared as a bewitched and waterless hell, then the haunt of pirates, and later still an inhospitable pit stop for whaling ships – that spurred Charles Darwin to formulate his theory of evolution by natural selection, catapulting science into the modern era and colouring the values and attitudes of the Western world ever since.

Witness evolution in action…

Legendary wildlife

The Galápagos archipelago is extraordinarily varied in terrain, featuring a range of habitats, from arid and dry to lush and green. As a result, bird and animal species have branched off into subspecies in order to adapt to natural conditions. The most well-known of these are the land and marine iguanas, the giant tortoises and the so-called Darwin’s Finches.

Galápagos’ most famous resident

It was the Galápagos Giant Tortoise that gave the islands their name, and it continues to enchant nature lovers across the globe. Their leisurely existence – grazing, sunbathing and resting for 16 hours a day – belies a sad history of hunting, deforestation and near extinction. Fortunately, the Charles Darwin Foundation is working hard to protect all 12 species on the islands through research and breeding programmes.

Colourful local characters

Notoriously lacking in caution but with plenty of charm, the Blue-footed Booby is a seabird largely associated with Galápagos. Its name originates from the Spanish word “bobo”, meaning foolish, and while their comical courtship dance and curiosity around humans may fit the bill, they are also extraordinarily graceful in flight, diving with pinpoint accuracy into schools of fish, and sometimes even catching them in mid-air.

A marine marvel

In the Galápagos Islands, you’ll have a chance to spot the only marine lizard species in the world, including the Española marine species – often dubbed the ‘Christmas iguana’, thanks to its beautiful red and green colours during the breeding season. Your guides will also help you track down the three-foot-long Galápagos Land Iguana and, if you’re lucky, you may even catch sight of the recently discovered Galápagos Pink Iguana.

The islands' most surprising resident

The endemic Galápagos Penguin is the third smallest species of penguin in the world. They’ve adapted to their home in fascinating ways, from panting like a dog to cool down to having bare patches of skin to help radiate heat. You’ll often spot them holding their wings out and panting in the cool sea breeze, as well as hunting in pairs and squeezing into narrow crevasses and caves to hide from the sun.