Galapagos Islands

Located 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos archipelago consists of some 19 islands and more than 40 islets, created six million years ago when they emerged from the Pacific in a flurry of  volcanic activity.

Each island forms a unique ecosystem, a series of specialised relationships that have adapted to the volcanic nature of these isolated islands. As a result, the Galapagos Islands are home to a wide variety of endemic species. From albatrosses to sea lions, pelicans to iguanas, cormorants, flamingoes, sharks, whales and the tortoises that gave the islands their name - there is jaw-dropping wildlife in action at every turn.

The islands were discovered in 1535 by Tomás de Berlanga who sent the first known description of the Galapagos to the King of Spain, describing the scene before him as “...nothing but seals, and turtles, and such big tortoises that each could carry a man on top of itself, and many iguanas that are like serpents”. He also remarked on the tameness of the creatures: “...so silly that they do not know to flee, and many were caught in the hand”.

Perhaps our first association with the word "Galapagos" is the name "Darwin" – and for good reason. He sailed into the Galapagos Islands in 1835 on board the Beagle and was amazed by the extraordinary life he found on the islands. Having collected important samples and facts, in 1859 Darwin consolidated his observations to develop and sustain his theory of evolution and natural selection, drastically and controversially altering western thought on the very nature of nature.

There is simply nowhere like the Galapagos Islands. This is one of the last wildernesses on Earth and the barren landscapes of these remote islands have not lost any of their haunting beauty since Darwin’s days.