From: Charles Darwin, Sproule 1990

On September 15, 1835 the Beagle arrived at the Galapagos Archipelago. It was going to stay there till the 20th of October. Very few people were living there, but many ships landed there to leave mail for other ships, to take in water and particularly because of the fresh meat of the giant tortoises (galapagos is the Spanish word for giant tortoise). Darwin's first impression was one of aversion: black rocks, spiny flora. But the nature turned out to be very interesting. There were, among others, sea lizards, iguana's, which did not go into the sea. Perhaps because they feared instinctively their enemy, the shark. Darwin collected many species of finches, which e.g. differed in the shape of the bill. Tracks were running from the coast to the middle of the island. They turned out to be made by tortoises going to drink at the source. The vice governor noticed that he could see in one glance from which island a tortoise originated. The tortoises from James Island tasted best. Darwin understood that this was important information, but he had already packed the tortoises without mentioning the island from which they came... Know more? Galapagos islands

The mocking birds, too, showed many differences. Darwin did label those. He thought them to be varieties (instead of different species). Leaving the archipelago with the Beagle on October  the 20th he realized that the variation in species could be an indication for 'transmutation of species'. He was not completely aware of the importance of his observations. For example he permitted the crew to consume 30 living tortoises and to throw the remains overboard. He was going to regret this later on very much. Only at home, when John Gould had studied the collected birds and had told him that they were closely related species, he was beginning to see the light. This was mainly because of the mocking birds. Besides, the finches and the mocking birds had close relatives on the continent ...  Know more? Marine iguana: Video Galapagos tortoise Harriet, Darwin's tortoise

Darwin 20

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