The Galapagos Islands are among the most beautiful and pristine places remaining on earth. Stark, rugged, and inhabited by some of the most bizarre creatures you will ever see, these young, volcanic islands offer a rare insight into what our planet was like before man conquered and cultivated large areas of its surface.

While visiting the Galapagos, Charles Darwin noticed unusual variations in the animal species from one island to another. It appeared that the various animals inhabiting the Galapagos were related, but on each island the animals were uniquely adapted for survival in their particular environment. Darwin's observations during his it brief initial visit to the Galapagos were ultimately destined to form the basis of his revolutionary theory of evolution. Ironically, the controversy surrounding Darwin's theories continued to this day.

The photographs in this video were taken in October, 2006, while on a National Geographic Expeditions tour on the Lindblad vessel M.S. Islander.

For more information, please visit:

National Geographic Expeditions
http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/531.html

Lindblad Expeditions
http://www.expeditions.com/expeditions/regions.asp?region...

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