Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Teresa and I are thrilled to be returning to the Galapagos Islands this summer, and it is almost impossible to conjur a Galapagos ecotour without reflecting on the work of Charles Darwin. We all know that Darwin’s exploration of these unique islands gave rise to his theories of evolution and natural selection as outlined in his seminal work ‘On the Origin of Species.’ Here are a few more aspects of this fateful expedition you may or may not already know…
- Charles Darwin was just 22 years old when hired by The Beagle’s Captain, Robert FitzRoy, to be the ship’s naturalist and gentleman companion. Darwin had some experience collecting beetles and small sea creatures, and was quickly developing a strong interest in geology, but he saw himself rightly as a novice in all other areas of natural history.
- The Beagle was in the Galapagos for just five weeks, from September 15 to October 20, 1835, of which Darwin spent about 19 days ashore. 19 days! He visited Chatham Island (now called San Cristobal), Charles (now Floreana), Albemarle (now Isabela) and James (now Santiago).
- Darwin probably saw Halley's Comet while in the Galapagos. The comet was at its minimum distance from Earth on October 13, 1835, while Darwin was on James Island (Santiago). It would have been visible with the naked eye just after sunset on any clear evening at about that time. It is also believed he had access to the Nautical Almanac for 1833 which included a chart showing the comet's predicted path. There is reference to 'Comet' in one of his last field notes on the Galapagos.
- Charles Darwin started to develop his theory of evolution by natural selection within two years of the Beagle's return to England in 1836, but it was more than 20 years later when he finally published the On the Origin of Species in 1859.
- The notebook kept by Darwin during his life-changing voyage on The Beagle stayed with him when he moved from London to Kent in 1842 where he worked and wrote for the rest of his life. Sadly, the original notebook was stolen from the Darwin Collection at Down House in the early 1980s and has yet to be recovered. Fortunately a black and white microfilm had been made of the entire notebook in 1969. It is viewable online at darwin-online.org.uk
The Galapagos Islands and the magnificent creatures that live there certainly inspired young Darwin. They have inspired us, and countless other visitors as well. We invite you to join us on this journey of a lifetime, to an archipelago that captured the imagination of one of the greatest minds of the 19th century. We know you won’t be disappointed.
July 24 - August 2, 2016.
-Ged