It is made up of 13 large islands, 17 small ones, and more than 40 rocks. It covers an area of 3,100 square miles and is located 600 miles from Continental Ecuador.
Its discovery, as so many times in history, was the result of chance: in 1535, the Bishop of Panama Fray Tomás de Berlanga was going by boat to Peru when he deviated from his course, discovering these islands that would begin to appear since then on navigation maps as “Islands of the Turtles” (and hence the Galapagos) or “Enchanted Islands”, due to the incredible wealth of flora and fauna that could be found there. This led to some scientific expeditions visiting the islands, the most famous being the one that in the middle of the 18th century would take the Beagle ship, (with the British scientist Charles Darwin on board) to its shores. After two weeks on the ground collecting data and observations, and a deep investigation, Darwin conceived his theory of evolution in his book “The Origin of Species.”
Such a special place could not go unnoticed by international organizations. And so, in 1979 the Galapagos were recognized as Natural Heritage of Humanity.
At present, the islands are being protected by the Galapagos National Park of which 42 sites have been classified for visitation.
If you have ever thought about visiting a living The Galápagos Archipelago is a magical place, a time capsule in which Nature shows us how it works, and how species adapt to their environment. A place that never leaves the visitor indifferent.laboratory, or if you are interested in evolution, natural history and conservation, then you cannot miss this magical corner of an Ecuador where the greatest biodiversity on Earth is concentrated.
Darwin’s trip to the Galapagos Islands
The important consequences it had for the theory of human evolution.
From the time he was a child, Fray Tomás de Berlanga had the concern to learn about geographic, nautical and natural science subjects. The adventure of traveling to the Galapagos Islands, (name given by him to this group of islands), happened by a simple chance, since it was dragged there by the marine currents during a crossing from Panama to Lima (1535) then they were visited by Charles Darwin in the 19th century and the consequence of his studies resulted in the Theory of the Evolution of Species.
On his trip to the Galapagos Islands, Darwin’s main goal was to investigate the geology of the islands and gather a collection of natural samples. Observing the flora and fauna of the place, he came to the conclusion that the studied species were able to adapt and alter their physical appearance as the world evolved. In this way, he concluded that the strongest is capable of surviving a certain context. In addition, he maintained that humanity also suffered changes as a product of evolution, modifying itself in order to achieve a new form, having as common ancestors the apes.
Having some detractors, the theory attracted the attention of many areas, including the church, especially the Church of England which gave a mixed response to the theory. Darwin’s book on Evolution was translated into several languages and became a true scientific text that survives to this day.
Darwin’s thinking has had an enormous impact on many scientific fields. Many scientists convinced themselves that their theory of evolution of a common descendant and their modifications to adapt to the context was correct. During 1930 and 1950, the theory was applied to the genetic field and it was proven that natural selection was the basis of evolution. The latest studies of biology and evolution have been based on Darwin’s theory which has survived until now.
Even some species have been named after Darwin; for example, the group of tanagers found in the Galapagos Islands and which today are called “Darwin’s Finches”. Every year the world celebrates Darwin’s Day – 2009 marked the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth and the 150-year anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species.
This was not his only important work because, as a biologist, he wrote other works, which were related, in some way, to his trip around South America aboard the Beagle ship. If you have been interested in Darwin’s works and his theories, a trip to the Galapagos Islands should be your first option. You have probably read his books but there is something you did not consider: the possibility of visiting the place where the Evolution of Species was the result of the studies of a great mind.